Position Class:             Leadership member of Stewardship Team

FLSA Status:                 Full Time/Exempt/Salary

Reports to:                    Stewardship Director

Direct Reports:             3-5 Wildlife Habitat Biologists (remote staff)

Location:                       Fort Collins, CO or remote in Northern Great Plains

Salary:                           $65-82K Commensurate with experience

Benefits:                        This is a full-time position with a comprehensive benefits package (paid time off, 403b retirement plan, health, dental, and vision insurance)

About the Organization:

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (BCR) is a 501-c(3) non-profit headquartered at the Environmental Learning Center at Barr Lake State Park with a satellite office in Fort Collins and fieldwork outposts in the Great Plains Region.  BCR conserves birds and their habitats through an integrated approach of Science, Education and Stewardship. Our work radiates from the Rockies to the Great Plains, Mexico and beyond. 

Position Overview:  

Bird Conservancy is seeking an energetic and skilled individual to oversee the management, implementation, and strategic growth of our Grassland Program. The Grassland Program Manager collaboratively works with state agencies (e.g., Colorado Parks and Wildlife, South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks), joint ventures, foundations, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to implement private lands conservation across Northern Great Plains. Specifically, the program aims to create a community of practice that simultaneously improves human well-being and wildlife habitat on working lands through proactive, voluntary conservation delivery. The Grassland team consists of 3-5 wildlife habitat biologists housed in Natural Resource Conservation Service offices in Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.  Expansion to 5 wildlife habitat biologists is anticipated within 1-2 years. Qualified applicants will have a background in natural resource, specifically grassland, and or wildlife management, experience overseeing large-scale implementation of habitat projects, leadership and supervisory experience, and collaborative conservation. Desired qualifications include a successful track record of grant writing as well as experience with Farm Bill conservation programs and voluntary conservation on private lands. The Grassland Program Manager will be based in Fort Collins, CO or remote within Northern Great Plains, and allow for flexible telework as agreed upon with supervisor.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Co-supervise 3-5 WHBs in partnership with NRCS, and ensure habitat delivery meets Stewardship programmatic priorities and grant deliverables
• Build partnerships with funders, Indigenous communities, and other key conservation NGOs
• Provide expertise to external partners on committees and working groups
• Collaborate on internal cross-team initiatives and contribute conservation delivery perspective to applied internal or external research (i.e., study design, translation of results)
• Provide programmatic and administrative support to the Stewardship team (securing funding, grant/report writing, budgets/financial reporting and strategic planning)

Other Duties:

• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills and Experience required (unless otherwise noted):

• A Master’s degree in Grassland Ecology, Wildlife Biology, Conservation Biology, Ecology, or other relevant field, or equivalent work experience or a combination thereof
• A minimum of one (2) years’ experience in public-private collaborative conservation initiatives
• Experience working with and knowledge of Indigenous communities
• Demonstrated ability to manage a diverse staff of field biologists (at least 2 years’ experience supervising seasonal staff or 1 year supervising full-time staff)
• Proven ability to secure external funding from diverse public-private funding sources
• A working knowledge of US Farm Bill programs, State Wildlife Action Plans and key private lands conservation issues
• Solutions-oriented thinker ready to navigate the challenges and opportunities of implementing conservation with partners in rural agricultural communities.
• Knowledge of Great Plains grassland flora and fauna.
• Proficiency in use of computer software including Microsoft Office, ArcGIS, R, and general database knowledge
• The ability to identify and execute opportunities to increase program efficiencies
• Must be self-motivated, able to work both independently and as part of a team, and able to prioritize short and long-term tasks.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal skills
• Requires valid state driver’s license and willingness to travel locally and regionally
• Flexibility to work occasional evenings, weekends, overnights

Physical Demands / Work Environment:

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to work in a standard office setting, with considerable sitting, standing and viewing of computer screens
• Mid-level stress
• Requires reaching continually throughout the workday (mouse, keyboard, telephone)
• May include lifting up to thirty (30) pounds of project gear on an infrequent basis- proper lifting techniques required
• Able to stand, walk, and hike for extended periods of time outdoors in all weather

Material and Equipment Directly Used:

• Standard office equipment (e.g. laptop, printers); PC with MS Office software applications
• Various habitat restoration and enhancement materials (e.g. stock tank ladders, fence markers)
• Navigate to field sites and record data using GPS, smartphones, tablets, or other technology

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies is a bias-conscious employer. We ask that you please avoid the use of photos when submitting a resume and/or an application for employment. You will receive an email acknowledgment when you have successfully applied. Your completed application will be forwarded to the hiring manager. You will be notified if you are selected for further testing or interviews. Post-offer background check required.

Studies have shown that underrepresented groups, including women and people of color, are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job from diverse backgrounds and with attention to lived experience. Bird Conservancy of the Rockies will consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are considered for positions for which they have applied without regard to gender identity or gender expression, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy or other characteristics protected by law. For the purpose of Bird Conservancy’s policy, “sexual orientation” means a person’s actual or perceived orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality.

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies will make special communication arrangements for persons with disabilities.  Please call (303) 659-4348 for assistance.