Job Description

DER seeks an experienced professional to join our team as an Ecological Restoration Planner within the Technical Services Branch.  The Technical Service Branch provides restoration planning, engineering assistance, knowledge management, and other services in support of DER’s restoration programs, operations, and communications.

The Ecological Restoration Planner develops and employs restoration planning and GIS capabilities to support the work of DER’s programs and partners.  They will develop and oversee restoration planning, lead and support planning projects, and cultivate the Division’s expertise, resources, and collaborations in these areas.  The position will support the planning needs for a diverse range of restoration activities, including wetland restoration, river and stream continuity, dam removal, retired cranberry bog restoration, and regional restoration partnerships.  The outcomes of this work will build DER and partner capacity to identify and pursue high-value restoration opportunities at the landscape level and increase the pace, scale, and impact of restoration throughout Massachusetts.

The Ecological Restoration Planner will be based in DER’s Boston office; the position will follow a hybrid schedule, consisting of in-office and telework.  In-state travel to meetings and site visits is required.

DETAILED STATEMENT OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

These duties will be carried out in collaboration with DER’s Restoration and Operations sections, Department IT staff, and other Division staff.

• Lead and Support Ecological Restoration Planning (50%)
•    Identify and prioritize Restoration Planning (RP) and GIS needs.
•  Lead and support team-based RP and GIS projects that advance the priorities of DER programs and external   partners.
•    Develop a geospatial data management system for the Division and provide staff guidance and training for its use.
•    Develop GIS datasets and user interfaces that allow staff to easily access, query, and generate analyses, reports, and other outputs for DER’s restoration projects and other activities; ensure datasets are kept up-to-date and integrated with DER’s restoration project tracking system.
•    Provide and support GIS analysis tools and outputs to assist the evaluation and selection of proposals submitted in response to DER restoration project procurements.
•  Assist DER programs and external partners in the selection, development, and implementation of landscape-level RP, modeling, GIS analysis, and structured decision making (SDM) methods and tools to evaluate restoration needs; establish restoration goals; identify, assess, and prioritize restoration opportunities; develop implementation plans; and track and communicate restoration progress.
•    Develop methods, guidance, and training on watershed-scale restoration planning and SDM for use by DER staff, Restoration Partnerships and other watershed and regional organizations.
•  Collaborate with DER staff and partners to lead and support the development of ecological restoration plans based on GIS analyses, stakeholder and community input, data analysis, and DER’s extensive experience in restoring aquatic ecosystems.
•    Provide project-specific planning and GIS support to DER programs and project managers.
•    Produce and facilitate access to DER GIS data for use by agencies, partners, and the public.

• Develop and Oversee Ecological Restoration Planning (20%)
• Develop and refine DER’s RP and GIS goals and objectives.
• Evaluate and document existing RP- and GIS-related functions, tools, and assets.
• Assess and document RP and GIS functional needs and develop a comprehensive RP Strategy to meet those          needs.
• Research, evaluate, and develop RP, GIS, and SDM frameworks, methods, and tools.
• Plan, budget, and manage RP and GIS resources.
• Develop and document DER RP and GIS policies, procedures, and standards.
• Maintain and update RP and GIS functions to optimize performance and utility and continuously adapt to evolving needs.

• Build and Maintain RP and GIS Expertise, Resources, and Collaborations (20%)
•  Maintain up to date knowledge and expertise in RP, GIS, and SDM methods, practices, and technologies and adopt beneficial innovations to continually advance DER’s RP goals and objectives.
•  Establish guidance, systems, practices, and training for generating, capturing, managing, and maintaining         geospatial data relevant to DER’s work and sharing it throughout the organization.
• Foster and monitor staff awareness and use of RP, GIS, and SDM tools, products, and services.
•  Promote a culture of staff engagement in restoration planning and GIS by demonstrating and highlighting their    value for advancing restoration goals and improving outcomes.
•  Monitor and measure the impact of RP and GIS products and services on the Division’s work to gauge their    effectiveness and continually optimize their utility.
•  Collaborate and coordinate with interagency technical groups and initiatives, including drafting guidance documents, developing funding proposals, and generating restoration plans, products, and services.
•  Collaborate and coordinate with DFG IT staff and the planning and GIS staff from other agencies and partner organizations.

• Perform duties in support of DER operations (10%)
• Contribute to DER’s strategic and annual work planning processes.
•  Collaborate with the TSB Manager and staff to build the capacity of the Branch and support TSB programmatic    development and budget planning.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED AT HIRE (List knowledges, skills, abilities)

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of watershed and aquatic ecology and restoration ecology.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of environmental planning principles, methods, practices, and tools, including SDM and muti-variate optimization analysis.
• Five or more years of demonstrated professional experience leading and supporting landscape-level Restoration Planning within an organization, including the development and implementation of RP frameworks, methods, tools, processes, and training.
• Five or more years of demonstrated professional experience leading and supporting the implementation of GIS applications within an organization, including developing and managing geospatial data, utilizing advanced GIS tools; conducting landscape-level GIS analyses; and providing guidance and training.
• Demonstrated experience in project management for leading, facilitating, and supporting team-based RP and GIS projects.
• Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communications skills, including ability to formulate and author written materials for a variety of audiences, and ability to prepare and present information through public speaking engagements.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment on multiple tasks with varying deadlines.  Ability to work independently and with self-initiative, and to exercise sound judgment and discretion.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including ability to listen, demonstrate empathy, motivate, lead, negotiate, and maintain a friendly, positive rapport with colleagues and the public.
• Excellent all-around computer skills, including full competency with MS Office.
• Excellent organizational and documentation skills.
• Ability to travel statewide and to participate in occasional evening and weekend site visits and meetings.

QUALIFICATIONS ACQUIRED ON JOB (List knowledges, skills, abilities)

Understand and apply the laws, rules, regulations, permits, policies, procedures etc. governing implementation of DER’s work in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Qualifications

First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:  Applicants must have at least (A) four years of full-time, or equivalent part-time technical or professional experience in urban or regional planning, environmental planning, transportation planning or land use planning, and (B) of which at least two years must have been in a professional capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.

Substitutions:

1. A Bachelor’s degree with a major in urban or regional planning, environmental planning, urban studies, architecture, landscape architecture, civil, environmental, or transportation engineering or environmental sciences may be substituted for two years of the required (A) experience.*

1. A Graduate degree with a major in urban or regional planning, environmental planning, urban studies, architecture, landscape architecture, civil, environmental, or transportation engineering or environmental studies may be substituted for three years of the required (A)experience and one year of the required (B) experience.

How to Apply

Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: GIS and Restoration. Salaries: 60,000 - 80,000.

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