Full-Time Watershed Programs Manager
Job Description
Title: SCC Watershed Programs Manager Date: 1/27/2021
Reports to: Four Corners Program Director
Starting Salary: Grade C+, starting salary range $45-56K annually, DOE
Location: SCC Four Corners – Durango, CO
Status: Full-Time, Exempt
Benefit Eligible: Full, per Personnel Policies
Program Summary:
The Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) is a program of the non-profit service organization, Conservation Legacy, that is built on the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) that operated from 1933 – 1942. SCC provides youth and young adults opportunities to complete conservation projects on public lands. While serving with SCC, members receive training on job skills, conflict resolution, leadership, teamwork, and environmental stewardship. Programs are developed using a step ladder approach to provide a progression of skill development based on a member’s needs. Members receive a weekly living allowance, training, and an AmeriCorps Education Award (for qualifying individuals).
Position Summary:
The Watershed Programs Manager (WPM) position supports initiatives local watershed restoration groups, co-coordinates the Dolores River Restoration Partnership (DRRP) along with staff from RiversEdge West, and manages small teams that work on restoration and invasive species projects.
The WPM is responsible for the coordination and management of DRRP activities, small team programs, and operations run out of SCC’s Four Corner’s Office that support watershed restoration. The WPM’s primary DRRP responsibilities involve implementation planning including strike team, corps crew, and volunteer projects; fundraising, budget management, and grant reporting; rapid monitoring program management; and partnership outreach. The WPM also oversees operational support of small teams that work with the DRRP and other watershed restoration groups, participates in crew leader and member orientations and trainings, fundraises for watershed restoration work that supports SCC programming, manages the SCC herbicide program, provides GIS support within SCC, and ensures small team crews are both supported and prepared to maintain safety, program integrity, and quality projects in the field by providing pre-field and in-field guidance.
Essential Responsibilities and Functions:
Recruiting, Interviewing and Selection of Corps Leaders and Members
- Recruit, interview, and select Small Team Conservation Corps Crew Leaders and Members
- Manage all selection paperwork with Office Manager, including all AC enrollment, management, and exit forms
- Manage different databases including Silkroad recruitment, SR onboarding, project reporting as requested by RD or PD
Program Administration
- Implement and evaluate effective recruitment strategy for small team crew leaders and crew members
- Implement risk management procedures and trainings in the field and ensure they continue throughout the field season
- Manage program/project schedule once initial scheduling has been established by FC Director to ensure that all partner specific needs are being met.
- Collect, manage, and disperse program paperwork. Verify accuracy of all paperwork (timesheets, project accomplishment summaries, etc.).
- Communicate with Partners to develop project specifications and prepare all necessary documentation in the database prior to and at the conclusion of project work.
- Implement, monitor, and enforce all Conservation Legacy/SCC Policies and Procedures.
- Manage program expenditures while maintaining safety and quality.
- Work with Conservation Legacy staff to ensure program is compliant with funder and administrative requirements
- Manage DRRP Rapid Monitoring Program. Includes training and supervision of the rapid monitoring team, coordination of monitoring work with various partners, and monitoring data pre- and post- processing
- Develop reports from DRRP rapid monitoring data. Communicate and share monitoring results and outcomes with partners
- Implementation planning for Dolores work including funding management, coordination with partners, and scheduling
- Coordinate and organize DRRP volunteer projects with various entities and age groups
- Assist with DRRP outreach/communication initiatives (workshops, annual report, etc.) and partnership meetings
Field Support
- Conduct project site visits and finalize Project Specs; provide technical assistance to key partners as needed to ensure project specs are complete and appropriate for crews.
- Provide technical (related to invasive species management and restoration work) and programmatic assistance to crews in the field as needed.
- Assist with regular check-ins, supervision, and feedback of Small Team crews. Gather accomplishments data from the field for reporting.
- Respond to crew emergencies as needed.
- Participate in rotating On-Call system and respond to field emergencies as needed
- Facilitate technical, policy-based, outdoor living, and/or soft skills trainings at each Crew Leader training.
- Mentor field staff and provide technical expertise, guidance, emotional and programmatic support and identify positive working solutions to crew management issues for crew leaders.
- Coordinate field work for the Dolores River Restoration Partnership. Perform site visits and assist DRRP partners with project objectives, work plans, and logistics for field crews
- Ensure collection of spatial data for all DRRP activities by providing set-up, training, support, and post-processing of field data collected through GIS
Program Development
- Facilitate and develop trainings
- Assist with training and development of Small Teams
- Assist other SCC programs with development and implementation of GIS work
- Assist other SCC programs with training and implementation of herbicide work
- Work with the Dolores, Escalante, Verde, and Gila Watershed partnerships to develop a multi-watershed monitoring coordination and action plan within each partnership
- Develop and implement a model for a remote multi-watershed vegetation monitoring crew
- Attend other watershed partnership meetings and provide technical support to them as needed
- Research and seek opportunities to develop relationships and partnerships with other watershed restoration groups and initiatives
- Assist in the creation of volunteer stewardship programming and related educational components for the public, including schools
Budget Management and Funding Development
- Supervise assigned crew leader expenditures and mentor field staff on appropriate budgeting and expenditures
- Responsible for DRRP grant management and reporting. Manage spending for specific watershed partnership grants. Keep track of and report out on project accomplishments
- With assistance from the SCC Corps Director, FC Director and Grants and Agreements Mgr., lead the development of an annual grant strategy to continue to support DRRP and other watershed partnership work (Escalante, Gila, Animas and others as possible).
- Take the lead on presenting to various existing and potential funders and partners in support of existing and potential requests for funding.
- Help manage agreements and approve program invoicing
- Manage the administration of the overall annual DRRP budget
- Continuously collaborate with and steward DRRP and other watershed restoration project partners to identify projects, develop agreements, and create project plans
Other Duties
- Successfully engages, leads and supports an inclusive work environment for those of underrepresented populations within the organization and the communities we serve.
- Leads and/or participates in organizational-wide teams, projects and initiatives that support the work of the Strategic Plans goals.
- Work in a dynamic, rapidly changing, and challenging environment that requires flexibility, adaptability and willingness to work a varying schedule.
- Cultivate a positive environment in the DRRP and other strike team programs, in which leaders and members feel supported in achieving their personal and professional goals and gain both technical and interpersonal skills.
Physical Requirements:
Periodic overnight travel and non-traditional work hours, inclusive of weekend and evening hours. To successfully perform essential functions this position is required to sit, stand, walk, speak and hear. This position may be required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl on an infrequent basis. They must be able to operate office equipment, telephone, and computer. The ability to drive an organizational vehicle is also required. Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Exhibits the ability to effectively work on diverse teams or with a variety of populations, including those underrepresented at our organization and those of BIPOC communities.
- Minimum of 2 years of experience in youth development or corps field.
- Prior corps program development and administration experience.
- Experience with influencing diverse groups of employees to achieve common goals.
- Flexibility, adaptability and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work environment.
- Ability to evaluate inputs in a rapidly changing work environment and make decisions that affect the safety and work of employees.
- The ability to carry out assigned work independently or with minimal supervision.
- The ability to communicate effectively, manage complexity cultivate innovation, drive and influence results of oneself and others.
- Ability to work well with others and to seek assistance when needed to carry out assignments.
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office programs and applications, or similar platforms.
- Familiarity with ArcGIS software
- Ability to keep others, in remote locations, accountable to expectations.
- Must be able to pass the organization’s criminal history background check requirements.
- Experience leading Conservation Legacy programs, members or administrative systems.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Relevant Bachelor’s degree or higher, with an emphasis place on restoration ecology or similar degree OR equivalent past directly related professional riparian restoration experience.
- Previous collaborative working experience with federal/state land management agency partners.
- Prior working experience in and/or knowledge of riparian restoration and ecology of in the American Southwest.
- Previous experience collaborating in natural resource management partnerships/coalitions.
- Working proficiency with ArcGIS software
- Previous program and/or leadership experience with a conservation youth
- Prior corps program development and administration experience.
- Prior collaborative and partner driven grant writing and management experience.
- Certified Wilderness First Responder or willingness to pursue immediately
- Sense of humor and desire to make a positive difference in people and on the land.
- Experienced skill level in working with partnerships and diverse groups of stakeholders
- Experience with grant writing and grant budget management
- Demonstrated managerial experience
How to Apply
To Apply: Send Cover letter and resume to Emily Kasyon at ekasyon@conservationlegacy.org Subject line in this email must include “Applicant”. Priority review given to applications received by March 5, 2021. Cover Letter must include a response to the following question: Provide some examples of your experience working effectively with diverse communities, including those specific to the BIPOC community & other underrepresented populations, in personal or professional context. Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.298 total views, 0 today