Eastern Sierra & Great Basin Program Manager

National Forest Foundation (NFF) is pleased to offer an Exempt, Full-time position that will build partnerships, lead strategic programmatic growth and develop, and manage a diverse portfolio for forest resilience and recreation projects across the Humboldt-Toiyabe and Inyo National Forests.  

About the NFF: The National Forest Foundation inspires all people to embrace and protect our awe-inspiring natural world. In cooperation with hundreds of partners, we lead natural solutions that restore the health of our people and planet.

Position Function: The Eastern Sierra & Great Basin Program Manager reports to the Sierra Nevada Program Director and works closely with California and Nevada based program staff and other NFF staff to lead program and project management and development activities across multiple forest units in the Eastern Sierra Nevada and Great Basin. The incumbent is responsible for supervising a team, securing and managing programmatic budgets, leading the development and implementation of complex restoration programs, and directly managing multiple complex projects to achieve programmatic outcomes. The incumbent will coordinate closely with members of the U.S. Forest Service, local governments and communities, conservation NGOs, and private sector partners to support strategic initiatives and long-term goals.

Position Duties and Responsibilities: The Eastern Sierra & Great Basin Program Manager is responsible for:

•  Working with U.S. Forest Service partners to develop programmatic scopes of work for watershed improvement, ecosystem restoration, and recreation enhancement projects.
• Overseeing all programmatic procurement processes including the leading of advertisement, negotiation, and awarding of multiple contracts for services related to on-the-ground implementation of watershed improvement, ecosystem restoration, and recreation enhancement projects.
• Working directly with contractors, consultants, nonprofit organizations, partners, and the
• U.S. Forest Service to effectively manage on-the-ground implementation of watershed improvement, ecosystem restoration, and recreation enhancement projects.
• Supervising a team of NFF staff to accomplish programmatic goals.
• Working with the U.S. Forest Service to help develop, modify, manage, and track large-scale Stewardship Agreements and Challenge Cost Share Agreements associated with forest restoration projects (e.g., hand thinning, mechanical thinning, prescribed fire).
• Supporting expansion of the base of private and public-sector supporters and partners by actively pursuing funding opportunities, creating new development opportunities, writing grants, and managing current and out-year programmatic budgeting.
• Building and maintaining close and mutually beneficial relationships among the U.S. Forest Service, California NGO partners, and the NFF to implement effective community-based conservation partnerships.
• Strengthening the NFF ability to support on-the-ground restoration and recreation projects by supporting activities that reinforce existing collaborations and help build new partnerships.
•  Maintaining a breadth of knowledge about current trends, emerging issues, policy interventions, and innovations in the field of conservation programming to enhance the NFF strategic efficacy.
• Serving as a point of contact for the NFF conservation activities in the Eastern Sierra & Great Basin area.
• Assisting as necessary with the NFF program of work in the State of California and Nevada, which may include the management of diverse, short-term projects.

Location: The preferred locations for this position are Reno, Carson City, Bridgeport, Mammoth Lakes, and Bishop California. Applicants must be able to travel regularly throughout the Humboldt-Toiyabe and Inyo National Forests. This position is a work-from-home position and requires reliable internet access and a dedicated workspace.

Compensation: The NFF offers competitive compensation and benefits and has recently implemented a new compensation program as part of our commitment to transparency. The salary range for this position will be in the $72,433 to $111,870 range and may be eligible for locality adjustment. Please note that the indicated salary range describes the full range for an incumbent in this position, new staff will generally start near the base end of the range. NFF is committed to internal salary equity.  

To Apply: Applications must include both a cover letter and resume. Incomplete packages will not be considered. Please apply by October 18th, 2024. Please visit our careers site to apply online.

The National Forest Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse pool of candidates in this search. Additional information on the National Forest Foundation can be found at www.nationalforests.org.

Education and Qualifications: NFF expects the Eastern Sierra & Great Basin Program Manager to possess the following educational and experiential qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree, professional certification, or equivalent experience. 
• Minimum of Five years of work experience with proven results. 
• Experience managing a fully remote, growing staff team across a wide geographic region with complex project and funding management responsibilities.
• Experience in program planning, management, accomplishment, budget tracking, and program operations management
• You must be authorized to work in the United States.

Abilities and Skills: NFF expects the Eastern Sierra & Great Basin Program Manager Position to possess the following proven abilities and skills:

• A strong attention to detail. 
• Excellent research and analytical skills with a strong attention to detail. 
• Creativity and initiative; respond quickly to last-minute needs and changing priorities. 
• Highly organized approach to daily work. 
• Ability to represent the NFF clearly and professionally through excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills. 
• Exceptional communications skills, including strong and succinct persuasive writing. 
• Ability to quickly synthesize or translate technical requirements into lay terminology. 
• Ability to work well and be flexible in a team-oriented environment. 
• Team player with a positive attitude and desire to solve complex technical problems. 
• Ability to work with a wide range of people with differing and sometimes conflicting opinions, and to always maintain neutrality.
• Ability to execute well-defined processes with minimal supervision.
• Ability to effectively set priorities, while managing a variety of projects and tasks to successful completion.
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently within the Humboldt-Toiyabe and Inyo National Forest and beyond. 
• Work in outdoor conditions. 
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically within the US up to 10% of the time to support the needs of the organization. 
• Maintain a flexible work schedule, including participation in weekend and evening events. 
• Ability to understand and interpret conservation topics and project information. 
• Ability to understand forest restoration treatment types and systems, including restoration prescriptions, on-the-ground operations, treatment specifications, guidelines, and desired conditions for a diversity of forest and watershed ecosystem projects. 
• Ability to understand recreation infrastructure, community-based conservation, and forest and watershed restoration projects. 
• Ability to understand wildfire mitigation and forest and watershed restoration projects.