Resilient Cities Program Manager

Organizational Overview: SIG-NAL is a non-profit dedicated to advancing science, policy, and practice for resilient landscapes and communities. We pilot and scale innovations in environmental management that span urban and natural landscapes by connecting cutting-edge analytics with policy and planning to deliver solutions for a more resilient future. For over a decade, we’ve partnered with agencies on data-driven strategies for ecological restoration and nature-based solutions that benefit people and nature. Our work supports resilient cities, fire-adapted communities, sustainable land management, global conservation partnerships, environmental monitoring, and biodiversity conservation. 

Resilient Cities Program Overview: We believe that healthy urban landscapes are essential for thriving, equitable cities. By building long-lasting partnerships with communities, we facilitate the reimagining of urban environments as vibrant, multifunctional spaces that support people, plants, and wildlife. Our Resilient Cities Program fosters strong network connections across disciplines, enabling us to translate science into innovative policy and practice, creating lasting solutions that sustain cities and restore the natural systems they depend on. 

Position Overview: The Program Manager will support the strategic initiatives of the Resilient Cities Program, with a primary focus on the Cultivating Livable Communities Through Deep Greening initiative. The Deep Greening initiative bridges the gap between policy and practice by aligning municipal policies with best management practices in urban forestry and green stormwater infrastructure (GSI). Reporting to the Resilient Cities Program Director at SIG-NAL, the Program Manager will serve in a multidisciplinary role, working primarily in urban contexts while also contributing, as needed, to forestry and wildfire preparedness projects across New Mexico and the desert Southwest.

Some of the projects this position will contribute to include: the Southwestern New Mexico Community Forestry Network, which supports the development of urban forestry programs across six rural communities; the RainSmart project, which integrates GSI with urban forestry through neighborhood-scale tree planting; participation in the NM Tree Alliance, Urban Forest Council, and Arid LID Coalition; facilitation of forest and watershed collaboratives or technical assistance working groups that advance watershed health and wildfire preparedness; and supporting the City of Albuquerque to align policies with best practices in urban forestry and green stormwater infrastructure. 

Application Deadline: Application review will begin February 2, 2026. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Responsibilities: These examples do not include all possible tasks in this position, but provide an overview of expectations of the Program Manager role.

• Manage a diverse portfolio of projects, including urban forestry, green stormwater infrastructure, municipal policy updates, collaborative network facilitation, and forest and watershed restoration.
• Serve as a point of contact for non-profit and agency partners and community members working with SIG-NAL on resilient cities projects.
• Facilitate online, in-person, and hybrid meetings including small/medium sized technical groups to large collaboratives or networks. Facilitation may include hosting field trips, workshops, or training events.
• Develop education and outreach materials for projects as needed. Support the development of programmatic materials, including handouts, fliers, social media posts, newsletter or blog posts, and website content.
• Support and/or lead community engagement events and other outreach activities. Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with partner organizations to support cross-sector work and project success.
• Collaborate closely with program staff to advance overall program goals and strategies, and ensure alignment of project activities with organizational programmatic objectives.
• Oversee project implementation to ensure deliverables are completed on time and in collaboration with internal and external partners.
• Manage project budgets, with support from the Finance team and supervisor, including grant awards, expenditures, reports and deliverables in compliance with funding agreements; oversee subcontractor agreements, invoicing, and expense reimbursements.
• Track annual program-level accomplishments and use this information to support reporting, planning, and continuous program improvement.
• Identify grant opportunities and lead grant writing efforts for project-specific funding that advances the goals and activities of the current Strategic Plan.
• May supervise staff, volunteers, or interns to support project or program activities.
• Model SIG-NAL values in all interactions with partners, funders, and colleagues, contributing to a culture of integrity, respect, and professionalism.

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science degree in forestry, biology, ecology, geography, horticulture, landscape architecture, natural resource management, engineering, or a related field, and at least five years of experience in conservation, environmental research, or a related field.
• Experience managing grant funded conservation projects related to urban forestry, forestry, wildlife, and/or green stormwater infrastructure.
• Demonstrated ability to work and communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including practitioners, government officials, partner organizations, tribal entities, the public, and SIG-NAL staff.
• Experience working across disciplines such as architecture, landscape architecture, forestry, ecology, engineering, natural resource management, or geographic information systems (GIS).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, organizational skills, and a professional demeanor.
• Ability to work effectively both collaboratively and independently in a remote-work setting.
• Willingness and ability to learn and adapt to new systems, tools, and software.
• Experience working with diverse communities, landscapes and cultural contexts in the Southwest.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Master of Science degree in forestry, biology, ecology, horticulture, natural resource management, or other related field.
• International Society of Arboriculture, Certified Arborist.
• Watershed Management Group, Certified Water Harvesting Design Practitioner (or other demonstrated experience with rainwater harvesting and green stormwater infrastructure.)
• Bi-lingual in Spanish.
• 7+ years of experience working in non-profit or conservation related fields.
• Facilitator Training or demonstrated experience.
• Experience with GIS data management and analyses.
• Experience with Adobe products, such as InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator or other graphic design software.
• Knowledge of plant communities in the Southwest.
• Knowledge of tree species and/or cultivars commonly used in urban forests in the Southwest.
• Strong technical writing and science communication skills.
• Experience implementing data collection, analysis, and reporting, preferably related to forest management, water quality, or community-based conservation.