Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Project Manager

The Nature Conservancy•Gresham, OR

9d•$71,200 - $75,650•Hybrid

About The Position

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Oregon is seeking a Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Project Manager to support priority forest restoration and conservation projects in the Rogue Basin of Southwest Oregon and the Upper Klamath Basin of Southcentral Oregon. This role collaborates with a range of key partners to advance ecologically based forest restoration projects and beneficial fire use. The program focuses on dry forest and fire science, on-the-ground demonstration projects, policy advocacy, and partnerships with Indigenous-led stewardship. This position contributes to TNC’s Western Dry Forests Program, aiming to restore forest resilience to wildfire and climate change. As part of the Resilient Forests and Communities (RFC) Strategy team, the Project Manager will report to the Forest Strategy Director. The preferred location is Ashland, Oregon, with a secondary option in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The role requires frequent travel (~25-30%) within Southern Oregon and occasional out-of-state travel for meetings and project visits. The Project Manager will collaborate with local, state, federal, Tribal, and NGO partners on science-based dry forest restoration. They will work closely with other Southern Oregon TNC staff and colleagues across TNC's various teams. The role involves full project lifecycle administration, from scoping and funding to monitoring and communication, but does not include treatment implementation or on-the-ground management. Key skills include strong project management, interpersonal and communication abilities, and the capacity to integrate science with restoration knowledge in forest and fire management. Building and sustaining relationships with diverse stakeholders and partners is crucial.

Requirements

BA or BS degree and 5 years’ experience in environmental science, ecology, conservation, natural resource management, forest or fire management, environmental law or policy, or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience leading complex, cross-organizational projects.
Experience communicating technical or scientific information with varied audiences in written, spoken, and graphical form.
Experience building partnerships and working collaboratively with varied teams and partner organizations, including Tribes, non-profit partners, government agencies, elected officials and/or community groups.
Training related to the histories, cultures, and sovereignty of Tribal nations.
Experience using common software applications including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and ArcGIS.
A valid driver's license and compliance with TNC’s Auto Safety Program.
Must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.
Must complete a Vehicle Use Agreement, which may include a review of the prospective employee's motor vehicle record.

Nice To Haves

Post-graduate degree and 2-3 years of experience in environmental science, conservation, natural resource management, forest or fire management, landscape or disturbance ecology, environmental law or policy, or related field.
Demonstrated understanding of the current science, policies, and practices guiding ecological restoration of dry forests in the interior Western U.S.
Experience working with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities on natural and cultural resource management.
Experience working with community-based forest restoration partnerships, collaborative groups, or other cross-organizational natural resource management efforts.
Possesses strong interpersonal skills and political savvy.
Experience with contract development, administration, and oversight, particularly in the realm of implementing on-the-ground natural resource management and conservation projects.
Experience applying scientific and technical information to guide conservation decision making and on-the-ground activities.
Experience coordinating people and resources to complete projects on time and with attention to detail.
Ability to think critically, problem solve, and work through challenges on complex, multidisciplinary projects.
Experience with ecologically based wildland fire (prescribed fire and/or wildfire) management.
Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.

Responsibilities

Support and help execute the RFC strategy across Southern Oregon focused primarily on the Rogue and Upper Klamath Basins, including implementation of the Rogue Basin Strategy in collaboration with the Rogue Forest Partners, Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Collaborative, and Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network in Southwest Oregon, and the Klamath Lake Forest Health Partnership and the 20-year Master Stewardship Agreement between The Klamath Tribes, the Fremont-Winema National Forest, Sustainable Northwest, and TNC in Southcentral Oregon.
Advance the Oregon Dry Forests and Fire Program and the Western Dry Forests program in Oregon through ongoing local partnerships and projects and collaboration and sharing lessons learned between priority dry forest geographies in Central and Northeast Oregon and other TNC forest and fire programs across the Western U.S.
Use strong project management skills to channel scientific and technical knowledge to advance dry forest restoration, including project scoping and planning, implementation oversight and contract administration, and monitoring plan design and oversight.
Apply sound financial management skills, including developing and managing budgets, identifying and securing varied funding, grant administration, and developing, negotiating, and overseeing contracts with vendors and restoration service providers in support of TNC and partner projects.
Support identification and development of varied funding opportunities to support dry forest restoration activities.
Represent TNC externally, serving as a local liaison to a wide range of partner organizations including state and federal land management agencies, Tribal natural resource departments and other Indigenous-led organizations, community groups, private forest and fire contractors, NGO and non-profit organizations, and other partners.
Effectively communicate progress and outcomes to wide range of audiences ranging from community partners and elected officials to land management agency staff and technical experts to build cross-organizational support and foster collaboration.
Work both independently and as member of multidisciplinary teams, some led by TNC and some by partner organizations, collaborative groups, or partnerships across Southern Oregon.
Plan, convene, and lead meetings, workshops, trainings, field trips, community engagement and outreach events, and other forums in collaboration with partners to build shared understanding.