Green/Colorado River Restoration Coordinator

The Colorado River system is perhaps the most vital aquatic resource in the Southwest. Working with the Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands you could make a difference in the health and resiliency of one of Utah’s most treasured natural wonders. While draining 246,000 square miles and providing water to 40 million people; threats to the Colorado River come in the form of invasive species and altered flow regimes.  Our work targets the control of invasive plants and river channel restoration which improves the hydrologic function of the Colorado & Green Rivers in Utah.

The Agency:
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Responsibilities

• Plan, prepare, and implement both Programmatic and Technical Scopes of Work which provide necessary direction for agency staff and contractors to restore functioning hydrological processes on the Green & Colorado River.
• Collaborate with management to prepare an annual project budget, keeping costs in check with available funding.
• Oversee the implementation, completion, and reporting of river restoration work.
• Administer grants and cooperative agreements with contractors and partners to complete river restoration projects.
• Write, propose, and secure grants to capitalize available financial assistance.
• Populate, manage, and maintain a geodatabase of planned, completed, and reported work.
• Collaborate with agency and NGO river restoration partners to multiply Division efforts and represent Division interests.

Qualifications

• A deep personal connection to Colorado River ecosystems.
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively collaborate with inter and non-governmental partners.
• An analytical mind that can process multiple complex ideas in concert.
• Robust working knowledge of Colorado River hydrologic processes and their threats.
• Proven ability to independently complete projects on time and in budget.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate fourth class whitewater using manual and powered small craft during multi-day fieldwork.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively collaborate with Federal, State, and Local watershed scientists, hydrologists, and biologists.
• 4 years of full-time work experience in a watershed science-related field.
• Proficiency in ESRI ArcPRO & ArcCollector.
• Certified experience operating chainsaws & applying herbicide (S-212, ISA, etc).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree or higher in Fluvial Geomorphology, Hydrology, or other watershed science-related field.
• 6 years of work experience in a watershed science-related field.
• Type II Wildland Firefighter (FFT2).
• Professional-level Swiftwater Rescue Technician.

Supplemental Information

• Field activities may be performed requiring the employee to work outdoors, navigate uneven terrain and operate a variety of small tools/machines, and work around mechanized equipment which require the use of special safety precautions.
• If the position supports wildland fire in any capacity as a collateral duty, the incumbent must satisfy agency and NWCG standards for certification and acknowledge the risks associated with fire support.
• Risks found in potentially dangerous or unusual environmental stress situations, e.g. working in extreme outdoor weather conditions, working in remote wilderness areas and/or boating/OHV areas, transportation over waterways and driving an automobile or 4×4 vehicle, etc.
• The work requires considerable and strenuous physical exertion such as frequent climbing of tall ladders, lifting heavy objects over 50 pounds, and crouching or crawling in restricted areas.
• Arduous physical activity will be required. Primitive camping in the field (with per-diem allowance) is frequent. Use of chainsaws, brush chippers, hand tools, power tools, and work around heavy equipment is expected.
• Professional-level Swiftwater Rescue Technician Certificate.
• UDAF Non-Commercial Pesticide Applicator License.
• This is an in-person position with it’s duty station located in Moab, UT.
• This is not a primary fire position but involvement in wildland fire management may arise as a secondary professional opportunity.
• Housing is no provided by the employer.
• It is anticipated that the position will be hired near the mid-range ($28-$33/hr), dependent on qualifications. The starting salary for state employees will be determined by DHRM rules and agency/division policy.

Why You Should Join Our Team:
The Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands’s Green/Colorado River Sovereign Lands office has been called the best post in DNR. FFSL staff make a tangible difference in ecosystem health by controlling invasive species, reducing the threat of wildland fire, and ensuring that the Green & Colorado Rivers continue to be the lifeblood of the American Southwest. If you love floating rivers and have a passion for protecting them, you won’t find a more fun place to live and work. Moab is a central hub for river recreation, equally distant from each of the West’s major river expeditions. The Green/Colorado River shop has been growing by leaps and bounds, and we don’t plan on slowing down!