Assistant Sage-Grouse CCAA Program Staff

POSITION: Assistant Sage-Grouse Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances Program Staff

LOCATION: Baker City, Oregon
Office attendance and physical fieldwork required. Limited remote work allowed ~2 days/wk.

WORK SCHEDULE: Full-time (40 hrs/week), ~6-8 mo Term ~May 15 – Jan 15
Ongoing 8-mo term employment through 2027, with possibility for extension of future funding 2028-2034, and possible increase to a 12-mo FT position with right candidate and funding.

PAY RATE: $22.00-27.00/hour, dependent on candidate qualifications annual cost-of-living pay adjustment (COLA) per the federal calculation, and potential merit raises dependent on quality work output.

BENEFITS: Vacation/sick leave (8-hr/mo/each), paid holidays, healthcare stipend ($600/mo), matching retirement while employed The position will require the use of a personal AWD/4WD/or good clearance vehicle, with expenses for work-related travel reimbursed at the annual rate ($.70/mile for 2025).

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Interviews will begin April 15th, position open until filled

Position Summary:
This position supports a collaborative effort among the Powder Basin Watershed Council (PBWC), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and private landowners in Baker and Union counties of northeastern Oregon, to improve sagebrush rangeland habitats on private ranchlands for the conservation of greater sage-grouse populations in Oregon. The assistant Sage-grouse CCAA program staff will be employed by PBWC and will support the Sage-Grouse CCAA Coordinator in work duties of the Programmatic Greater Sage-Grouse Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) program, in which private landowners voluntarily enroll with FWS in conservation measure actions on their properties to support sage-grouse. The CCAA program coordinator and staff work with private landowners to create individual land management plans that maintain and uplift sage-grouse habitats on their private lands, while maintaining the economic livelihood of the working ranchland. The statewide CCAA staff positions serve as liaisons between federal, state, and local government programs, private landowners, and NGO partners to address threats to sage-grouse and private sagebrush rangelands in Oregon. The position supports the mission of the Baker Sage-Grouse Local Implementation Team (LIT), and is secured by multi-year funding from an Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) grant, for the purpose of maintaining working rangelands and Greater Sage-grouse populations in Oregon.

At the PBWC we work in independent roles but take an integrated teamwork approach of combining our collective talents and skills to accomplish our organization’s mission – “to maintain and improve the conditions of the Powder Basin watershed”.

Job Description
The Assistant Sage-Grouse CCAA staff biologist will support the Sage-Grouse CCAA Coordinator in work duties of the Programmatic Greater Sage-Grouse Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) program in Baker-Union counties of Oregon. The work area is in the Baker Sage-Grouse Priority Area of Conservation of northeastern Oregon and operates in conjunction with the Baker LIT and FWS to conduct outreach and voluntary landowner enrollments into a 30-yr programmatic CCAA with FWS. This position supports the Baker-Union CCAA program, 1 of 6 sage-grouse CCAA units in Oregon. The Baker-Union CCAA program coordinator and assistant staff work directly with private landowners in Baker and Union counties to create and monitor individual landowner site specific plans (SSPs) that apply appropriate and adaptable land conservation measures to reduce threats to sage-grouse populations and maintain/or improve quality sagebrush-steppe habitat on private working ranchlands.
This position serves under the supervision of the Baker-Union Sage-Grouse CCAA Coordinator and Executive Director of PBWC. The employee will work independently and as part of a larger team, consulting with the CCAA Coordinator, CCAA and Baker LIT agency program partners, private landowners, and regional FWS liaison. As an employee of PBWC and the CCAA program, the staff employee will be under the direction of the PBWC Board of Directors. Work will be performed within established organizational policy and procedures, federal, state and county statutes, operational rules and regulations; and all work performed will be within the guidelines of OWEB grant requirements. Strong interpersonal relationship skills and understanding of the rural culture of northeastern Oregon is paramount.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Duties assigned to this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Support the CCAA Coordinator, as needed, in outreach and community engagement activities that promote sage-grouse conservation and the CCAA program to landowners and public, and enrollment of private lands in the sage-grouse CCAA program.
• Perform office and fieldwork necessary to develop conservation agreements and site-specific plans (SSPs) required for voluntary landowner enrollment in the Sage-Grouse CCAA program. This includes baseline inventory of private properties using tablet-based or paper data collection, ArcGIS mapping of properties, CCAA (Fulcrum) database form input, and production of required FWS CCAA documents.
• Identify applicable and appropriate conservation measures to be applied to individual landowner SSPs based on sage-grouse habitat requirements, recognition of habitat conditions, and landowner work and land needs.
• Work with individual landowner personalities and agricultural production interests in promoting applicable land management practices for sagebrush rangeland uplift and sage-grouse population conservation.
• Act as a liaison to landowners in applying recommended conservation measures by connecting them with local LIT agency and NGO partners with appropriate conservation measure expertise and/or funding.
• Conduct annual monitoring of enrolled landowner SSPs and production of required reporting documents to FWS.
• Foster and maintain collaborative and strong working relationships among federal and state natural resource agencies, counties, landowners, NGOs and related partners to maintain healthy working rangelands and wildlife habitat in the Baker sage-grouse PAC.
• Attend trainings, conferences, seminars, meetings, etc. at the recommendation of the position’s supervisor to stay current on new research, practices, laws, programs, and other items of interest that may be beneficial to implementation of the CCAA program.
• Manage work duties, timelines, and program data sufficiently and appropriately.
• Professionally represent PBWC and the CCAA program among a diverse public and natural resource partner work environment.

Desired Job Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent training and work experience in a related natural resources field (such as wildlife biology, rangeland ecology, conservation biology, environmental sciences, natural resources management, or agricultural sciences).
• Knowledge of natural resource practices, wildlife management, sagebrush-steppe ecosystem function, and rangeland plant ID.
• Knowledge of sage-grouse ecology and sagebrush rangeland conservation issues.
• Knowledge of rangeland wildlife needs and how to integrate wildlife conservation and sustainable agriculture practices.
• Proficiency in the use of MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other office software programs.
• Knowledge of and experience with ArcGIS, computer database systems, and ability to learn new computer applications.
• Ability to effectively manage and coordinate multitasking work environment, independently prioritize work tasks to accomplish programmatic goals, and accomplish required work assignments within assigned deadlines.
• Good data management, writing, organization skills, and attention to detail.
• Ability to sit for long periods and function in an office environment.
• Ability to conduct outdoor fieldwork, safely and independently in a variety of outdoor conditions, including rugged and/or steep terrain, inclement weather, and potential exposure to hazardous wildlife (i.e., rattlesnakes, cougars, etc).
• Ability to drive and navigate rural gravel/dirt/2-track roads and walk off-trail up to 10 miles in rangeland and riparian habitats; and to recognize and respect private land boundaries.
• Ability to navigate using GPS and phone or tablet mapping apps, aerial photos, and knowledge of mapping programs such as Avenza Maps, OnX, Caltopo, Gaia and Arc Field Maps; or ability to learn their use for navigation and data collection.
• Understanding and appreciation of private working lands, rural community values, and western ranching culture.
• Excellent professionalism and public relation skills.

Employment Requirements

• Position candidate will be required to authorize and pass a background check prior to employment.
• The position will require the use of a personal vehicle with clearance/AWD/4WD for fieldwork use that may include driving unpaved private and public roads. Expenses for work-related travel will be reimbursed at the state rate ($.70/mile for 2025). A valid state driver’s license and auto insurance is required for employment.
• A personal cell phone.

Civil Responsibility
The Powder Basin Watershed Council (PBWC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose vision is to “retain, restore, and enhance the health of our watershed.” The Council advocates quality waterway and upland land management among private and public landowners in Baker, southern Union, and northern Malheur counties with expertise, science, and restorative actions. PBWC promotes watershed ecological function and conservation using a collaborative approach to engage invested stakeholders for the purposes of native habitat function that can support fish and wildlife populations in balance with local community values.

All employees will perform and interact with others in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws for equal employment and other requirements of civil rights statutes.