Job Title: Estuary Program Manager
Location: Newport, Oregon
Salary: $26-32/hour

BACKGROUND
The MidCoast Watersheds Council (MCWC) is an innovative and high-energy non-profit group that has been working for 25 years to improve riparian, stream, estuary, and water quality conditions and remove migration barriers to improve the survival of salmon, steelhead, cutthroat trout, and lamprey. With our agency and non-profit partners, we have completed $104 M of conservation and restoration work and promoted awareness on Oregon’s central coast, as documented in our recent Celebration Document. To continue this legacy, we are looking for a self-directed, motivated, and organized person with good people skills to join our team to lead elements of partnership coordination and project management.

The MCWC is governed by a diverse Board of Directors, seeks consensus on issues, and builds partnerships to get projects completed in a cooperative manner. We work closely with federal, tribal, state, and local agency and non-profit partners to develop, fund, and accomplish our work.

GENERAL JOB DESCRIPTION
In 2022, MCWC and partners from the Oregon Central Coast Estuary Collaborative (OCCEC) successfully secured a $7.8 million dollar Focused Investment Partnership (FIP) grant from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) to implement tidal restoration actions in the Yaquina and Alsea estuaries in the next 6-10 years. The Estuary Program Manager (Manager) will implement MCWC Estuary Restoration Projects as well as serve as the Partnership Coordinator to support the FIP initiative. The Manager will plan and implement restoration projects; support, promote, and track partner projects, monitoring and reporting; facilitate partnership meetings to further progress, and accomplish partnership administrative duties.

This position offers a great opportunity to become part of the MCWC’s proud tradition of restoration and conservation, as well as to be a part of the vibrant central coast community. This position is based in Newport, OR.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The ideal candidate is experienced in successful work plan development and implementation, group facilitation, proposal writing and reporting, team motivation, and partner communication. This position requires a highly motivated self-starter with demonstrated ability to work as a key member of a productive and talented team. This position has great flexibility to increase responsibilities, roles, and salary in all aspects of the work the MCWC accomplishes. This position will work both in the office and in a field setting. More specifically, the following are examples of the types of duties and responsibilities that the Manager may be asked to undertake under the guidance of the Coordinator, however, final duties and roles are dependent on experience, qualifications, and abilities:

Project Management for MCWC Estuary Projects, Project support (40%)

  • Further define and develop implementation plans and proposals for MCWC restoration projects that are part of the OWEB-funded FIP portfolio
  • Manage contract agreements, oversee field and monitoring work of restoration projects, assure monitoring and reporting are completed
  • Support and coordinate MCWC’s GIS mapping and analysis needs; solicit (from partners) and/or generate shapefiles of project areas and monitor plot locations, create basic maps for grant reports and proposal
  • Participate in the development of community learning projects using restoration projects to bring stakeholders and scientists together to advance learning.

Partnership Coordinator of FIP Initiative, Project Proposal Writing, and Reporting (40%) 

  • Support and cooperates with federal, tribal, and state partners to assure the timely development and implementation of their restoration
  • Coordinate research and monitoring projects with partners, grantors, and landowners
  • Assure that partner project and monitoring reports are robust and completed on
  • Consolidates individual project progress and monitoring reports into an overall progress report for funders, tracking progress towards restoration benchmarks and communicating about budget or timeline problems or
  • Maintain annual grants calendar to track proposal and reporting deadlines
  • Maintain and implement an existing funding plan, including prospecting for new opportunities

Oregon Central Coast Estuary Collaborative Facilitator (10%)

  • Schedule and facilitate at least four quarterly OCCEC meetings each year, including coordinating relevant speakers. (The OCCEC is a larger estuary collaborative that spans the coast between Tillamook and the Siuslaw).
  • Document OCCEC meetings through written notes and share them with the group
  • Maintain regular communication and engagement with the group through email distribution list and Basecamp site
  • Serve as OCCEC point of contact for external audiences/partners/funders
  • Organize field trips and special events such as informational forums (at least 1 per year within OCCEC geography)
  • Assist partners in collaboration with fundraising
  • Orient and train a new facilitator for Year Two

Administrative and Organizational Excellence Duties (10%)

  • Help coordinate and attend staff meetings
  • Develops and maintains productive relations with community and conservation partners
  • Attends events and takes meeting minutes, prepares and distributes to partners
  • Maintains active participation lists, email distribution lists, and attendance records
  • Assists with MCWC policy and procedure development; participate in an annual review, work planning, and budgeting processes; participates in strategic plan update processes
  • Represents MCWC and actively participates in meetings to further policy positions that represent MCWC’s interest in water conservation, water quality, habitat conservation, and other similar topics

QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS

  • Prior work experience in environmental restoration, meeting facilitation, project management
  • Self-motivated individual who is adept at multitasking and working with deadlines
  • Commitment to working with the community to improve the quality of local watersheds
  • Excellent writing and communication skills, including experience in public speaking
  • Comfortable working outdoors, in an office, and in partner/community meeting environments
  • Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office required, particularly Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
  • Strong proficiency with ArcGIS products
  • Proficiency with Google Suite applications
  • Leadership ability and a commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity required
  • Ability to work a flexible schedule, some evening/weekend work required
  • Master’s degree or higher in a related field
  • Knowledge of ecological principles
  • Valid Oregon driver’s license (or ability to obtain one), reliable personal transportation with proof of car Work-related mileage will be reimbursed at the current State of Oregon rate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Strong knowledge of estuary habitat types, restoration
  • Grant writing, event coordination, and fundraising experience

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

The Estuary Program Manager works under the guidance and direction of and seeks input from the Council Coordinator. Payroll requirements and fiscal aspects of the position are under the guidance of the Council’s Fiscal Provider.

SALARY and BENEFITS

Initial salary depending on experience $26-32/hour. Good potential to increase Manager salary in subsequent years through demonstrated growth and success in roles listed above. In addition to paid legal holidays, workers compensation, annual leave, personal/sick leave, a monthly cell phone stipend, and unemployment insurance, after six months the Council will provide a retirement fund match. Health Insurance will be provided after three months of tenure.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please send the following documents as a single PDF to tom@midcoastwc.org with Estuary Program Manager in the subject line. Applications must be received by 5 PM on January 12th, 2023.

  1. A cover letter of no more than three pages describing how your work experiences have prepared you to successfully complete the position’s duties
  2. A resume of no more than two pages
  3. Please provide the date you would be available to start work
  4. If selected for an interview, contact information will be required for at least three professional references