We’re Hiring a Habitat Program Manager

Portland, OR
Opening: May 15, 2017
Closing: June 15, 2017

The Organization

Willamette Partnership is a conservation nonprofit dedicated to solving complex environmental problems in ways that work for people. We are known for building pragmatic collaborations and creating solutions that improve environmental, social, and economic outcomes.

At the Partnership we believe that diverse perspectives create stronger solutions and approach our work through collaboration – depending on partnerships with the conservation, business, government, agriculture, public health, community development, and scientific communities.

Our Team

Willamette Partnership is a small team of talented individuals. We conduct our work in a way that embodies our values— integrity, leadership, collaboration, passion, and balance. We attract people that are excited to grow, learn, and lend their individual strengths toward achieving bigger, better, and faster delivery of conservation and restoration. We value the motivations that inspire each person to keep pushing the conversation community forward.

The Position

This position will lead Willamette Partnership’s Resilient Habitat Program, which is focused on making a strong business case for conservation, increasing investment in sustainable management of working lands, building smarter infrastructure, and creating resilient communities.

This position is expected to contribute to and lead implementation of a broad program vision and strategy that achieves landscape conservation for three target habitat initiatives: floodplains and streams, oak and prairie, and sagebrush steppe. In addition to guiding the broader program strategy, the program manager will be expected to lead one of these habitat initiatives. The position is expected to:

• Manage the resilient habitat program’s strategy and goal setting;
• Maintain funding and other resource priorities needed to achieve program goals;
• Work with Executive Director and other staff to do business and fund development;
• Identify, form, and sustain a strategic network of partners needed to achieve program goals;
• Develop policy strategies and tools in collaboration with state and local agencies and other stakeholders; and
• Bring specific expertise in the areas of policy implementation, habitat conservation, and/or other areas needed to advance the program’s initiatives.

The ideal candidate is a critical, analytical, and creative thinker; an optimist; and an excellent communicator. An understanding of conservation science and planning, experience with the Endangered Species Act, and facilitation of broad stakeholder groups are highly recommended.

Expected Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

All candidates should demonstrate general knowledge of the principles and practices of conservation and the ability to:

• Operate effectively in a team environment;
• Apply concepts of economics, ecology, public policy, and other disciplines to understanding complex conservation problems and develop innovative solutions;
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders and community groups;
• Communicate effectively and write concisely and clearly;
• Synthesize and present information in professional formats accessible to diverse audiences;
• Identify problems, analyze issues, and present alternative solutions;
• Coordinate and manage projects to completion within scheduled deadlines and with high-quality results;
• Remain flexible despite interruptions and/or routine changes to priorities and/or job duties, and maintain composure under pressure.

Candidates should ideally demonstrate additional skills in:

• Research and analysis of environmental and land use policies, including the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act programs;
• The science of aquatic and/or terrestrial ecosystems (e.g., ecology, hydrology, geomorphology, restoration, biology, etc.); and
• Developing and managing program and project budgets.

The Candidate/Qualifications

Candidates should have completed an undergraduate degree, preferably in a related field such as environmental sciences, communications, natural resource economics, public policy, planning, environmental law, or natural resources or nonprofit management. A graduate degree in a related field OR comparable professional experience is competitive within our typical applicant pool. Three or more years of experience on issues of habitat conservation, conservation policy, and/or watershed management is highly recommended.

Salary and Benefits

The pay for this full-time position is anticipated to be $53,000-$63,672, dependent on experience. Willamette Partnership offers a generous benefits package including health, vision, and dental insurance, holidays, an annual bonus, matching 401K, and paid time off accrued at ~6 weeks/year.

How to Apply

See a pdf of this job announcement here.