Bear Conflict Prevention Coordinator

Job Title: Bear Conflict Prevention Coordinator

Reports To: Managing Director of Conservation & Operations

Salary: Salaried – Full-time – Year-round

Salary Range: $48,000-$52,000 (DOE)

Position Start Date: May 11, 2026

Deadline to Apply: Open until filled

Swan Valley Connections (SVC) is eager to welcome a full-time, year-round, Bear Conflict Prevention Coordinator to our team. The right candidate will play a critical role in promoting human-bear coexistence strategies and mitigating bear conflicts in the Swan River Watershed. The responsibilities for this position are wide-ranging and will vary, depending on daily priorities and organizational needs to achieve the goals of our mission, which is to inspire conservation and expand stewardship in the Swan Valley . SVC strives to connect people to the natural world. We provide a variety of experiential education opportunities, coordinating technical and financial assistance to plan and implement conservation and stewardship projects with private landowners and public management agencies, providing excellent visitor services and public information, and having strong partnerships in the Tribal, private, nonprofit, and governmental sectors. We are a non-advocacy, collaborative, place-based nonprofit organization.

Job Description:

The Bear Conflict Prevention Coordinator (BCPC) will coordinate Swan Valley Connections’ Swan Valley Bear Resources (SVBR) Program in collaboration with partners and stakeholders. The majority of this position will involve coordinating the distribution of bear-resistant garbage containers, designing and constructing electric fences to exclude bears, and coordinating outreach and educational events within the Swan River Watershed. The BCPC will utilize a full range of conservation tools and will rely heavily on communication skills and collaboration with SVC’s partners and Swan Valley stakeholders to develop and achieve prioritized program goals. The BCPC needs to be a strong leader, have excellent communication skills, and be able to motivate a collaborative group of partners representing a variety of vested interests. The position will develop strong working relationships with private landowners, community organizations, public agencies, businesses, volunteers, and conservation groups toimplement these efforts. The position will assist with storytelling, creating outreach materials, grant writing, and reporting. It is preferred that BCPC live in the Swan River Watershed (Condon, Swan Lake, Ferndale, or Bigfork). This position requires travel throughout the watershed on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. The BCPC will be supervised by the Managing Director of Conservation & Operations.

Responsibilities Include:

• Lead Swan Valley Bear Resources’ implementation of coexistence strategies between people and bears by providing conflict avoidance and mitigation measures, conflict response, and providing educational information and coordination of outreach and events
• Collaborate with a wide range of partners to identify conservation needs and opportunities
• Lead existing community-scale bear conflict prevention projects and volunteer efforts
• Initiate Bear in Mind Bigfork community efforts to coordinate bear smart projects and activities among local businesses, stakeholders, partners, and volunteers
• Participate in fundraising by writing grant proposals and reporting on grants as necessary
• Assist with storytelling and creation of outreach materials
• Assist with marketing SVBR events
• Assist with SVC and SVBR fundraising campaigns and events
• Executing administrative tasks where needed

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, ecology, natural resource management, or related field
• Knowledge of current trends in conservation and natural resource management
• Knowledge of bear conflict management and best practices, bear ecology, and behaviors
• Passionate about SVC’s mission and vision
• Passionate about natural history and conservation
• Excellent storytelling and communication skills (verbal and written)
• Excellent public speaking and presentation skills
• Demonstrated attention to detail, organization, prioritization, and time management
• Desire to learn and self-direct
• Ability to work well with a team and independently
• Desire to work with and interact with a variety of people (both in person and online)
• Proficiency in MS Office software and Google Apps (Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar)
• Valid Montana driver’s license and clean driving record
• Defensive driving training
• Wilderness First Aid or higher certification
• Be willing to occasionally travel, work overtime, and work evenings and weekends as needed

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Benefits: Paid annual leave, paid sick leave, paid federal holidays, SIMPLE IRA retirement savings plan with employer match, and health insurance with employer contribution.