Job DescriptionTitle: Watershed Programs Manager Date: 10/11/2024
Reports to: Four Corners Program Director
Starting Salary: $26.58 - $27.38 per hour, depending on experience, education, and skills relevant to the position. Please note that the indicated starting salary range describes the range for an incumbent in this position. Most new staff generally start at the beginning of the range percentile to ensure internal salary equity.
Location: SCC Four Corners - Durango, CO
Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt
Benefit Eligible: Health, Vision, Dental, Long-Term Disability, Retirement, Paid Time Off, per Personnel Policies
Program Summary:
The Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) is a program of the non-profit service organization, Conservation Legacy, that is built on the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) that operated from 1933 - 1942. SCC provides youth and young adults opportunities to complete conservation projects on public lands. While serving with SCC, members receive training on job skills, conflict resolution, leadership, teamwork, and environmental stewardship. Programs are developed using a step ladder approach to provide a progression of skill development based on a member's needs. Members receive a weekly living allowance, training, and an AmeriCorps Education Award (for qualifying individuals).
Position Summary:
The Watershed Programs Manager (WPM) position collaborates with various non-profits to support local watershed restoration initiatives. The WPM also manages small teams that work on river restoration, invasive species removal projects and vegetation monitoring throughout Western Colorado and the surrounding states.
The WPM is responsible for the coordination and management of the Dolores River Restoration Partnership (DRRP) activities, Watershed small teams, and other crew operations run out of SCC's Four Corner's Office that support watershed restoration. The WPM's primary DRRP responsibilities involve implementation planning including strike team, corps crew, and volunteer projects; fundraising, budget management, and grant reporting; rapid monitoring program management; and partnership outreach. The WPM also oversees operational support of crews that work with the DRRP and other watershed restoration groups, participates in crew leader and member orientations and trainings, fundraises for watershed restoration work that supports SCC programming, manages the SCC herbicide program, provides GIS support within SCC, and ensures Watershed crews are both supported and prepared to maintain safety, program integrity, and quality projects in the field by providing pre-field and in-field guidance.
Essential Responsibilities and Functions:
Program Staff Supervision and Functions
- Supervise and support the recruitment and outreach of positions, interview process, hiring and evaluation of all crew leaders, CLDPs and other field staff. Help to manage all hiring paperwork, including AmeriCorps and Non-AmeriCorps enrollment, database management, and selection paperwork
- Outreach, Interview and select Program Coordinators and Field Supervisors with selection committees
- Supervise and mentor all Watershed programs staff, as needed, including Program Coordinator, Field Supervisors, Crew Leaders, CLDPs, CMs as directed by the PD
Program Administration
- Implement and evaluate effective recruitment strategy for small team crew leaders and crew members
- Implement risk management procedures and trainings in the field and ensure they continue throughout the field season
- Manageprogram/projectscheduleonceinitialschedulinghasbeenestablishedby FC Directortoensurethatallpartnerspecificneedsarebeingmet.
- Collect, manage, and disperse program paperwork. Verify accuracy of all paperwork (timesheets, project accomplishment summaries, etc.).
- Communicate with Partners to develop project specifications and prepare all necessary documentation in the database prior to and at the conclusion of project work.
- Implement, monitor, and enforce all Conservation Legacy/SCC Policies and Procedures
- Participate in Risk Management team meetings and other management team meetings as needed, track incidents and generate reports
- Review incidents, workers comp claims and process accordingly as per Conservation Legacy protocols
- Implementation planning for Dolores work including funding management, coordination with partners, and scheduling
- Assist with DRRP outreach/communication initiatives (workshops, annual report, etc.) and partnership meetings
Field Support
- Conduct project site visits and finalize Project Specs; provide technical assistance to key partners as needed to ensure project specs are complete and appropriate for crews.
- Facilitate and develop trainings for small teams and other SCC Programs in GIS Work, and Herbicide work
- Provide technical (related to invasive species management and restoration work) and programmatic assistance to crews in the field as needed.
- Train monitoring crew on plant ID and Rapid Assessment data collection protocols
- Assist with regular check-ins, supervision, and feedback of Watershed crews. Gather accomplishments data from the field for reporting.
- Participate in rotating On-Call system and respond to field emergencies as needed
- Facilitate technical, policy-based, outdoor living, and soft skills trainings at Crew Leader training.
- Mentor field staff and provide technical expertise, guidance, emotional and programmatic support and identify positive working solutions to crew management issues for crew leaders.
- Coordinate fieldwork and projects for the Dolores River Restoration Partnership. Perform site visits and assist DRRP partners with project objectives, work plans, and logistics for field crews
- Ensure collection of spatial data for all DRRP activities by providing set-up, training, support, and post-processing of field data collected through GIS and rapid monitoring data reports
Program Development
- Work with the Dolores, Escalante, and Verde Watershed partnerships to develop a multi-watershed monitoring coordination and action plan within each partnership
- Attend other watershed partnership meetings and provide technical support to them as needed
- Research and seek opportunities to develop relationships and partnerships with other watershed restoration groups and initiatives
- Collaborate with RiversEdge West and DRRP to develop and support volunteer events with schools and local community members
Budget Management and Funding Development
- Supervise and mentor assigned field staff on appropriate budgeting and expenditures
- Responsible for DRRP grant management and reporting. Manage spending for specific watershed partnership grants. Keep track of and report out on project accomplishments
- With assistance from the FC Senior Program Director, SCC Executive Director and CL Grants Team lead the development of an annual grant strategy to continue to support DRRP and other partnership work (Escalante, Verde, Animas and others as possible).
- Take the lead on presenting to various existing and potential funders and partners in support of existing and potential requests for funding.
- Help manage agreements and approve program invoicing
- Manage the administration of the overall annual DRRP budget
- Continuously collaborate with and steward DRRP and other watershed restoration project partners to identify projects, develop agreements, and create project plans
- Work with Conservation Legacy staff to ensure program is compliant with funder and administrative requirements
Organizational Advocacy
- Successfully engages, leads and supports an inclusive work environment for those of underrepresented populations within the organization and the communities we serve
- Leads and/or participates in organizational-wide teams, projects and initiatives that support the work of the Strategic Plans goals
- Reports any potential harassment or grievances within the organization as identified in the Personnel Policy Manual
- Assists or leads other responsibilities, as assigned.
Other "Hats" You May Wear: Customer Service, Relationship Development, Marketing, Administrative, Supervision or Mentorship to Others, Facilitator, Trainer, Facilities, Human Resources, Supervisor
Required SkillsPhysical Requirements: Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. This position requires periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle is also required for this position.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Exhibits the ability to effectively work on diverse teams orwith a variety of populations, including those underrepresented at our organization and those of BIPOC communities.
- Minimum of 2 years of experience in conservation corps or related field.
- Flexibility, adaptability and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work environment.
- The ability to carry out assigned work independently or with minimal supervision.
- The ability to communicate effectively, manage complexity cultivate innovation, drive and influence results of oneself and others in a rapidly changing work environment.
- Certified Wilderness First Responder or willingness to pursue immediately
- Willingness to work towards a Colorado Dept of Ag Pesticide License.
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office programs and applications, or similar platforms.
- Ability to keep others, in remote locations, accountable to expectations.
- Valid Driver's License and Insurable Driving Record
- Must be able to pass the organization's criminal history check requirements
Preferred Qualifications:
- Relevant Bachelor's degree or higher, with an emphasis place on restoration ecology or similar degree OR equivalent past directly related professional riparian restoration experience.
- Previous collaborative working experience with federal/state land management agency partners as well as diverse groups of stakeholders and coalitions
- Prior working experience in and/or knowledge of riparian restoration and ecology of in the American Southwest.
- Working proficiency with ArcGIS software
- Experience working with herbicide and facilitating trainings in both classroom and field settings.
- Experience planning and managing invasive treatment projects.
- Familiarity with ArcGIS software
- Prior collaborative and partner driven grant writing and management experience.
- Demonstrated managerial experience
To Apply: Send Cover letter and resume to Lisa Slupianek at lslupianek@conservationlegacy.org .
Subject line in this email must include "Applicant_(YourName)".
Cover Letter must include a response to the following question: Provide some examples of your experience effectively working with diverse communities, including those specific to Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and other underrepresented populations, in personal or professional context.
Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, political affiliation, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.
Ideal start date for this position is January 6th, 2025.
