Forest Health and Fire Resiliency Project Manager

BACKGROUND 

The San Mateo Resource Conservation District (RCD) seeks a Project Manager to support the fire resilience and ecological health of local forests and help protect communities at the Wildland Urban Interface. 

RCDs across California serve as local hubs for conservation, connecting people with the technical, financial, and educational assistance they need to conserve and manage natural resources. RCDs help landowners, land managers, government agencies, and others to voluntarily protect, restore, and enhance natural resources on private and public lands. A defining characteristic of RCDs is that our assistance is non-regulatory, confidential, and free. 

POSITION 

You will advance projects that improve wildfire resiliency for at-risk communities and critical infrastructure and/or improve ecological function and resiliency of forests, scrub and grasslands. These activities are often designed to incorporate various natural resource management considerations and produce multi-beneficial outcomes. The work generally involves leading or supporting diverse efforts, from general technical assistance to regional prioritization and planning, to designing and implementing programs and projects.  

Current projects include the Neighborhood Chipper Program that helps homeowners create defensible space, a large-scale strategic fuel break to improve wildfire resilience for an at-risk community in the heart of the wildland urban interface, and landscape scale forest ecosystem restoration projects in areas affected by the 2020 CZU fire.  

To accomplish this work, you will work closely with a broad array of internal staff, partner organizations, government agency staff, and public and private landowners, which will require high levels of engagement and personal interactions, sometimes during non-regular business hours. This position is full-time at 40 hours per week and is grant dependent, with the intent to continue indefinitely. 

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Manage projects with technical advisors, partners, and stakeholders to ensure satisfactory completion 
  • Manage contracts with funders, consultants, and subcontractors 
  • Manage bid processes for hiring contractors and developing contracts 
  • Manage budgets, invoicing, and reporting 
  • Manage communications between project partners and stakeholders 
  • Manage and develop environmental documents and permits, sometimes with the support of consultants 
  • Manage the development of project designs and logistics for project implementation 
  • Oversee implementation activities, including contractor management and coordination, permit compliance, and biological monitoring 
  • Oversee monitoring activities, including data collection in the field, data entry, equipment preparation and supply maintenance (the employee will be trained in all required protocols)
• Seek funding opportunities through private, local, state, and federal sources 
• Prepare grant proposals and communicate with funding agencies and grants managers 
• Help identify and support strategic opportunities for partnerships, resources, and communications to advance program goals 
• Support and sometimes lead the identification of emerging fuel reduction and vegetation management opportunities through collaboration with key external partners such as fire agencies, public land managers, and private landowners 
• Contribute to overall RCD goals and mission through tasks and special projects as needed 
• Communicate regularly with partners and foster positive relationships 
• Engage with communities in need of wildfire resiliency support through individual communication, site-visits, and occasional after-hour community meetings 
• Respond to timely needs and pivot resources, such as in the case of fire recovery 

APPLICANT QUALIFICATIONS 

You will benefit from previous experience in stakeholder engagement, identifying emerging opportunities, responding to timely requests, utilizing new and streamlined permitting and environmental compliance routes, and high levels of collaboration. You will work across many disciplines and therefore will need technical, administrative, communication, and interpersonal skills as well as curiosity and a desire to learn. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Knowledge in one or more of the following areas: wildfire behavior, fire ecology, forest health, watershed stewardship, natural resource management, hydrology, soil science, native plant and animal communities, restoration ecology, or similar field 
• Demonstrated ability in conservation project management or a related field; transferable skills are acceptable 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to work with a variety of people with diverse interests and temperaments 
• Strong computer skills, including Word and Excel 
• Highly organized, motivated self-starter with the ability to prioritize in a fast-paced work environment 
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team 
• Ability to occasionally walk on rugged terrain, be on your feet for extended periods of time, lift and carry supplies, and utilize equipment during various seasonal conditions. If you have any concerns or questions about these requirements, please contact us at [email protected] 
• Innovative problem-solving abilities, flexibility, strong desire to learn   
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion 
• Valid California driver’s license 

Desired Qualifications 

• Experience with community engagement  
• Familiarity with wildfire resiliency and forest health  
• Familiarity with local threatened and endangered species, including habitat needs and legal protections 
• Familiarity with local, state, and federal permits required for restoration projects 
• Experience working with watershed, restoration, or other conservation groups 
• Experience with environmental construction management 
• Experience with grant writing, contract management, and procurement procedures 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS 

Financial compensation for the Project Manager will be $80,000-96,000 per year, commensurate with applicable experience. Benefits include a fixed monthly amount for combined health, dental, and vision insurance; paid time off starting at 18 days annually (including sick time); a 401K retirement plan; 12 paid holidays; ability to work remotely as appropriate (field and office work is also required); and a fun, fast-paced, positive work environment with excellent coworkers. 

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION 

We recognize the diversity in our community, and we see the strengths and gifts that each member of the community brings to the shared work of deep sustainability. We are working towards a future where the land and communities of San Mateo County are healthy and resilient in the face of climate change, the connection between people and the land is strong, and people throughout our community equitably share the benefits of and connection to natural resources. We are growing and learning in this space and are in the process of creating a strategic plan to intentionally work toward that future. To support our staff, the RCD offers paid time to attend affinity groups and professional development opportunities. As an example of how we see some of this work, please review the Mycelium Map, created by the California Landscape Stewardship Network’s JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Roundtable. The RCD is an equal opportunity employer.