Regional Forest Health Program Manager

Background

The Humboldt County Resource Conservation District (HCRCD) is a Special District that plans, designs, and implements soil, water, and forest resource conservation practices to improve and enhance natural and working lands. The HCRCD works closely with other North Coast Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) through the North Coast RCD Collaborative (Collaborative) to increase coordination, streamline program delivery, and amplify program outcomes in the North Coast Region. The RCDs within the Collaborative include: Del Norte, Humboldt, Gold Ridge, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Shasta Valley, Siskiyou, Sonoma, and Trinity.

HCRCD seeks a Regional Forest Health Program Manager to support North Coast RCDs, Tribes, partner organizations, and communities throughout the Collaborative region in the following present-day counties: Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Siskiyou, Sonoma, and Trinity. This full-time, exempt position is a remote, California-based position. The ideal candidate will be based within the Collaborative region. Office space may be available August 2024 in either HCRCD’s Eureka or McKinleyville offices. Other office space may be available in other RCDs on a case-by-case basis.

Please see the full job announcement at https://humboldtrcd.org/about/employment-opportunities/.

Role of the Regional Forest Health Program Manager

The Regional Forest Health Program Manager’s work will increase forest health and wildfire resilience by supporting the development of programming led by the Collaborative and the development and implementation of individual projects, increasing collaboration across jurisdictions and facilitating organizational capacity building. The Program Manager will achieve this by overseeing a State Coastal Conservancy grant to implement the North Coast Wildfire Resilience Planning and Implementation Grant Program; supporting program and project development within individual RCDs and joint programing among the North Coast RCD Collaborative; serving as a liaison between the Collaborative, tribes, and other regional partners and agencies; and supporting project planning and implementation and organizational capacity building among tribes and other regional partners and agencies.

Relation to HCRCD Staff and Others

The Regional Forest Health Program Manager position will be based out of HCRCD, supporting the Collaborative. The Program Manager should expect to work closely with all RCDs to develop plans, goals and objectives and to track progress. The Program Manager will also work with other partners in the region such as local, state, and federal agency representatives; federally recognized and non-federally recognized California Native American tribes; agricultural groups; landowners; Fire Safe Councils; environmental groups; non-governmental organizations; and other stakeholders.

About the North Coast Wildfire Resilience Planning and Implementation Grant Program

The State Coastal Conservancy awarded HCRCD, on behalf of the Collaborative, a 5-year, $6 million grant to fund the North Coast Wildfire Resilience Planning and Implementation Grant Program. This Program will provide grants to public entities, tribes, and nonprofit organizations for planning, community outreach, environmental review, permitting, and implementation of projects that will increase wildfire resilience through improved management of natural lands and open space, increased collaboration among land managers, and capacity building. The projects undertaken as part of this program will occur in coastal-draining watersheds in the North Coast Resource Conservation District Collaborative region in the following present-day counties: Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Siskiyou, Sonoma, and Trinity.  

Typical Duties and Responsibilities:

The position requires a highly motivated, self-directed, and creative individual dedicated to clear communication and stakeholder engagement and with the ability to synthesize technical information, prioritize activities, manage and build relationships throughout a large and diverse geographic region, and maintain an appropriate level of communication with HCRCD, North Coast RCDs, and project stakeholders. The successful applicant must demonstrate a passion for natural resource issues, facilitating collaboration at a regional scale, and a genuine interest in learning about and serving the diverse communities and landscapes of the region. The Regional Forest Health Program Manager’s specific duties include:

• Perform program management, including partner coordination activities, subcontractor oversight, contract / grant agreement management (deliverable tracking, reporting, invoicing and budget monitoring), and other activities as needed.
• Facilitate coordination amongst RCDs in support of regional forestry priorities.
• Develop project selection processes and criteria for the North Coast Wildfire Resilience Planning and Implementation Grant Program to identify and prioritize projects under this program.
• Develop landscape‐scale and collaborative natural resource conservation planning projects. Build partnerships, facilitate the development and review environmental compliance documents, and write grants applications.
• Identify key forest health stakeholders to build relationships and identify watershed- scale priorities; and attend, coordinate, and facilitate regional stakeholder and North Coast RCD Collaborative meetings.
• Identify and secure funding to execute projects consistent with the Collaborative’s priorities and strategic plans.
• Attend North Coast Resource Partnership (NCRP), California Association of Resource Conservation (CARCD) annual meeting, CARCD’s Joint Forestry Committee, and/or the Governor’s Forest Management Task Force Regional Prioritization Group meetings or trainings and to coordinate Program activities with other regional initiatives to increase pace and scale of forest health and wildfire resiliency work.

Eligibility Criteria:

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with five or more years of professional project management experience. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Demonstrated time and project management skills ideally applied to forest management, conservation, or related projects. Includes ability to develop work plans and prioritize tasks accordingly, proactively manage up and down, and effectively balance multiple projects simultaneously.
• Experience with grant writing, contract management and administration.
• Experience with group facilitation, agenda setting, note taking and action-item follow up.
• Ability to effectively set personal and programmatic goals and objectives, plan and prioritize work toward those goals, and to track progress over time.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to establish and maintain cooperative, respectful and effective working relationships with others.
• Demonstrated excellent communication skills in speaking, listening and writing, including ability to understand and follow oral and written directions and comfort and confidence interacting with a diverse range of people and speaking regularly in public to large and small audiences of varied backgrounds.
• Ability to work independently and as an effective member of a team.
• Versatility and creativity to develop novel solutions with a variety of partners.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and maintain confidentiality in all communications.
• Proficiency in basic office computer software (word, excel, access, power point) and operating typical office machines (phones, computers, printers, etc.).
• Ability and willingness to work and travel across northern California. The successful candidate must possess a valid California Class C driver’s license, a vehicle in good working order, and proof of adequate vehicle insurance. Approved job-related mileage and lodging is reimbursed at the State rate.

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in forestry, environmental sciences, water resources, planning or a related natural resource management field.
• Knowledge of and technical expertise in:
  • principles and methods of natural resources, forest ecology or rangeland or management, watershed restoration, and related fields;
  • local working landscapes and associated natural resources (e.g. soils, plants, carbon, air, water, fish, forestry, wildlife).
  • environmental compliance requirements (CEQA / NEPA)
• Familiarity with Northern California, including natural and human geography and challenges facing the region.
• Community organizing skills and/or related experience.
• Proficiency in advanced computer software – databases, graphic design, and/or GIS.
• Experienced working with diverse populations, including Native Tribes in Northern California.
• Ability to read, write, and speak proficiently in Spanish.

Work Environment

The Program Manager will perform work remotely, from a home office or other designated office space. Reimbursement towards office space and/or office equipment is available to cover partial costs of office rent and utilities. The main HCRCD office is located in Eureka with a satellite office in McKinleyville; office space may be available at either office location starting August 2024. Additionally, permanent or temporary office space may be available at other North Coast RCD offices on a case-by-case basis. The Program Manager will be required to work in a variety of field locations throughout the seven (7) county region and in other offices and locations as needed, such as other North Coast RCD offices. The work environment experienced by this position may include: working in a shared office space; working outdoors in weather and on terrain of all types, including adverse terrain; and traveling alone or with others in a vehicle between project sites or meetings. The noise level in the offices are usually moderate but sometimes very loud. The Program Manager may work with or near mechanical parts, equipment, construction tools, and machinery. The Program Manager may work in direct proximity to unrestrained livestock and around electrified fencing. This position will have limited exposure to high precarious places, toxic or caustic chemicals, vibration, and risk of electrical shock.  The noise level in the environment at times may be moderate.

Limited evening and weekend work may be required. A valid driver’s license and proof of insurance is required as well as the use of a private vehicle for work at any time. The Project Manager may have access to an NRCS vehicle, in coordination with NRCS Eureka Field Office staff and after successful completion of required trainings and other administrative requirements. Mileage and lodging are reimbursed at the CA state rate. A work laptop and cell phone will be provided.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the Program Manager is required to regularly talk, hear, see and smell.  On a daily basis the employee is required to sit, stand, walk on flat or uneven ground or through mud, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, bend, crouch, or crawl. The employee may be required to lift up to approximately 40 pounds and maneuver around forest, farm, and construction sites. The employee in this position must have the ability to reach with hands and arms and to use their hands or fingers to handle, grasp and feel. Employees in this position occasionally use a shovel or other hand tools.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Wages, Hours and Commencement of Work

Final compensation will be commensurate with applicable experience, between $36 – $41.67/hour to start ($74,880 – $86,683 annually). Compensation for employees living in the San Francisco Bay Area may be eligible for a Locality Adjustment. This is an at-will, full-time, exempt position and expected to be up to 40 hours/week with some flexibility possible in the work schedule. Benefits package includes health plan and generous PTO and Sick Leave. Position is subject to a 3‐month introductory period.

The HCRCD is an equal opportunity employer.

Please see the full job announcement at https://humboldtrcd.org/about/employment-opportunities/.