Salary: $5,399.00 – $7,262.00 Monthly
Location: Thurston County – Olympia, WA
Job Type: Project (limited duration)
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: 2023-RCO-004
Department: Recreation and Conservation Office
Opening Date: 05/19/2023
Closing Date: 6/11/2023 11:59 PM Pacific

This position is expected to last 2 or 4 years (dependent on funding):

07/01/2023 to 06/30/2027

The hiring manager reserves the right to make a hiring decision at any time. It will be in your best interest to apply as soon as possible. Application review will begin the week of June 5, 2023.

Schedule:  RCO is head-quartered in Olympia, WA on the state’s capital campus. RCO will consider candidates that can successfully do this job from another location (in-state) with occasional travel to Olympia for meetings and other functions.

The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is a small state agency located in Olympia, Washington that plans for and provides funding to: create and maintain opportunities for recreation; protect the best of the state’s wild lands, farms, and forests; and recover salmon.

RCO strives to maintain a workplace that is respectful, inclusive and family-friendly where all team members feel safe to bring their true selves to work. We believe in a culture where everyone continually improves and has the opportunity to lead.

At RCO we envision: A state that has abundant outdoor recreation spaces, healthy habitats, and working farms and forests that support people, fish, and wildlife.

We are looking for: An energetic and ambitious individual who is passionate about youth outdoor education and recreation programs. You have excellent customer service and communication skills, are self-directed and enjoy working in a fast-paced agency with tight deadlines. You must be an accountable individual who understands and supports our agency’s values of trust, respect, diversity, equity, and belonging.

Duties
The work you will enjoy doing includes:
Managing a portfolio of state and federal grants primarily for youth outdoor education and recreation. This position supports grant management for the No Child Left Inside (NCLI) and Outdoor Learning Grants (OLG) programs. May assist in the management of other RCO grant programs as needed.

Key responsibilities include:  
Grants Administration

• Managing a portfolio of 60-90 projects from application through implementation, reporting, billing, closure, and long-term compliance. Projects primarily involve environmental education and outdoor recreation programs, and may include land acquisition, recreational facility development, planning, restoration, and maintenance.
• Providing technical assistance for public agencies, nonprofit organizations, Native American tribes, and individuals managing outdoor education and recreation programs.
• Conducting program inspections for compliance with the terms of the grant agreement.
• Assist in development of program reports and summaries for the funding agencies.

Communication

•  Responding via written and verbal communication with applicants, sponsors (grant recipients), and other staff daily.
• Preparing briefing materials and presenting program and project issues and recommendations to the agency executives, advisory committees, other state agencies and the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board.
• Organizing and conducting webinars and workshops to convey grant program information and assist with improving and implementing grant program communication plans.
• Preparing correspondence for grant recipients, interest groups, elected officials, and members of the public.

Program Engagement

•  Researching, reviewing, and analyzing federal and state laws, rules, regulations, policies, and plans that govern grant programs.
• Coordinate efforts for updating program policies, grant applicant resources, and overall improvement of grant processes.
• Participate on interagency advisory committees.

Qualifications
What you need to qualify:
A Bachelor’s degree in education, public administration, parks and recreation planning or management, landscape architecture, fish or wildlife management, watershed planning, geography, land use planning, biology, forestry, natural resource management, environmental studies or a related field.  

*Additional qualifying experience will substitute year for year for education. 
AND
Three years of professional level experience with outdoor youth education or recreation programs (or property acquisitions, development or management of outdoor recreation sites, fish and wildlife habitat, conservation lands and resources or managing grants for the preservation or restoration of natural resources, salmon habitat or outdoor recreation, or related.  

OR
A Masters Degree in one of the above fields will substitute for one year experience.

What we desire:

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in environmental education, parks and recreation, land use planning, forestry, natural resource management, environmental studies, public administration, or a related field.
• Experience managing grant agreements and contracts.
• Experience providing technical assistance to grant applicants.  
• Knowledge and experience with state, federal, and private grants.
• Knowledge and experience working with local governments, tribal governments, and non-profit organization.
• Knowledge of Washington State’s Pro-Equity, Anti-Racism (PEAR) Ecosystem Plan and Playbook. 
• Experience with curriculum development and formal or informal education and outreach experience.
• Understanding and knowledge of tribal sovereignty and traditional ecological knowledge.  
• A dependable individual with a strong work ethic and integrity.
• The ability to work in teams and individually.
• Advanced writing and oral communication skills, including public speaking.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), SharePoint, ArcGIS, and Adobe Pro.

Things to consider before applying:

• You must be willing and able to occasionally work in excess of 40 hours per week and travel frequently for short periods that often include overnight stays. You must have and maintain a valid driver’s license.
• RCO may hire only those who are legally authorized to work in the United States.

How to apply
In addition to completing the online application, you must attach the following documents to your profile or paste into the “text resume” field in order to be considered for this position:

• A letter of interest (no more than 2 pages in length) explaining how your past experiences make you an ideal candidate for this position and what exceptional skills you would bring to RCO;
• A current resume, detailing experience, education, and other relevant interests;
• A current list of at least three (3) professional references with current contact information (attached or available to provide at the time of interview)

For more information and to apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4047904/outdoor-grants-manager-project