Salary: $5,399.00 – $7,262.00 Monthly
Location: Thurston County – Olympia, WA
Job Type: Full Time – Permanent
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Department: Recreation and Conservation Office
Job Number: 2023-RCO-001
Closing: 4/5/2023 11:59 PM Pacific

**RCO will consider candidates that can successfully do this job from another location (in state) with required 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. 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.

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.

Salmon restoration and preservation through many programs:
The Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SFRB) is embedded within RCO and since 1999 has awarded nearly one billion dollars of salmon related grants across seven salmon recovery regions and 25 lead entities, using a bottom-up prioritization and funding approach termed the “Washington Way.”   Grant recipients have provided an additional $400 million in matching sources.

The “salmon staff” at RCO also assist in administering grant programs with other state agencies, including the Chehalis Basin Strategy (CBS), Estuary Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP), Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board (BAFBRB), Family Forest Fish Passage Program (FFFPP), and Washington Coast Restoration and Resiliency Initiative (WCRRI). This passionate and dedicated 15-person team manages approximately 700 active projects, and processes between 200-300 applications per year.

Geographic Area
This position is the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board (BAFBRB) program lead grant and contracts manager.  This program is co-managed with WDFW.  This position will also serve as the secondary program lead for the Family Forest Fish Passage Program (FFFPP).  This program is co-managed with Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and WDFW.  This position may also manage SRFB grants for watersheds around the state.

We are looking for
Someone passionate about healthy watersheds and salmon recovery with fish passage experience, barrier assessment experience and working knowledge of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fish passage criteria.

A hard-working, team-oriented individual who can think critically, has outstanding customer service and communication skills, wants to be a leader, and is self-directed. Must be able to juggle multiple project tasks, competing priorities and demands.  

Duties
The work you will enjoy doing includes managing a portfolio of state and federal grants and contracts for salmon recovery, and habitat conservation and restoration. Responsibilities include:

Grants Administration

• Manage fish passage, acquisition, restoration, and planning projects, as well as interagency agreements and contracts.
• Assist public agencies, nonprofit organizations, Native American tribes, and individuals in the development, preparation, and implementation of salmon recovery grants.
• Conduct site inspections for compliance with grant requirements and resolve any identified issues.
• Problem-solve project implementation questions and issues with grant sponsors, that arise day-to-day within programmatic frameworks.
• Shepherd applicants through the grant application process in partnership with local lead entities and salmon recovery regions. This work includes reviewing applications for completeness and program eligibility, providing feedback and assistance to applicants, and communicating with the SRFB technical review panel. 
• Conduct all aspects of grant project management from application to closure, including reviewing and approving progress reports, bills, and final reports, processing needed amendments and conducting site visits. 

Communication

• Prepare correspondence to grant applicants and recipients, interest groups, elected officials, executive management, and members of the public. 
• Explain complex grant program policies and processes to a variety of individuals.
• Prepare briefing materials and present projects, issues, and recommendations to agency executives, and the SRFB.
• Prepare materials and conduct training workshops for grant applicants and project sponsors.
• Work in a team environment and share information and knowledge to create consistency in project and program management. 

Program Engagement

• Research, review, and analyze agency policies, manuals, state and federal laws, rules and regulations that govern RCO administered grant programs. (Specifically, Manual 22:  Fish Barrier Removal Board grant program, Manual 18: Salmon Recovery Grants, Manual 3: Acquisition Projects, Manual 5: Restoration Projects and Manual 8, Reimbursement).
• Participate in team reviews of program policies, update grant materials and manuals, and continually improve grant processes. 
• Participate in agency-wide committees and teams.

Qualifications
What you need to qualify for Salmon Outdoor Grants Manager:
A Bachelor’s degree in public administration, landscape architecture, fish or wildlife management, watershed planning, geography, land use planning, biology, forestry, natural resource management, engineering, environmental studies or a related field.  
AND
Three years of experience in the property acquisitions, 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 of experience.
The Three years professional level experience in one or more of the following:

• Managing and monitoring compliance for federal and/or state grant and contract requirements related to natural resources.
• Land acquisition for conservation and/or restoration purposes.  
• Aquatic habitat restoration project management; and/or
• Working in a natural resources field. 
• Demonstrated ability to manage natural resource related grants and contracts and the ability to resolve complex, challenging and sensitive issues 
• Knowledge of Washington State natural resource and salmon recovery issues, including the SRFB framework (salmon recovery regions and lead entities). 

What we desire:

•  A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering, aquatic sciences, forestry, natural resource management, environmental studies, or a related field.
• The ability to provide top-notch customer service and guidance to individuals to assist with the resolution of complex and sensitive issues.
• The ability to multi-task and understand priorities.
• The ability to interpret and provide guidance to individuals to assist with project development and implementation.
• The desire to develop and nurture long-term relationships and to collaboratively work with external partners and co-workers to complete projects and develop solutions to problems.
• The ability to ask questions, seek guidance and remain curious.

Things to Consider Before Applying:

• You must be willing and able to occasionally work in excess of 40 hours per week, travel occasionally for short periods to include overnight stays.
• 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 required occasional travel to Olympia for meetings and other functions. 
• You must have and maintain a valid driver’s license free from serious traffic violations. 
• Candidates must be willing to travel into assigned geographic territories to build relationships, conduct compliance and provide stellar customer service
• Interactions with other RCO staff, board members and partners will be conducted in-person and virtual (online) depending on the type of interaction needed to get the job done. 
• The 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 and supplemental questionnaire, applicants must attach the following documents to their profile or paste into the “text resume” field in order to be considered for this position:

• Cover letter (no more than 2 pages in length) that illustrates your personality and voice to describe why you are a compelling candidate and what qualifications and skills you would bring to RCO.  
• A current resume, detailing experience, education, and other relevant interests. 
• A list of at least three (3) professional references with current contact information (attached or available to provide at the time of interview)

Union Inclusion: This position is included in a bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).

Conditions of Employment:

• COVID Vaccination Requirement::  Governor Inslee’s Directive 22-13.1, state employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Providing proof of being fully vaccinated is a condition of employment and your vaccine status will be verified prior to starting work. Being fully vaccinated means two weeks after you have received the second dose in a two-dose series of a COVID-19 vaccine or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use, licensed or otherwise authorized or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or listed for emergency use or otherwise approved by the World Health Organization. Please note that any offer of employment is contingent upon you providing verification of your vaccine status, having an approved medical accommodation, or having an approved religious accommodation. No start date will be approved until you have either verified your vaccine status or have an approved accommodation. 

Opportunity for All: The Recreation and Conservation Office celebrates our differences and we are committed to a workplace that supports equal opportunity employment and inclusion regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, marital status, families with children (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, age, status as a protected veteran, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as an individual with the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with disabilities or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We will also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws.
 
You are welcome to include the name and pronoun you would like to be referred to in your materials and we will honor this as you interact with our organization.
 
Contact us:
If you have questions about this opportunity, please email Leslie.Frank@rco.wa.gov or call (360) 902-0220.
By submitting materials you are indicating that all information is true and correct. The state may verify information. Any untruthful or misleading information is cause for removal from the applicant pool or dismissal if employed.

For more information and to apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/3958336/salmon-outdoor-grants-manager