Rocky Mountain Front Resource Coordinator

About Western Landowners Alliance (WLA): Founded in 2012 by landowners and managers, the organization aims to increase the wellbeing of working lands in the American West and the living communities, including human and wildlife, that depend on them.

About Rocky Mountain Front Ranchlands Group (RMFRG): The Rocky Mountain Front Ranchlands Group strives to preserve family ranches, farms, and rural communities by carrying on the traditional conservation practices that have supported and protected our landscape for the last hundred years. In doing so, they continue to support profitable ranching, farming, and other traditional livelihoods that will sustain the open space nature of our land for generations to come, which will benefit both agricultural producers and Montana’s numerous wildlife species.

Position Overview: The Rocky Mountain Front Resource Coordinator will provide technical assistance to ranchers and farmers including Tribal producers operating at the Western edge of the Northern Great Plains.

Amount of Time & Status: 40 hours a week, exempt, Monday-Friday

Location: This position is remote, but individuals must be located near Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front. Periodic travel will be required.

Reports to: Working Lands Program Director

Compensation: $60,000-$66,000. Salary is commensurate with experience. Western Landowners Alliance offers comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, parental and medical leave, 403b retirement savings account with a discretionary match, life insurance, short-term disability benefits, and an employee assistance program.

Duties/Responsibilities Include:

• Provide dedicated, local capacity and technical assistance to producers and partners to establish and support adaptive management practices and progress towards shared stewardship goals in the Rocky Mountain Front
• Engage in producer outreach and provide technical assistance to landowners related to regional, state, and federal working lands programs and resources
• Provide peer-to-peer learning opportunities on regenerative management by hosting place-based workshops focused on soil health, riparian/mesic area restoration, grazing and prairie management, wildlife ecology, and practical monitoring strategies
• Augment chronically-low conservation technical assistance capacity within the region through partner coordination, conservation plan development, and practice implementation support
• Work with producers to co-develop operation-specific ranch and farm management plans focused on building landscape resiliency for enhanced agriculture productivity and biodiversity
• Support existing partnerships and identify and establish additional collaborative relationships with government agencies, producer groups, and other community-based organizations in support of defined regional goals
• Facilitate and coordinate logistics for partner workshops, virtual meetings, and site visits
• Assist in grant writing and reports
• Identify/explore funding for ongoing work in the region
• Other duties as assigned

Preferred Qualifications:

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in related field from an accredited institution or equivalent work experience required
• Working knowledge of wildlife management and conservation practices and policies
• Working knowledge of land and natural resource issues in the West including agriculture, ranching, conservation, and policies related to these issues
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and ability to build and maintain positive working relationships
• Experience working with private landowners
• Experience and demonstrated success in collaborative conservation
• Experience facilitating meetings and working with diverse constituencies
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; detail oriented, strong independent work ethic; and ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic work environment
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation required
• Willingness and ability to maintain confidential information and work with diverse populations
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite

Working Environment/Physical Activities: Work environment is an office and field setting. Physical activities include sitting at a desk and working on a keyboard and computer several hours a day, conducting business over the telephone and via email, standing for long periods of time, periodic travel and traveling long distances by vehicle (including traveling on unpaved roads). This position may also require moving materials up to 25 pounds.  This position requires the ability to facilitate meetings and interface professionally with the public.

Target Start Date: Immediately