Monitoring Program Manager

Job Title: Monitoring Program Manager

Reports To: Executive Director

At-Will, Non-exempt Position

Starting wage rate: $27.40 – 34.25/hour, depending on experience

Benefits: Benefits include paid vacation, holidays, sick leave, retirement plan, and medical and dental insurance.

The Coos Watershed Association (Association) is seeking a Monitoring Program Manager to join the team!

The Association is seeking a qualified professional to join our dynamic team and fill the position of Monitoring Program Manager. This is an at-will, full-time (min 35 hours/week), hourly, non-exempt position with benefits. The Monitoring Program Manager will work both in the office and field. The Coos Watershed Association is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) provider.

About the Association:

The Coos Watershed Association is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that was established in 1994 by a diverse group of stakeholders with a mission to; support environmental integrity and economic stability within the Coos watershed by increasing community capacity to develop, test, promote, and implement management practices in the interests of watershed health. The Association is governed by a Board of Directors and managed by the Executive Director. To learn more about our work please visit our website: www.cooswatershed.org.

Why this Job:

This is your chance to be a part of an organization focused on the betterment of the community. The Association creates a local, nongovernmental network and funding resources so that landowners can easily communicate their issues and opportunities and explore ideas and techniques for land management and watershed health.

The Association takes pride in our commitment to diversity and inclusion of our diverse team of program staff. We embrace and value differences in our culture, education, experience, physical ability, and unique perspectives in our workplace. We invite applications from qualified candidates who share our commitment to serving our community.  

Position Summary:  The Monitoring Program Manager is responsible for innovating, managing and sustaining the Association’s monitoring program and projects. This position collaborates with staff and partners on a wide variety of projects to further the Association’s missions through research, monitoring, and restoration planning.

Essential functions: the essential functions of this position require prioritizing and completing all assigned tasks in a timely and efficient manner, adjusting for changing priorities and availability of resources, and demonstrating initiative in identifying future project opportunities. These duties are a representative example of position expectations, actual duties assigned may vary, and change depending on funding and Association needs.

• Work with the Executive Director and Program staff to develop and manage the Association’s monitoring program strategy and projects in alignment with the Association’s strategic plans.
• Act as the Monitoring Coordinator for the Coos Basin Coho Partnership (CBP). This includes but is not limited to: work with CBP members to establish a monitoring plan for coho that is in alignment with the Coos Basin Coho Strategic Action Plan, collaborate with state and federal agencies to ensure monitoring plan and protocols are in alignment with agency priorities and methods, facilitate collaboration and alignment with the Siuslaw Coho Partnership monitoring efforts as appropriate, take the lead on data management, analysis, communication, and reporting for the CBP. Must have strong ability to lead effective meetings.  
• In collaboration with the Executive Director, support and supervise Monitoring Program Staff including seasonal staff and program interns. Manage staff and intern hiring as needed.
• With support from Monitoring program staff, take the lead on developing monitoring project opportunities and identify and apply for funding to support the monitoring program and the Association’s overall mission from a variety of sources. Manage associated grants and fee for service contracts.
• Integrate and analyze internal and external data sources (wetland, estuary, hydrological, biological, fish habitat, etc) and prepare information for grant proposals, grant reports, presentations, and publication.
• In collaboration with the Association’s Project Managers provide technical assistance in planning and monitoring restoration projects. This may include providing pre-project information on site conditions, assisting in selecting restoration site design, providing information on fish passage and environmental variables such as temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. These efforts include analysis of internal and external data to identify and communicate the ecological net benefit of projects.
• Design and implement baseline referenced assessments and effectiveness monitoring of watershed restoration projects through the integration of various sources and databases: including aquatic habitat inventories, salmon spawning surveys, juvenile snorkel surveys, riparian vegetation, stream temperature monitoring, and other spatial analyses. Coordinate with agencies and other partners to facilitate higher-level analysis and modeling of project potential.
• Coordinate and lead other staff in GIS methods for mapping and higher-level spatial analysis. Prepare maps and conduct spatial analyses that can be shared with a wide range of partners and used in proposals, reports, and project decision-making.
• Contribute to local, state, and regional research projects and collaboratives as capacity allow that are in alignment with the goals of this position.
• Manage State and Federal Scientific Take permits.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with landowners, community members, funders, agencies, and other partners.
• Actively participate in staff and other team meetings.
• Create an inclusive work environment that contributes to a positive workplace.
• Contribute to outreach activities as requested.
• Participate in board activities as requested by the Executive Director
• Communicate respectfully and effectively with other staff, supervisors, board members, and partners.
• Maintain a team player mentality and pitch in to ensure all aspects of the Association’s work are successful

• A positive attitude with a flexible approach to work and a willingness to take on new projects or tasks as needed.
• Ability to engage in strenuous outdoor activity, carry field equipment and endure outdoor field conditions including cold and wet winter weather and extreme heat.

• Problem-solving, decision-making skills, and the ability to work independently with attention to detail.
• Valid driver’s license required and use of a personally insured vehicle for travel.
• All duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications: Any equivalent combination of education and experience which provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job. Education and coursework can substitute for years of experience. Typical qualifications would be:

Education:

• Master’s degree in fisheries or related field with research and data management and analysis experience. The master’s degree requirements may be substituted with a bachelor’s degree and significant experience designing and leading natural resource monitoring programs.

Professional Experience:

• Three years of work experience in natural resources research, monitoring and conservation planning.
• Three years of work experience managing full time staff.
• Experience analyzing data.
• Experience designing and implementing a natural resource-focused research project.
• The ability to manage complex projects with a variety of partners and meet deadlines is essential.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to use with a wide range of individuals (e.g. other staff, conservation partners, private landowners and farmers, volunteers, and local community members).
• Demonstrated experience with grant writing, writing scientific reports or papers, and writing for a general, non-science audience.
• Strong project management skills, including but not limited to setting and implementing effective goals and objectives, problem-solving, time management, contract, and grant management, creating and maintaining collaborations with other organizations, developing public awareness activities, preparing reports, etc.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Knowledge and appreciation of the people, values, and current conservation issues of the region. Ability to work with partners to identify win-win solutions and compromises for a restoration project.
• High level of proficiency in GIS and using a GPS unit.
• High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, PowerPoint).

• Valid driver’s license required and use of a personally insured vehicle for travel.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Experience trapping, surveying, handling, tagging and anesthetizing sensitive and/or threatened aquatic species
• Experience building, managing, and maintaining PIT Tag arrays and acoustic telemetry monitoring.
• Fisheries and Coastal natural resource experience
• Experience using hydrological/water quality SQL Databases (WISKI and Aquarius) and statistical programs (R or Python).
• Familiarity with ArcGIS Desktop or Pro, Story Maps, Survey 123, and/or Field Maps.

Supervision: The Monitoring Program Manager is supervised by the Executive Director and supervises Monitoring Program staff, volunteers, and interns.

Working Conditions:  The Association’s office is generally open during normal business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, although our work hours span from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and may include nights and weekends, with some schedule flexibility available with approval.  The employee’s presence may be required at designated internal and external meetings even if they fall outside the normal workday schedule. The work involves indoor office type work, and outdoor work including some strenuous physical exertion such as lifting objects weighing in excess of 40 pounds and walking for extended periods of time while also safely traversing rough terrain. The employee may be exposed to a variety of potential hazards associated with working near water.  The employee on occasion will be required to traverse uneven terrain, for up to 5 miles per day, along with the ability to drive an ATV. 

Employees must be able to adjust to a variable work schedule based on project needs (i.e., early mornings, long hours, seasonal fluctuations, etc.) and ability to work in varied work environments and conditions (i.e. cold temperatures, hot temperatures, windy, wet, dry, etc.)