Conservation Specialist

Position Summary

Caledonia County NRCD seeks a full-time Conservation Specialist to be based out of our office in St. Johnsbury, Vermont who is positive, detail-oriented, organized, creative, and flexible.  The Conservation Specialist will lead and scale up our natural resource restoration programs, which cover a diverse range of project types including floodplain/stream restoration, wetland restoration, lake shoreland restoration, riparian buffer plantings, culvert replacements, and dam removals.  Job duties will also include activities such as planning and hosting public events; attending town selectboard, conservation commission, and/or planning commission meetings; attending/tabling at community meetings and events; and conducting targeted landowner outreach.  For the right candidate, the expectation is that eventually this position will manage many of the natural resource projects undertaken by CCNRCD from start to finish, with support and input from the District Manager.  This position is grant-funded and is under the general supervision of the CCNRCD District Manager and includes a seasonal mix of computer-based and field work.  Computer work may include long periods sitting, typing, and reading from a computer screen.  This position will have an assigned hotel-style desk, phone, and laptop computer at the USDA Service Center in St. Johnsbury.  Teleworking will be required.

Who We Are

The Caledonia County Natural Resources Conservation District (CCNRCD) was established in 1946, after Vermont passed the Soil Conservation Act, with an original purpose to drive locally-led voluntary conservation through contacts with farmers.  In 1968, the Vermont State Legislature amended the Soil Conservation Act, broadening our scope to conserve all natural resources.  The mission of CCNRCD is to sponsor and coordinate technical and financial assistance to address water quality, stormwater runoff, erosion, soil quality, watershed planning and conservation education.  CCNRCD is an independent, non-regulatory municipal sub-division of state government, governed by a Board of Supervisors.  We are served by two leadership entities, the State Natural Resources Conservation Council (NRCC) and the Vermont Association of Conservation Districts (VACD).  Landowner engagement with the District is voluntary and incentive-based.  Some Conservation Districts, including CCNRCD, are housed at USDA Service Centers.  The Caledonia County NRCD works closely with all Conservation Districts in the state to collaborate, share resources, and provide continuity of services.  We also work closely with many other partners, including the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), UVM Extension, US Fish & Wildlife Service, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets (VAAFM), VT Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and others.  Conservation Districts receive a small amount of operational funding from the State of Vermont, but primarily support their work through securing project grants and program funding.

Required Qualifications

Qualified candidates will have experience in environmental science, natural resource management, or a related field and at least three years of work experience.  The ideal candidate will have technical knowledge and/or work experience in natural resource assessments, planning, and field work; landowner outreach; and project scoping, development, and implementation.  Preferred candidates will have demonstrated success managing complex natural resource projects that involve a variety of stakeholders, including municipalities, landowners, and state and federal agency partners. 

Candidates must have strong and consistent communication skills in a variety of settings, a respectful demeanor, and the desire to build relationships with land users and partners to improve natural resource management in Caledonia County.  Someone with a friendly, personable, warm, and welcoming personality will be most successful in this position as event hosting and one-on-one conversations with landowners, funders, partners and community members is a large component of this role. 

Applicants who do not yet have all the required and preferred skills but are enthusiastic about the work are encouraged to apply.

Critical Skills Needed

• Comfortable speaking one-on-one with landowners about natural resource issues on their land
• Comfortable with public outreach and skilled at organizing, planning, and presenting to citizen groups, organizations, and committees
• Knowledge of Vermont natural resources issues
• Able to assess and document resource concerns in the field
• Familiarity with ARC-GIS and map interpretation
• Able to work efficiently without direct supervision, and can independently set work priorities, manage time effectively, and complete program deliverables on time
• Able to manage many projects, initiatives, and working relationships simultaneously
• Strong computer literacy including experience with Windows, MS Office, Google Drive, and social media platforms
• Comfort with performing manual labor outside in variable weather conditions
• Must be able to clear a thorough federal background check to work on the USDA NRCS computer system and have access to Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
• Must have access to a reliable personal vehicle for travel throughout district with mileage reimbursement provided
• Able to work occasional evenings and weekends
• Must be able to telework

Desired Skills & Experiences

• Experience in non-profit and/or government work environments
• Experience working on grant-funded programs; this position will require the applicant to successfully develop projects and write grants to maintain funding for this position, alongside the entire CCNRCD team
• Experience developing and implementing community outreach events on natural resources topics
• Technical knowledge and/or work experience in natural resource assessments and project management, including project scoping, development, and implementation; and identifying and developing budgets, deliverables, and work plans
• Demonstrated success managing complex natural resource projects that involve a variety of stakeholders, including municipalities, landowners, and state and federal agency partners

Wages and Benefits

This position is currently funded for full-time, 32-40 hours per week.  This is an at-will, non-salaried position starting at $26.57 per hour with room to increase.  Benefits include paid holidays, annual, and sick leave; health care stipend; paid family & medical leave insurance; short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance; 3% retirement match in Simple IRA; and generous flexibility.

CALEDONIA COUNTY NRCD IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), marital status, status with regard to public assistance, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, protected veteran status, disability, age (40 or older), political affiliation, and genetic information.