Plant Materials Program Director Job Announcement

Position: Program Director

Office location: Corvallis, Oregon

Status: Regular, full time

Compensation: $26.42-33.00, depending on experience, plus competitive benefits package (health insurance, 401k, paid time off, etc.).

Closing date: November 27, 2020.

About Us: The Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) is a dynamic nonprofit organization founded in 1999 whose mission is to conserve native species and habitats through restoration, research and education. We fill a unique niche among nonprofits and work with a diverse group of partners including federal, state and county agencies and municipalities to accomplish our mission. We maintain an open and convivial office environment with approximately 24 regular staff in our main office in Corvallis, OR and branch office in Santa Fe, NM. We are committed to diversity and equity in our work place and the communities we serve. Please see our mission and diversity statements.

Position Summary: IAE is seeking a Program Director with a diverse skillset to manage our Plant Materials Program. This program works in all areas of native plant and seed production, from wildland seed collection to agricultural production, and partnership coordination through outreach to professionals and the public. The Plant Materials Program Director manages IAE’s native plant farm, wild seed collection activities, native seed partnerships in Oregon, and the Native Seed Network website. This position also coordinates the production of the National Native Seed Conference. Our farm facilities are located in Corvallis, Oregon, and include seed production for restoration of habitats (e.g. prairie, coastal grassland), and conservation and recovery of rare plants (e.g., Nelson’s checkermallow and Bradshaw’s lomatium) and wildlife (e.g., Fender’s blue butterfly and streaked horned lark) using a variety of plant materials. IAE works with agencies to collect wild seed for conservation and increase, hiring and coordinating seed collection staff in Oregon and elsewhere. This program serves a coordination role for the Willamette Valley Native Plant Partnership and the Coastal Native Seed Partnership in Oregon, and manages the Native Seed Network including its website (www.nativeseednetwork.org) and national conference. This Program Director supervises up to five staff.

Job Responsibilities

A) Program management (60%)

 Supervises and mentors staff, oversees project deliverables, and manages program finances.

 Develops and manages budgets and project work plans and maintains and develops new relationships with project partners.

 Supervises and oversees hiring of program staff, including project manager(s), technicians and interns. Works with program staff to develop workplans, schedules and professional growth.

 Prepares contracts and hires, schedules, and supervises contractors and work crews.

 Implements projects in coordination with program staff and other program directors.

 Develops and implements business planning for IAE’s farming activities.

B) Fundraising to support program (20%)

 Leads fundraising for program support assisted by Executive staff or other Program Directors.

 Writes or contributes substantially to grant proposals, including cultivation of relationships, coordination with funders and project partners, and development of the project concept.

C) Writing and communication (10%)

 Writes and edits reports and other products. Edits written documents produced by other staff.

 Effectively communicates in writing to anticipated audiences, including funders, members of the scientific community/peer-reviewed outlet, project partners, the public, etc.

 Conducts tours, workshops, and presentations to professional organizations, funders, partners, and the public.

D) Organization support and Collaboration outside IAE (10%)

 Aware of larger organization processes via management team meetings.

 Provides support to the organization and other Program Directors through fundraising, financial management or staff management.

 Sustains existing relationships with partners.

Minimum qualifications

 A minimum of five years of relevant and related experience in plant ecology at the management level (can be a combination of education and work)

 Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. Experience managing and coordinating several projects simultaneously.

 Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Suite.

 Ability to work long hours in adverse weather conditions with potential exposure to poison oak. Ability to hike up to 3 miles carrying a 40-pound pack and work in a bent-over/kneeling/sitting position for long periods of time.

 Positive attitude and excellent oral and written communication skills.

 Able to navigate using aerial photos, compass, mapping apps on a tablet and/or GIS.

 Current U.S. driver’s license and acceptable driving record.

Desired skills, abilities and experience

 Plant materials production and seed processing: Comprehensive knowledge of plant materials production from plug growth, field preparation, and planting through harvest and cleaning, including seed certification.

 Seed knowledge: Able to adapt seed facilities as needed for improved storage conditions, assess seed labs and work with them for seed testing, interpret seed tests, and assess seeds for maturity.

 Seed collection: Able to collect native seed from wild populations and instruct others on target/non-target species ID.

 Plant species ID: Skilled in plant identification, demonstrated ability to learn new species and families, familiar with plant families and use of dichotomous keys, able to identify suite of target species. Familiarity with regional plant communities and habitat requirements for wildlife.

 Event coordination: Able to fully coordinate a conference, including site selection, contracting, event spatial layout, virtual attendance and production, attendee registration, program development, speaker selection and management.

 Meeting facilitation. Plan, facilitate, and provide follow-up for group or public meetings.

 Data management. Independently perform quality control tasks. Able to import/export and design queries to extract data from databases. Able to organize and manipulate spreadsheets.

How to Apply

To apply for this position:

1. Complete the online job application form. https://forms.gle/rRixhdv57SZDo65g8. You will need the following information:

a. Your contact information

b. When you would be available to start work

c. Contact information (phone and email) for three professional references (including past employers)

d. Answers to specific online questions (we recommend you complete these offline, then paste into the application form)

2. Email your letter of interest and resume to tom@appliedeco.org with “IAE PMP Director” in the subject line of the email.

Letters of recommendation, additional writing samples, and/or college transcripts may be requested for top applicants. Applications must be received by August 21, 2020. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Non-U.S. residents must also include a copy of their work visa. Applications will be considered upon receipt until the application deadline. Questions may be addressed to: Tom Kaye, tom@appliedeco.org.

For more information about IAE and this program, visit our website www.appliedeco.org.

IAE supports diversity and equity, and we encourage applications from all groups of people. We recognize that the strength of IAE is in our people, and we believe that every employee has the right to work in surroundings that are free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. IAE does not and will not discriminate in employment and personnel practices, and our commitment to equal employment opportunity applies to every aspect of the employment relationship.

IAE apoya la diversidad y la equidad, y fomentamos las aplicaciones de todos. Reconocemos que la fortaleza del IAE está en nuestra gente, y creemos que cada empleado tiene el derecho de trabajar en entornos que están libres de todas las formas de discriminación y acoso. IAE no discrimina ni discriminará en las prácticas de empleo y personal, y nuestro compromiso con la igualdad de oportunidades de empleo se aplica a todos los aspectos de la relación laboral.