District Assistant/Outreach Specialist

East & West Kauai Soil & Water Conservation Districts
District Assistant & Outreach Specialist
Pay Rate: $18 per hour (Starting)
Position Information:
PT – up to 19 hours per week
FT – up to 40 hours per week.
Position dependent upon funding
Includes formal, informal, and/or on-the-job training
Interisland travel may be needed

Location: USDA-NRCS Lihue Field Office/SWCD Office
4334 Rice St., Ste 101A
Lihue, HI 96766

Purpose of Position: This position serves three main goals under the supervision of the District Manager, East & West Kauai SWCD’s Employee Managing Directors and Chairpersons. Additionally, this position will assist with the NRCS workload. The administrative position is responsible for the administrative duties for the Kauai SWCDs, compiling annual reports, and updating of SWCD cooperators and SWCD presented conservation plan database. The position is also responsible for assisting with processing and maintenance of records related to SWCD and NRCS conservation programs, as well as Conservation Technical Assistance, and assisting with the day-to-day business and offices processes of the SWCD and NRCS. This position provides the administrative duties for the Feral Swine Fencing grant received from NACD and will assist with outreach and administrative duties including scheduling of site visits, application and contract processing, and reporting. This position is also responsible for assisting with facilitating and scheduling outreach and education activities for Kauai SWCDs and the Lihue NRCS field office.

Background: East & West Kauai Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) use technical, financial, and educational resources to help local land users conserve soil, water, and related resources. Kauai’s SWCDs are also involved in a variety of additional activities, such as erosion control plan reviews and development, reviewing and approving conservation plans in partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), supporting farmers and ranchers in their effort to obtain government funding for installing conservation practices, wildlife habitat preservation, and conservation education. East Kauai & West Kauai are two of 16 Hawaii Conservation districts that are a part of Hawaii Association of Conservation Districts (HACD). Each of the 16 Hawaii SWCD’s are governed by an unpaid board of five directors—three elected by agricultural land occupiers and two appointed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources. www.kauaiswcd.org

HACD is a statewide organization of the 16 soil and water conservation districts in Hawaii, and was created to support and promote natural resource conservation statewide. http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/swcd/ 

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is one of the Conservation Districts’ main conservation partners and is a technical resource agency. Cooperative agreements between NRCS and the SWCDs enables the two agencies to work closely together, and frequently share workload.

This position is currently funded through a grant from the County of Kauai to assist with administrative and technical support for all conservation efforts by East & West Kauai SWCDs and the Lihue NRCS field office. A portion of this position is also funded through a 1.5 year grant with National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) to specifically execute the deliverables of this grant. This position can be either part time or full time or can start out as a part time position but may have further opportunities to be a long term full time position as the Kauai SWCDs apply for additional grants or if additional projects are taken on.

MAJOR DUTIES

• Scheduling, recording, posting online, and submitting relevant documents for SWCD monthly board meetings. The SWCD are a public board for the State of Hawaii and must abide by the State of Hawaii Sunshine Law. Responsibilities include ensuring requirements are known and updating the meetings so that regulations are followed.
• Outreach and administrative duties related to the NACD Feral Swine Fencing Grant that will need to be executed within a specific timeline. Schedule and execute outreach events related specifically to this grant. Work with applicants on eligibility requirements and other paperwork related to this grant. Work with SWCD Conservation Specialists (technical specialists) to schedule site visits both during application period and certification. Facilitate District subcommittee meetings for selection of projects for funding. Regular communication with selected projects to complete all parts to the grant by November of 2026.
• Consolidating and completing the Kauai SWCD annual report. The Kauai SWCDs provide an annual report to partners around the state in order to share the work and accomplishments that the districts have completed that year. This report is also important to the County of Kauai funding as well as utilized for other potential grant opportunities and reporting.
• Planning, scheduling, and organizing annual meetings, dinners, awards and other SWCD events. Assisting with scheduling and of outreach events ensuring SWCD employees, NRCS employees, SWCD directors, and partners have the resources they need for events.
• Updates to website, social media, and advertising events and meetings. Update and maintain cooperator lists and provide regular communication updates to cooperators. Assist with tracking conservation plans and county agriculture exemptions with cooperators presenting plans with the SWCDs.
• Implements targeted outreach and marketing efforts through mass mailings; works with SWCD employees and NRCS to develop needed brochures and other outreach information; and develop visual displays for local meetings, conferences, etc. Assists with outreach events to promote SWCD and NRCS programs and assistance.
• Assist SWCD Conservation Specialists in execution of youth contests, and associated outreach and education needs.
• Drafts and/or edits explanatory or instructional bulletins and procedures, correspondence, news releases and announcements being prepared in the office based upon knowledge of SWCD and NRCS activities and policies. Responsible for clarity, grammar, and procedural correctness of all submitted documents.
• Assist District Manager with SWCD grant applications, reporting, submission, and be an additional point of contact. Will work with District Manager, Kauai SWCD Treasurers, SWCD employees with compiling and submitting reports and applications for Kauai SWCD grants and agreements. Provide relevant reports to partner agreements including to the HACD Grant Manager.
• Assist NRCS District Conservationist with tasks related to Farm Bill applications, eligibility, contracts, conservation plans and audits.
• Assists the SWCD Directors, SWCD planners, NRCS District Conservationist, and/or others to-conduct planning activities and track performance.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Qualifications To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Safety and Health: Performs duties in a supportive manner of a safe and healthy work environment. The employee exercises caution and maintains all safety requirements when exposed to dangerous objects, chemicals, and extreme temperatures.

Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights: Performs duties in a manner that actively supports civil rights policies regarding personnel rules and regulations and delivery of SWCD and NRCS programs and services without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, or physical or mental handicap.

Condition of Employment: Must possess and maintain a valid State of Hawaii Class 3 Driver’s License within 30 days of start date. This is required in order to operate a motor vehicle on public and private roads during daylight hours and occasionally after dark.

A background investigation and security clearance through USDA are required. The USDA provided security packet includes, but is not limited to, the following: a questionnaire for non-sensitive positions, signing a Fair-Credit Release form, submitting fingerprints, and any other forms the USDA deems necessary to complete the security clearance.

KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED BY THE POSITION

• Skill in operating personal computers, related software, hardware, and printing equipment in order to create and generate reports, to locate and extract electronic files from the Internet and other electronic sources, and to format information for electronic dissemination. This includes knowledge of and skill in using Microsoft software such as Access, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, Teams, and Word. Incumbent may also learn to use agency specific software, SharePoint, Web Soli Survey, and other web-based tools.
• Knowledge of administrative procedures and processes and applicable automated systems associated with the lean statistics to include Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point
• Knowledge of Social Media applications and willing to learn basic website design. Knowledge of remote conferencing programs including ZOOM and Teams.
• Knowledge of basic conservation program requirements for simple and routine administrative duties related to tracking of cooperators, plans, contracts, funds, and to assemble documentation for payment in a timely manner to comply with prompt payment requirements
• Knowledge of basic administrative processes in order to follow filing and tracking procedures for offices.
• Employee will be trained for knowledge of various and changing Farm Bill programs, Kauai County Ordinances, and State of Hawaii Sunshine Law requirements.

PERSONAL & PURPOSE OF CONTACTS

• Contacts are with SWCD Directors, District Manager, SWCD and NRCS field and NRCS state office employees. Frequent contacts are made with landowners, producers, and conservation district board members and staff as well as staff from other agencies.
• Contacts take place in order to plan and coordinate or provide assistance, solve problems and resolve discrepancies in connection with the agency’s business processes and processing program applications and payment documents. Individuals contacted are generally working towards mutual goals.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk and hear. The work involves some light to moderate lifting and carrying. The employee is required to perform repetitive work involving the use of arms and hands. Use of a computer keyboard is required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work performed may require a hybrid of telework and in an office setting. Once a permanent office is obtained, then the majority of the work will be in the office setting.