Position open until filled. Review of applicants: Ongoing
Interviews: to be scheduled on a rolling basis October 29 – November 12
Projected Start Date: November 22, 2021
See full details at https://piercecd.org/Jobs.aspx?UniqueId=98&From=All&CommunityJobs=False&JobID=Riparian-Stewardship-Planner-86
Nature & Purpose of the Position
Pierce Conservation District is seeking a full-time Riparian Stewardship Planner to lead the Floodplains for the Future adaptive management team, provide technical assistance to landowners within priority basins, and develop and manage a pipeline of habitat improvement restoration projects. The focus of this position will be to protect and restore functioning ecosystems and to improve conditions for healthy salmon. Pierce County, along with the rest of Puget Sound, is changing rapidly. We’ve doubled in population in the last 40 years and are likely to double again in the next 40. As our region has grown, many of the things we love most about this area – the rivers, forests, salmon, and orca – have been degraded or even destroyed. If the place we call home is going to remain a healthy, vibrant place that we all love, we must take it upon ourselves to protect the best of what we have left and restore the areas that desperately need our stewardship.
Floodplains for the Future (FFTF) is a partnership of over 20-stakeholders working to recover floodplains and protect the health and safety of communities around them. Along with our partners, we are implementing a long-term vision that seeks to improve salmon habitat, protect communities and infrastructure from flooding, and preserve agricultural lands in the Puyallup Watershed. This team member will lead monitoring efforts, through data collection and analysis, to inform adaptive management of FFTF projects and partnerships. In addition to leading the FFTF adaptive management team, the primary duties of this new team member will be to engage landowners in priority basins through outreach and education, conduct and coordinate technical assistance, and oversee development and installation of restoration practices.
About Pierce Conservation District
Pierce Conservation District is government that works. Our mission is to equitably support community-driven solutions to our most pressing local environmental challenges. We work strategically and passionately to conserve and restore the natural resources of Pierce County. Our work improves both rural and urban communities to benefit the health and well-being of our citizens. We work in six core program areas: Water Quality Improvement, Farm Assistance, Habitat Restoration, Urban Agriculture, Environmental Education, and Climate Resiliency. When you join the Pierce Conservation District staff, you join a team of talented and committed people who are mission-driven and care deeply about improving our environment and our community. The Pierce Conservation District practices equity and inclusion by listening and learning from our valued and diverse communities and being ready to adapt and design more intentional or additional support so that we are equitable in the delivery of our programs and services.
Pierce County includes 1,806 square miles of ceded lands of four Federally recognized Tribes: the Puyallup Tribe, the Nisqually Tribe, the Muckleshoot Tribe, and the Squaxin Island Tribe. We recognize that the traditional and current homelands of these Tribes and their territorial lands, waters, and air are contiguous and transcend U.S. government-established boundaries. This means the quality and abundance of the County’s natural resources directly affects the quality and abundance of natural resources of Tribal Nations. While Pierce Conservation District does not hold federal trust responsibilities, we work to conserve natural resources that are the foundation of a Tribes’ rights to their ceded land. We practice equity by understanding the historical and cultural context of the land we steward, and the people, cultures, and communities the health of the land impacts. By working to restore habitat that is vital to traditional food gathering and cultural practices, this position will help lead the way in our efforts to honor Tribal Treaty Rights. To read our full Equity and Tribal Treaty Statements and learn more about these initiatives, please review our 2021 – 2025 Strategic Plan.
About Pierce County
In joining Pierce Conservation District, you will be coming to work in one of the most diverse areas of Puget Sound. To live, work, and play in Pierce County is to have all the best things that the Pacific Northwest has to offer right at your fingertips, without having to battle hours of traffic to enjoy it all. This is a community that cares deeply about equity and is passionate about helping make this a better place to call home. Pierce Conservation District is proud to serve the people of Pierce County and help create thriving ecosystems and resilient communities.
Primary Job Responsibilities
The Riparian Stewardship Planner reports to the Habitat Program Director, and is responsible for the following:
- Floodplains for the Future Adaptive Management Team Lead (40% of workplan):
- Guide the Floodplains for the Future integrated partnership through the interpretation and application of the shared monitoring plan. This is done through:
- Actively and consistently engage with FFTF partners by attending FFTF related meetings and relationship building across multiple interests
- Leading the FFTF annual data collection
- Managing and leading the consultant team in the synthesis and preparation of collected data for presentation to farm, fish and flood interest groups
- Planning, leading and facilitating the annual integrated presentation (2-day Results Summit) of the data and the subsequent discussions on the application of the data to current and future actions.
- Producing annual reports summarizing the data and the outcomes of the Results Summits
- Guiding the development of the coming years’ data collection and results summit presentation based on the individuals working knowledge FFTF partners work, capacity, and direction
- Maintaining the extensive database of past metric data via Smartsheet, a website, excel, and GIS
- Managing a consultant team to support in the work described above
- Managing contracts for both incoming and outgoing grant funding, maintaining adherence to grant guidelines, developing scopes of work, monthly billing, quarterly reporting, and expenditure review with finance/admin team
- Guide the Floodplains for the Future integrated partnership through the interpretation and application of the shared monitoring plan. This is done through:
- Landowner Technical Assistance (60% of workplan):
- Develop and manage a habitat improvement technical assistance program, with an emphasis on salmon habitat, that aligns with our strategic plan and the priority basins of the Habitat Improvement Program.
- Respond to public inquiries related to habitat restoration; conduct site visits and provide recommendations on best management practices.
- Create and implement targeted outreach and education opportunities for landowners and other relevant audiences (may include workshops, tours, etc.).
- Develop list of willing landowners and effective projects to improve functioning habitat.
- Manage restoration projects through the initial assessment, funding, project design, permitting, and construction phases.
- Represent and advocate for the Pierce Conservation District at groups such as the WRIA 10/12 Salmon Recovery Lead Entity and other regional partnerships to advance the work of habitat restoration and salmon recovery efforts.
- Lead or assist with grant writing and other funding opportunities.
- Accurately track project budget(s) and restoration metrics.
Secondary Job Responsibilities
- Contribute to all-staff activities such as staff/program meetings, Pierce Conservation District annual meeting, reporting.
- Contribute articles, photos, and other content to the District’s Tahoma View newsletter, website, and social media accounts.
- Participate in one of the District’s cross-programmatic teams (Equity, Data, Sustainability, Communications, Wellness & Encouragement).
- Manage assigned partner and jurisdictional relationships.
- Other duties as periodically assigned.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate for this position will have a strong knowledge base of riparian habitat, salmon ecology, and habitat restoration techniques; at least 5-years of experience working in habitat restoration or a related field, as well as experience working with Tribal partners, public agencies, and private landowners. They will be emotionally intelligent, detail oriented, and be able to multi-task and prioritize across a variety of projects. They must be a strategic thinker. The person in this position should also have:
- A Bachelor’s degree and/or previous work experience in habitat restoration and/or ecology, geology, environmental science, or other relevant topics.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work productively with landowners and partners.
- Project development and management experience.
- Experience with GIS.
- Excellent time management and task prioritization abilities.
- Commitment to and passion for locally-led conservation and Puget Sound recovery.
- Ability to clearly communicate in writing and orally.
- Ability to work some evenings and weekends.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office/Office 365 suite of software programs.
Desired Skills
- Post-Bachelor’s degree and/or previous work experience in restoration and/or ecology, geology, environmental science, or other relevant topics.
- Advanced level of GIS competency.
- Willingness to learn Smartsheet software
- Experience with permitting processes and regulatory requirements for habitat restoration projects.
- Experience with construction project management.
- Relevant engineering or geotechnical experience.
- Familiarity with community outreach, and experience developing education and outreach materials.
- Familiarity with current climate change science and implications to riparian habitat, salmon ecology, and habitat restoration techniques.
Physical Requirements and Working Conditions
This position works in office and outdoor environments, with occasional travel to a variety of locations to conduct work and may be exposed to typical hazards encountered at such work sites. This is a full-time position consisting of 40 hours/week. Position will require the flexibility to work community hours, not just traditional work hours. This includes some work on Saturdays and evenings.
Licenses, Certificates & Other Requirements
Valid Washington State driver’s license at time of appointment with maintenance thereafter, or evidence of equivalent mobility.
Compensation & Benefits
This is a fulltime, exempt Program Manager level 2 or 3 position, with an annual salary between $57,869 – $68,850, depending on qualifications and experience. Benefits include retirement, 100% of premiums paid for medical/dental/vision for you and your dependents as well as accrued paid sick leave, annual leave, 10 paid holidays per year, District paid state family medical leave premium, an ORCA card and an annual training budget.
Pierce Conservation District?is?an equal opportunity employer, and we make an effort to recruit people of color and individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply for open positions.
To Apply:
Click here to APPLY NOW and fill out the form, attaching both a cover letter and resume complete with three (3) professional references.
Application Process: Applications will be reviewed by a diverse hiring panel of District staff and key partners to the Habitat Program. The panel has begun initial interviews starting September 22nd and will continue scheduling interviews through at least November 12th until the position is filled.
Interviews will be 30 – 45 minutes and will consist of questions from each of the panelists to inform the panel of experience and knowledge in habitat restoration, commitment and contribution to our equity goals, and other topics. The interview is also the candidate’s opportunity to ask the panel probing questions to gauge if the District and the position is a good fit for them.
Position open until filled. Review of applicants: Ongoing
Interviews: to be scheduled on a rolling basis October 29 – November 12
Projected Start Date: November 22, 2021
Contact Information:
Heather Green, Habitat Improvement Program Director
253-231-0252
Or
Isabel Ragland, Water Quality Senior Program Manager
253.845.9770 ext. 103