Good Neighbor Agreement Manager

“You can’t fight these big fights on your own. You need to work with others, and you need others if you’re going to take care of the places that you love.”

-Jeanie Alderson, Northern Plains Past Chair

Northern Plains is a grassroots organization of people who love where we live.  For over 50 years, we have been standing shoulder-to-shoulder across Montana, to protect this place we all call home for ours and future generations.

We are working toward a future where we live in harmony with nature, where our economy serves the people rather than the people serving the economy, and where neighbors work side-by-side to build a world that lives up to our ideals of fairness, inclusion, and justice.

LOCATION: Billings, Montana.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

As the Good Neighbor Agreement Manager (GNA Manager) at Northern Plains, you will uphold a groundbreaking agreement between a mining corporation and the local communities impacted by the platinum and palladium mine in their backyard. At nearly twenty-four years old, the Good Neighbor Agreement has been recognized both nationally and internationally for its innovative and collaborative approach to balancing the extractive industry with the preservation of pristine rivers and a wilderness area in the heart of the Beartooth Mountains.

You won’t be tied to a desk – this is very much a “people” job! Depending on the day and need, the GNA Manager functions as an an advocate, diplomat, mediator, defender, and organizer for the Good Neighbor Agreement and the people it represents. You’ll get rare access to the inner workings of a large mining corporation while playing a critical role in ensuring the mine’s impacts are minimal and their approach is forward-thinking. As Northern Plains member Paul Hawks put it, “If we’re going to have a mine, it’s going to be the best damn mine in the world.”

Any given day may include planning and organizing effective meetings between Northern Plains and the mine, communicating important updates from the mine to Northern Plains members, helping our members prepare for interactions with mine personnel or state regulators, and helping members think strategically about our next steps. You will balance competing demands, act as a nexus of communication, and help coordinate the work of engaged Montanans as they hold the mining company accountable to strong environmental standards.

The Northern Plains staff is a team of hard-working, dedicated individuals who honor and promote a healthy work/life balance. When you’re in the office, you’ll enjoy a casual office environment that is full of natural light and camaraderie with a team of engaged and passionate people. When you’re in the field, you’ll be in Montana’s rugged mountain landscape, working side by side with a team of inspired members fighting for the long-term health of our environment and communities. 

QUALIFICATIONS:

This position carries with it specific demands and successful candidates will have the following qualifications:

• Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills
• Ability to think strategically
• Excellent active listening, communication, and questioning skills
• Ability to adapt to a changing environment, and effectively handle multiple priorities
• Strong planning and organizational skills
• Attention to detail
• A commitment to the democratic process, and to environmental stewardship and conservation.
• Ability to get along well with people from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of personalities
• Willingness to travel (staff car provided), up to 25% of the time

 SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Our compensation philosophy and transparent salary structure flows from our belief that our people are the most important part of our organization.  We offer thriving wages, ample benefits, and opportunities for growth and development. 

The salary range for this position is at $50,000 to $55,000 per year, depending on experience. We also offer options for fully and partially employer-paid health insurance, 20 days paid vacation plus 13 paid holidays (including the week from Christmas Eve through New Year), 12 days paid sick and personal leave, and 8 weeks of parental leave with the option to extend utilizing other leave types.  In addition, we offer flexible schedules, a hybrid office/remote work structure, a retirement plan, an employer paid cell phone plan, and a sabbatical program.

This is a permanent, salaried, and exempt position.

Help us write the next chapter of this historic effort to protect the vitality and prosperity of the mountains, valleys, rivers, and people living alongside a major mining operation.