Habitat Programs Manager

Thurston Conservation District seeks an organized leader to collaboratively support the habitat technical staff in implementing projects, securing funding, and increasing the effectiveness of our partnership with community members for the restoration of local natural resources.

This position supports Habitat Programs at the district in a team-focused role that prioritizes 1) coordinating, mentoring, and training habitat team members, their projects and workloads; 2) managing multiple concurrent grants, budgets, projects, and deadlines; 4) coordinating TCD responses to requests for assistance, habitat cost-share projects, project implementation, and complex, diverse habitat technical assistance scenarios; 5) collaborating closely with the Conservation Program Manager to develop and lead habitat grant and program development.  This position also collaborates regularly with other Thurston CD Program Managers to maintain a vibrant, effective, and passionate habitat team and Conservation District.

Work will be focused in three key and knowledge and skills related to these areas of work are essential:

Habitat Team Coordination

• Primary support for the habitat team; provides calm leadership through coordinating, training, mentoring, and supervising members of the habitat team; helps team manage workloads, problem-solve, and meet project timelines and deliverables. Coordinates hiring process for habitat team members.
• Manages habitat technical assistance (TA) requests, prioritizes responses, handles assignments to team members; ensures team members provide appropriate, high quality technical assistance services to the community.
• Works closely with Conservation Program Manager to assign projects, programs, and tasks to team members to maintain team funding pathways, professional development, and completion of project deliverables.
• Oversees team members leading habitat projects, including but not limited to cost-share programs and projects funded through the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Aquatic Species Restoration Plan, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, general TA and other projects sponsored by or assigned to team members.
• Actively supports professional development of team members through work oversight, seeking training funds, and identifying opportunities for ongoing professional development.

Habitat Programs Management

• Manages complex grants and projects, including but not limited to project development and grant writing; grant contracting; coordination with funding agencies; budget development; ongoing budget management; project team management; data collection and tracking of progress toward deliverables; staffing allocations to various projects; timely implementation of grant objectives, reporting internally and externally.
• Leads and oversees procurement processes for habitat projects, including RFPs, RFQs, quote solicitations etc.; implements processes consistent with District policies; responsible for record keeping, documentation, contract management, and related tasks in the District’s shared file system.
• Contributes regularly (in lead and support roles) to refining and improving habitat TA processes, tools, and resources.
• Develops and implements tracking and program management tools to support the technical team, Conservation Program Manager, and TCD.
• Reports promptly and accurately regarding budgets, staffing questions, project/program progress. Provides forecasting data and supports multi-year funding and project planning processes for the habitat team.
• Identifies, develops, manages, and implements habitat projects and programs with the Habitat Team and Conservation Program Manager. Manages existing programs and helps develop new opportunities to meet emerging needs in the community.
• Establishes relationships and partnerships within the community by participating in technical assistance work groups, advisory committees, and project development committees
• Represents the district in meetings and work groups as needed; provides analysis of ordinances and laws, presents on tours, and coordinates with TCD management on complex habitat topics.
• Communicates regularly and promptly with the Conservation Program Manager regarding team member progress on grant projects, staff plans, budgets, hours allocations, and related program topics, to meet Habitat Program needs and budgets.

Technical Assistance Support

• Identifies and guides implementation of appropriate conservation practices that meet the needs of cooperators and address natural resource concerns.
• Develops and directly oversees implementation of a limited number of habitat cost-share projects and programs, as capacity allows.
• Manages referrals from outside agencies and oversees team members working on referral cases.
• Provides expertise, training, and technical assistance in habitat management.
• Oversees complex technical assistance.
• Works closely with engineer when required for habitat projects and proposals.

Find a full description, knowledge and skills required, and hiring details here.