Program Supervisor - Northwest Area GNA Program Manager

State of Montana • Kalispell, MT

2d

About The Position

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's mission is to help ensure that Montana's land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations.
The DNRC believes employees are their most important asset. The DNRC empowers employees to exercise professional judgment in carrying out their duties. Employees are provided with the training and tools necessary to achieve the mission. Both team effort and individual employee expertise are supported and sustained.
Core Values:
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s Forestry and Trust Land Division recognizes that building a collaborative, professional, and inclusive work environment is critical to fulfilling our mission of managing, protecting, and promoting stewardship of Montana’s forests and lands for the benefit of current and future generations and our trust beneficiaries. We hold ourselves to these high standards as we are accountable to the people of Montana.
We value and respect each other.
We create collaborative work environments.
We build and maintain strong relationships.
We practice accountability.
We celebrate our successes and take pride in our work
Work Unit Overview:
The mission of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) is to ensure that Montana's land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations.
The Forestry & Trust Lands Division plans and implements programs through an extensive network of staff in field offices across the state. Area and Unit offices are responsible for implementing and integrating Forestry and Trust Lands programs. Forestry programs include Fire Protection, Forestry Assistance, Good Neighbor Authority (GNA), and Business Management. Trust lands programs include Agriculture and Grazing Management, Forest Management, Minerals Management, and Real Estate Management.
The Area, together with five Unit offices, represents the Montana DNRC in four counties. Area and Unit offices implement and administer DNRC programs for its Forestry & Trust Lands Division on approximately 350,000 acres of State trust lands, private lands, and on lands managed by other public and private partners. The Area provides fire protection on approximately 1.6 million acres of land.
Job Overview:
The Area GNA Program Manager oversees and coordinates operations by providing support to implementation of the overall strategic plan to ensure consistency and consideration of State interests while managing federal lands.
The purpose of the GNA Program is to increase the pace and scale of forest management and restoration on federal forest lands by adding capacity to the federal management agencies as authorized by GNA per the 2014 Farm Bill. GNA staff at the Area and Units implement timber sale and restoration projects to improve forest health, reduce hazardous fuels, and harvest commercial timber from federal lands.
The Area GNA Program Manager provides to the Area and Units: program coordination and oversight; strategic development and direction; policy interpretation and guidance; training; contract review; technical and fiscal support; and operations support as needed. The Area GNA Program Manager serves as the Area contact with the offices of federal agencies for purposes of interagency coordination, strategic alignment, project prioritization, budget allocation, and program problem-solving.
This position reports to the Area Operations Manager.

Requirements

• The position requires education and experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in natural resource management, business or public administration, environmental or life science or a related field and four (4) years progressively responsible experience including project management and supervisory experience.
• Requires knowledge of the principles and practices of program administration including program management, project management, strategic planning, research and analysis techniques, budget management, policy implementation, contract/agreement administration, governmental accounting and budgeting, records management, and information systems; communication including public relations, technical writing, and conflict resolution; forestry and natural resource management including forest and watershed restoration and fuels reduction; and supervisory methods and techniques.
• Requires skill in administering a complex forestry program and multiple projects, negotiation and conflict management, the use of personal computers and forestry and business-related software, public speaking, communicating both verbally and in writing with a wide variety of individuals in an effective manner, and creating, organizing, and delivering professional reports.
• Requires the ability to utilize critical thinking and independent judgment; to be effective in problem-solving and managing conflicts; to establish and maintain positive, effective working relationships with diverse people sometimes in adverse environments; to learn and apply state and federal rules, regulations, policies and procedures; to prioritize assignments and work under deadlines; and to organize and complete detailed work.
• Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States.
• A valid driver's license is required with less than 12 conviction points in the most recent completed 36 months.
• In accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act, the person selected must produce within three days of hire documents that show authorization to work in the United States. Examples of such documentation include a birth certificate or Social Security card along with a driver’s license or other picture I.D., or a U.S. passport, or a "green card".

Responsibilities

• Provides program oversight, technical and fiscal support, contract administration, training, policy interpretation and guidance, and operational support and problem-solving to implement forest management and forest restoration projects implemented on federal lands under Good Neighbor Authority.
• Coordinates planning and processes for forestry-related projects, and identifies programmatic, policy, or operational obstacles and works with others to propose solutions to overcoming those obstacles.
• Monitors Area GNA program and project budgets to ensure financial operations adhere to allocations, program plans, and statutory authorities.
• Serves as the primary Area representative when negotiating GNA agreements and developing financial plans.
• Oversees, leads, and/or assists Area and Unit staff in the engagement of contractors to support the GNA program including NEPA, silviculture and forestry services, road engineering and design, right of way research and acquisition, and other relevant types of contracted services.
• Establish and implement communication methods to engage and inform internal and external stakeholders and develop relationships necessary to explain proposals, present findings, establish specifications, or discuss project status.
• Position manages Area-level GNA staff, including setting priorities, developing workplans, and evaluating performance.

Benefits

• Work/life balance
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Retirement plans
• Generous paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Pre-tax flexible spending accounts
• A vibrant Employee Assistance Program
• State of Montana employment may qualify you to receive student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees