Forest Stewardship Manager

The Nature Conservancy•GEO / Remote - Maine, ME

1d•$64,080 - $75,650•Hybrid

About The Position

The Nature Conservancy’s Maine Chapter is seeking a Forest Stewardship Manager to manage the Wolastoq - St. John River Forest (WSJRF) and contribute to a broader Maine forest stewardship strategy. The role integrates ecological, financial, cultural, carbon, and climate considerations into forest management decisions and supports TNC’s conservation credibility through responsible, transparent stewardship of its lands. The manager maintains relationships and learning networks with forestry, conservation, Indigenous, academic, agency, and landowner partners, and shares management outcomes and lessons with staff, partners, contractors, and external audiences. The position oversees forest management planning and implementation, ecological reserve inventory and monitoring, roads and infrastructure, a commercial sugaring lease, public access, carbon-offset project obligations, FSC certification compliance, relationships, and other legal and stewardship commitments. It is hands-on and field-oriented, with substantial time in the woods, multi-day site visits, and regular overnight travel to remote northern Maine. The manager works with minimal and distant supervision, exercises independent judgment, and contributes to oversight of two to three other western Maine properties and statewide land-stewardship policy discussions. The role includes regular field presence at the WSJRF and occasional, roughly quarterly, in-person meetings at TNC’s Brunswick, Maine office. Modern field accommodations at Baker Lake are available to support stewardship and engagement. The employee must live where consistent access to the forest is practical, ideally within approximately three hours of Baker Lake; Maine residency is not required. Work may take place in variable weather, remote locations, difficult or hazardous terrain, and physically demanding conditions. The successful applicant must meet TNC’s background-screening requirements and comply with its vehicle-use and Auto Safety Program requirements.

Requirements

BA/BS, law degree, or business degree and five years of experience in natural resource management or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience with forest management, ecological inventory and monitoring, conservation forestry, or natural systems.
Experience managing complex or multiple projects, including budgets, contracts, timelines, vendors, partners, staff, or contractors.
Experience communicating verbally and in writing with technical and non-technical audiences.
Experience using GPS and/or GIS technologies for data collection, mapping, analysis, or documentation, and standard office software.
Experience working with partners, contractors, agencies, landowners, community groups, or conservation organizations.
Valid driver’s license and compliance with TNC’s Auto Safety Program; employment is contingent on completion of a Vehicle Use Agreement, which may include a motor vehicle record review.
Ability to maintain a residence that enables consistent access to the WSJRF, ideally within approximately three hours of Baker Lake.
Ability to work in variable weather, remote locations, and difficult, sometimes hazardous terrain under physically demanding conditions.
Ability to travel regularly to the forest, including multi-day visits and overnight stays.

Nice To Haves

Experience in conservation or ecological forestry, timber-harvest planning, forest inventory, silviculture, restoration, or forest-carbon projects.
Familiarity with silvicultural Best Management Practices and forest-certification standards such as FSC.
Knowledge of current practices and trends in conservation forestry, climate-adapted forest management, ecological restoration, and forest carbon, and ability to explain management decisions and ecological tradeoffs to varied audiences.
Experience facilitating or participating in advisory groups, interagency working groups, partnership networks, or collaborative conservation forums.
Experience with complex project management, grant writing, or fundraising support.
Maine Licensed Forester status, or ability to obtain licensure within five years.
Multilingual, multicultural, or cross-cultural experience; French-language skills and/or experience with Quebec, cross-border, or Wabanaki communities is especially valuable.

Responsibilities

Manage all aspects of forest stewardship at the Wolastoq - St. John River Forest to meet Conservancy goals, FSC certification standards, carbon-project standards, and other legal commitments.
Plan, implement, monitor, and report on ecologically sound forest harvests, restoration projects, stewardship activities, and other conservation forestry projects.
Coordinate ecological monitoring, forest inventory, forest-health assessments, GIS data management, and information systems to guide adaptive management.
Work with TNC scientists, stewardship staff, researchers, and partners to identify monitoring priorities and lead field data collection on forest condition, rare features, water resources, climate impacts, and stewardship outcomes.
Work with the Northern Maine Land Manager to maintain ecological reserves, managed forests, roads, boundaries, signage, tools, equipment, and field data.
Coordinate and oversee contractors, vendors, consultants, interns, volunteers, and staff, managing project performance, safety, quality control, timelines, and deliverables.
Maintain regular field presence through multi-day site visits and participate in occasional in-person meetings at the Brunswick office.
Use field accommodations at Baker Lake to support stewardship, monitoring, project implementation, and engagement with staff, partners, and visitors.
Manage project budgets and financial resources, including procurement, contract administration, budget planning, and support for fundraising objectives.
Ensure compliance with organizational policies, legal requirements, certification standards, and other program obligations.
Exercise independent judgment and decision-making with limited supervision.
Maintain relationships with partners and communicate management decisions, conservation outcomes, and lessons learned to technical and non-technical audiences.
Travel and operate safely in support of conservation activities, maintaining a valid driver’s license.
Contribute to oversight of two to three other properties in western Maine and to statewide land-stewardship policy discussions.