Program Coordinator

Background

Northwest Natural Resource Group (NNRG) is a non‐profit organization based in Seattle, Washington whose mission is to strengthen the ecological and economic vitality of Northwest forests and communities by connecting people with the knowledge, skills, and markets they need to steward their land.

We believe that with thoughtful, expert insights, forests can be cared for to provide a sustainable yield of timber alongside ecosystem services such as clean water, fresh air, wildlife habitat, carbon storage, and recreational opportunities. We collaborate with landowners to realize this vision, focusing on family forests, conservation organizations, land trusts, local governments, youth camps, and smaller forest product companies. Our forestry program helps landowners craft management plans, implement stewardship activities, and conduct timber harvests. We also offer Washington and Oregon forest owners access to Forest Stewardship Council® certification through our 190,000-acre group certificate, the largest FSC certificate in the Pacific Northwest.

Our goals include:

• Provide landowners with the knowledge and skills they need to manage forests with care;
• Research, describe, and improve the economics of sustainable forestry to better inform landowners’ management decisions; and
• Connect practitioners of ecological forestry with one another and with the service providers – including NNRG – who will help them accomplish their objectives.

Position Summary

NNRG is a small organization, so each member of our team has a hands-on opportunity to make a difference for the forests and communities in which we work. Within this team, the Program Coordinator is responsible for planning and coordinating educational events for forest owners, wood buyers, and the general public in Washington and Oregon; researching, writing, and managing the public and private grants that support these activities; and conveying NNRG’s voice and values through outreach materials. As part of this full-time position averaging 40 hours per week, responsibilities include:

Project and Program Management (50% of time) 

• Manage the implementation of individual projects within the education and outreach program, including planning, activity implementation, partner outreach, and regular reporting;
• Coordinate programmatic and educational events: coordinate with project partners to plan events, create marketing materials, promote events through mailings and social media, ensure smooth event logistics, and communicate with event attendees before and after the event;
• Provide oversight of grant fund expenditures to ensure compliance with funder requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned which may include fieldwork with NNRG foresters, assistance to forest owners, and other project support.

Communications (30% of time)

• Contribute to the development and execution of comprehensive communications strategies for NNRG;
• Lead production of monthly newsletters, including writing articles and simple graphic design;
• Manage NNRG’s website and related online presence;
• Create communications materials — e.g., for workshop and event marketing and technical education.

Fundraising (20% of time)

• Research funding opportunities and support NNRG’s strategy for engaging government, foundation, and individual funders.
• Support grant efforts through proposal writing and grant reporting for foundation and federal grants.
• Lead NNRG’s annual giving campaigns (GiveBig, Giving Tuesday, spring campaign) and coordinate business sponsorships.

This position works closely with the Director of Programs to ensure that relevant and applicable information is relayed to NNRG’s audiences (primarily forest owners). The Program Coordinator collaborates closely with the entire NNRG team to develop and deliver project objectives that are balanced, respectful and inclusive. 

Hours, Benefits, and Location

This is a full-time exempt position. Salary range is $27 to $32 per hour depending on experience. This position includes medical and dental insurance benefits, a retirement match, and 20 days annual PTO in addition to 10 paid public holidays per year. Travel expenses for events or fieldwork will be reimbursed at standard rates. This position is hybrid and the Coordinator can work both remotely and from NNRG’s office in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. Staff members are expected to work at the office at least one day a week, in order to overlap in person with colleagues. Field work takes place in western Washington, typically within a two-hour drive of Seattle or Tacoma.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• Superb verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to distill technical information into approachable and actionable communications.
• Excellent, proactive organizational skills and good judgment.
• Ability to work independently and willingness to take ownership of and accountability for completing project tasks to meet deadlines.
• Ability to professionally and respectfully interact with people from all backgrounds.
• Experience with writing grant proposals and tracking deliverables and budgets.
• Bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences, natural resources, public administration, or a related field plus at least 2-3 years related work experience. Additional years of experience may be substituted for a degree.
• Interest in collaborating with a small team to create a responsive and supportive nonprofit work environment. (Appreciation of bad – or rather, tree-mendous – forestry puns is a plus.)
• Willingness to occasionally travel to field sites around Western Washington, with occasional work on weekends.
• Willingness and ability to learn and use new technology and software. Familiarity with graphic design, video production, or software such as Salesforce, WordPress, Mailchimp, or Zoom is a plus.

Some on-the-job training is offered, so if you meet most but not all of the above criteria but think you are a good match for the position, we still encourage you to apply. 

https://www.nnrg.org/mission-approach/employment/