The Suffolk County Water Authority provides administrative support to the Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission and provides SCWA employee to carry out the work of the Commission through a contract agreement. 

The Science and Stewardship Manager has the primary responsibility of managing and implementing programs and research initiatives that promote interagency stewardship of public lands within the 106,000 acre Central Pine Barrens area on Long Island, a diverse and globally rare, fire dependent ecosystem. This full time position will support the goals and objectives of the Long Island Pine Barrens Protection Act of 1993. The employee will assist public agencies with the administration and stewardship management of publicly owned lands through conservation and land management methods as well as planning and program partnerships. This position supervises staff within the Science and Stewardship division and reports to the Executive Director and Manager of Policy and Planning. This position will be based in our Westhampton, NY location. For further information on the Central Pine Barrens Commission and its work visit pb.state.ny.us

Responsibilities Include:

• Maintain and enhance regional natural, historic, cultural, recreational and scenic resources in a manner compatible with existing guidelines, and statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Participate in the development and coordination of regional scale plans with public land management agencies to guide stewardship and management of natural resources.
• Measure conservation success through monitoring and other scientific measures including ecological restoration, prescribed fire, wildfire mitigation, invasive species prevention, resource preservation, forestry practices, trail maintenance, vegetation inventories, mapping, native seed collection, etc.
• Work with agency partners and contractors to identify and define conservation/restoration needs for the Central Pine Barrens region
• Assist with the development and implementation of priority regional scientific research and management activities including prescribed fire.
• Support and facilitate forest health management and restoration activities for emerging forest health threats.
• Overall supervision of division work and work products prepared by subordinate staff, consultants, volunteers, and interns.
• Prepare and provide written reports on division projects, activities, and work progress as required by supervisors and the Central Pine Barrens Commission including annual and 5-year work plans.
• Administer division contracts and grants, prepare related budgets, workplans, & reports, ensure conformance with contract specifications and deliverables, oversee and track related procurement.
• Work with public and private partners to identify and implement mitigation measures to abate critical threats such as invasive species, dumping and ATV damage on parklands.
• Fosters positive and cooperative working relationships with private and public property landowners, support agencies, civic and volunteer groups within the Central Pine Barrens through various education and outreach efforts.
• Assist with the preparation of Memorandums of Understanding with public land-owning agencies to facilitate Commission led stewardship and conservation activities on these lands as directed by the supervisor.
• Facilitate and participate in meetings with the Protected Lands Council.
• All other duties as assigned by supervisors.

Qualifications:

• 6-8 years’ experience working in the natural resources management field.
• Bachelor’s Degree in natural resources management, ecology, forestry, conversation biology, or related field required, Master’s Degree preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in and knowledge of ecological management and stewardship, including ecological communities of New York State, property stewardship, water resources, wetlands, invasive species, local parks, preserves, trails and trail networks, urbanization and climate change issues, community outreach, data collection; reporting, and prevention of adverse usage.
• Knowledge of, or direct experience with applying adaptive management principles for natural resource management and the use of various ecological restoration tools
• Knowledge of wildfire risk management, prescribed fire and community wildfire protection plans,
• Demonstrated field familiarity with general ecological principles and biological systems
• Knowledge of State and Federal listed rare and endangered species and other regulated natural communities or species and applicable regulations.
• Ability to prepare contracts and large budgets that exceed $1 million as well as perform environmental review as required by the State Environmental Quality Review Act.
• Knowledge of permit requirements for stewardship related work.
• Excellent supervisory, management and leadership skills.
• Experience with grant writing and grant administration.
• Demonstrated competency in reading and interpreting maps and aerial photographs.
• Experience with GIS, Google Earth, regional biological inventories, GPS/Smartphones and remote sensing;