NC Mountains Forest Recovery Director

The Nature Conservancy • Asheville, NC

13d • $77,000 - $85,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The NC Mountains Forest Recovery Director will build and oversee a large team and a budget of over $3 million/year to deliver forest restoration projects in collaboration with the US Forest Service. Their work will be focused on delivering on a forest restoration scope of work under a 10-year Disaster Recovery award. They will build and lead a team of ten professional fire and forest restoration specialists and thirteen seasonal crew members. They will manage with excellence three direct reports and will be responsible for performance management, training, and career development. The Forest Recovery Director will work closely with the US Forest Service to prioritize silvicultural and fire projects, troubleshoot implementation challenges, and deliver results while maintaining relationships with local partners. In this 10-year term position they will sequence implementation projects across the North Carolina mountains to create a steady pipeline of work. They will have administrative oversight and delivery on the forest restoration scope of work and will complete required grant reporting. Projects will be focused on restoring fire-adapted forests with prescribed fire and silviculture, and will require skillsets in project planning, preparing teams and resources, prescription implementation, and assessments of success. The NC Mountains Forest Recovery Director will have some technical skills, ideally with fire qualifications, to add to our team and will support and aid in implementation. They will play a role in the Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network that includes providing technical expertise, sharing lessons that we are learning, and cultivating strategic and authentic relationships with a broad variety of federal, state, and nonprofit partners. The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) forest restoration goals in the Southern Appalachian region center on enhancing the resilience, connectivity, and ecological integrity of these fire-adapted forest landscapes. By focusing on both landscape-scale restoration and targeted habitat improvements, TNC is committed to restoring the quality of forest habitats that support the extraordinary biodiversity for which the Southern Appalachians are globally renowned. The projects will be carried out in close collaboration with the US Forest Service as well as other state, non-profit, and Tribal partners. The NC Forest Recovery Director will report to the Southern Blue Ridge Program Director. They will work closely with a robust team of forestry and fire practitioners in Asheville as well as working across the six state Southern Appalachian area, and particularly closely with Virginia colleagues. They will contribute as a thought leader to advancing Appalachians-wide forest resilience outcomes through TNC’s Appalachians forestry strategies and teams. They may work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances. The Forest Recovery Director will be asked to work with donors as appropriate, which sometimes will include working on evenings and weekends. The position is based out of TNC’s office in Asheville with hybrid work options available. It is a full-time, ten-year term position without renewal. The salary range for this position is $77,000-$85,000 depending on experience. Application materials will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please submit your cover letter and resume as soon as possible and we will be in touch with all applicants by mid-to-late February, if not before. If you’re looking for a career where you can find meaning and purpose, come join our Chapter as the NC Mountains Forest Forest Recovery Director! Not only will you fulfill conservation objectives in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, but you’ll contribute to conservation goals through many networks! We’re looking for a passionate, dedicated person to lead our mountains forest restoration work for the next 10 years. Systems leadership, excellent managerial skills, creative problem solving, and the ability to influence without authority are key in this role. Come join TNC and apply with a cover letter and resume today!

Requirements

• BA/BS degree and 5 years’ experience in natural resource management, including forestry, terrestrial ecology, fire ecology or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience managing complex or multiple projects simultaneously, including staffing, workloads and finances under deadlines.
• Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance of professional employees.
• Experience in partnership development with non-profit partners, community groups and government agencies.
• Experience negotiating.
• Must be able to obtain the qualifications for Prescribed Fire Crew Member (RXCM) or Fire Fighter Type 2 (FFT2) (See TNC Fire Management Manual), including meeting the physical fitness standard of moderate or arduous (See TNC Physical Fitness Testing).
• Must have valid Driver’s License and be willing to travel to project sites.
• Experience performing physical work outdoors in all conditions.
• Experience using Microsoft Office; Outlook, Word, Excel, GPS and ArcGIS and/or similar applications.

Nice To Haves

• 5-7 years’ experience in Southern Appalachian Forest systems or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proven track record of project management and organization of large scale, multi-year projects, including collaborative project sequencing and meeting deliverables on deadline.
• Demonstrated experience influencing and developing collaborative priorities, for example between US Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy.
• Significant, demonstrated partnership building with non-profits, government agencies, and other stakeholders to achieve outcomes.
• Experienced team leader of groups of 10-20.
• Experience overseeing contracts for timber stand improvement, fire line mastication, reforestation, and non-native invasive species contracts.
• Experience with prescribed fire and other forest restoration practices.
• Qualified as a single resource boss preferred (Engine Boss (ENGB), Firing Boss (FIRB), and Crew Boss (CRWB)). Other helpful qualifications include Resource Advisor (READ), Fire Effects Monitor (FEMO), Public Information Officer (PIO), and Squad Boss (FFT1).
• Knowledge of current US Forest Service policies, procedures, practices, and systems.
• Demonstrated experience in public grant management and/or private fundraising.
• Creativity to develop innovative and novel solutions to management challenges.
• Experience communicating with excellence via written, spoken, and graphical means in English.
• Politically savvy.
• Multi-lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• This position requires a valid driver's license and compliance with TNC’s Auto Safety Program.

Responsibilities

• Build and oversee a large team and a budget of over $3 million/year to deliver forest restoration projects in collaboration with the US Forest Service.
• Build and lead a team of ten professional fire and forest restoration specialists and thirteen seasonal crew members.
• Manage with excellence three direct reports and will be responsible for performance management, training, and career development.
• Work closely with the US Forest Service to prioritize silvicultural and fire projects, troubleshoot implementation challenges, and deliver results while maintaining relationships with local partners.
• Sequence implementation projects across the North Carolina mountains to create a steady pipeline of work.
• Have administrative oversight and delivery on the forest restoration scope of work and will complete required grant reporting.
• Play a role in the Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network that includes providing technical expertise, sharing lessons that we are learning, and cultivating strategic and authentic relationships with a broad variety of federal, state, and nonprofit partners.
• Contribute as a thought leader to advancing Appalachians-wide forest resilience outcomes through TNC’s Appalachians forestry strategies and teams.
• Work with donors as appropriate, which sometimes will include working on evenings and weekends.

Benefits

• TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level