The Big Thompson Watershed Coalition (BTWC) seeks a highly organized, experienced, and motivated self-starter to independently oversee BTWC’s current forestry projects and to assist with the organization’s community outreach programs. Under the general direction of the BTWC Director, the Forestry Project Manager will predominantly participate in and lead forest restoration project identification, planning, coordination, management, and monitoring efforts. Our ideal candidate will have over four years of professional working experience with these tasks in the fields of forestry, watershed science, ecological restoration, natural resource stewardship and will enjoy working with people. Additional training and experience in the following topics will be highly applicable to the job: collaborative planning, stakeholder engagement, conflict resolution, contractor oversight, and western water resource ownership and management. Local knowledge of the Big Thompson River and water system and its diverse water use needs are extremely beneficial to this position, but not required.

Essential Job Functions:

Project Planning, Management, and Monitoring (70%)

• Organize stakeholder (landowners, partners, and contractors) meetings to collaboratively develop forest restoration treatment plans that will include:
  • Fostering productive relationships and building trust
  • Addressing landowner concerns and needs
  • Communicating ecological health and function
  • Contributing to overall watershed health goals, as needed
  • Developing site appropriate forest management and wildfire hazard mitigation prescriptions to balance treatment goals, property conditions, and project stakeholder needs
• Create and implement treatment plans:
  • Conduct forest inventories
  • Mark silvicultural prescriptions
  • Write forest treatment plans
  • Use industry-standard modeling (e.g., FVS, growth/yield modeling, etc.) and forest inventory tools for developing forest treatment and/or management plans
  • Assist in writing grant proposals to fund projects
  • Work with staff, Board, and partners to develop and review requests for proposals to procure contractor services and develop and enact contracts for services
  • Acquire appropriate permitting, as required
  • Ensure projects follow local, state, and federal rules, regulations, policies, and standard operating procedures
  • Use GIS and other mapping/presentation software to create maps and visualizations for project planning, monitoring, and outreach
• Project management and monitoring:
  • Independently estimate project costs, resources, time required, priorities and tasks to complete to ensure they are integrated into the project and monitoring plans
  • Write and distribute requests for proposals and lead contractor procurement
  • Hire and train of seasonal field technicians
  • Coordinate, supervise and manage monitoring, engineering, construction/contractors on-site and remotely as necessary
  • Work with Executive Director to monitor progress and performance to meet and achieve project plans from initiation and planning through execution and completion of project deliverables, while ensuring tasks are safely completed on time and within scope and budget
  • Troubleshoot, resolve, or deescalate operational problems and minimize delays
  • Implement pre- and post-project monitoring, as needed
  • Develop, organize, and maintain databases to analyze quantitative/qualitative data for monitoring activities and engagement outcomes

Partner and Community Relationship Building and Outreach (15%)

• Conduct outreach to landowners within priority areas
• Advance partnerships with federal, state, and local land management agencies, non-profits, landowners, and other stakeholders that expand landscape-scale restoration and disaster recovery treatments in the West, move projects forward to completion, and enhance BTWC’s mission
• Represent BTWC at various partner meetings such as Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative and Big Thompson Watershed Health Partnership meetings
• Co-organize and lead community engagement opportunities such as volunteer workdays, project tours, project monitoring, and community workshops
• Present project updates and outcomes to various stakeholders, the public, and BTWC’s Board of Directors
• Assist Communications Manager to produce community engagement materials for seasonal newsletter and weekly social media excerpts on BTWC programs, projects, and community events through sharing photos, video, etc. through various media platforms

Grant Management and Administration (10%)

• Work with Executive Director to manage project budgets, control expenditures, and comply with funding requirements
• Assist in the development of consistent grant reporting through organized project documentation, as required

Organizational Administration and Development (5%):

• Complete BTWC monthly reporting and timesheet needs
• Assist with developing a strategy and vision for BTWC’s forest health and fire recovery program
• Assist with identification and development of future project opportunities for partnered private-public stewardship of the watershed’s rivers and forests
• Participate in other organizational activities with BTWC staff
• Carryout other project coordination tasks as assigned by the Director and as identified in the annual work plan 

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience required:

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) and 4 years of experience (Master’s degree may be equivalent to 2 years of experience) working in a professional environment on forest management projects related to forest ecology, natural resource management, watershed science, or restoration project management
• Experience conducting forest inventories and writing silvicultural prescriptions
• Strong project management skills: Well-organized and time-efficient self-starter who is detail-oriented, adaptable, and can prioritize and manage both routine and complex tasks simultaneously
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing, with a diversity of people including state, federal, and non-governmental resource professionals, private landowners, industry professionals and other community representatives
• Comfortable leading and facilitating groups of diverse audiences
• Ability to work as an individual and in a team setting
• Practical understanding of western forest ecology (including wildfire behavior) and land management techniques, particularly wildland-urban interface communities, western water resource management, and habitat restoration
• Ability to express compassion in addressing resident/landowner issues and respect requests in relation to property access, monitoring, weed management, sharing digital media, etc.
• Ability to effectively multitask and prioritize tasks
• Ability to resolve challenges or conflicts that may arise in the field and with project partners
• Proficiency in the use of MS Office and GIS software (spatial analysis ability strongly desired)
• Demonstrate a sense of fairness, honesty, practicality and long- range vision
• Ability to pass a background check and have a valid driver’s license, or the ability to obtain a driver’s license or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date, and reliable, insured personal transportation

Additional desired qualifications:

• Over 4 years of experience working in a professional environment on forest management projects related to forest ecology, natural resource management, watershed science, or restoration project management
• Demonstrable knowledge of local geographies and stakeholder interests, watershed issues, collaborative resource management, water and environmental laws, regulatory compliance for watershed projects, and network contacts
• Knowledge of Colorado Front Range flora and fauna, particularly forest communities
• Experience working with private landowners
• Working knowledge of the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) software
• Holds current valid red card and sawyer certification
• Knowledge and ability to decipher technical site plans, landscape designs and construction documents
• Working knowledge of bid processes, change orders, contracts, etc.
• Experience with environmental permitting and regulations
• Experience working with and leading volunteers in outdoor projects with various weather conditions and on difficult terrain
• Understand group process, group dynamics, meeting facilitation, negotiation, mediation, and group problem solving principles and techniques.

Working Conditions:

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.

• Able to work from home, with minimal distraction
• Able to work in a standard office setting, with considerable sitting, standing, and viewing of computer
• Mid-level stress
• Able to travel to frequent meetings, mostly within the Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park areas
• May include lifting up to fifty (50) pounds of project gear on a frequent basis
• Able to stand, walk and hike for extended periods of time outside, under varying and adverse weather conditions
• Able to work weekend and evenings for various community and volunteer events, as needed
• Could include frequent driving of employee’s personal vehicle under varying road conditions (with mileage reimbursement provided)
• Able to work independently in remote locations where hazardous conditions may be present (including exposure to the elements and construction site conditions, steep, unstable terrain, proximity to fast-moving water, proximity to highway traffic, and typical conditions associated with travel in the foothills and plains of the Rocky Mountain region)
• Willing to follow individual landowner safety and property access requirements
• Ability to troubleshoot when working alone (flat tires, cattle gates, etc.)

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Big Thompson Watershed Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer and no otherwise-qualified individual shall be subject to discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion or religious affiliation, gender, familial status, age, genetics, disability, sexual orientation, or national origin in any phase of employment for this position.