Temporary Puget Sound Habitat Policy Manager

Position Summary

WEC seeks a Puget Sound Habitat Policy Manager to support a unique Natural Resources Asset Management Program for Kitsap County. Natural resources provide ecosystem services not yet incorporated into local government management processes. The project goal is to manage natural resources like streams and forests similarly to roads and facilities by defining levels of service and managing water as a resource. Through research and collaboration with experts and community members, you will help continue a science-driven approach that supports salmon recovery. We are looking for a person with experience in characterizing and quantifying natural resource systems including streams, forests, and marine shorelines. The position will be part of WEC’s Puget Sound Program, supervised by the Puget Sound Program Director. The temporary position is for 12 months at 40 hours per week and includes benefits. This grant-funded position represents an exciting opportunity to develop innovative approaches to address a growing pressure on natural resources in the Puget Sound region.

This position will collaborate closely with staff from WEC’s Puget Sound and Evergreen Forest Programs as well as the Suquamish Tribe, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, and Kitsap County on the technical basis of defining ecosystem services, community outreach, and engagement with other local governments to expand the program.

Washington Environmental Council (WEC) is a nonprofit, statewide advocacy organization. For over 50 years, WEC has brought people together to solve Washington’s most critical environmental issues. WEC builds power for the environmental movement by building partnerships, mobilizing the public, connecting voters to decision makers, and taking legal action. Our mission is to protect, restore, and sustain Washington’s environment for all. Given the current pandemic we are working remotely and foresee doing that for an extended period of time. Our teams have access to a variety of online tools and systems that support working remotely. Our expectation is that we will eventually return to some schedule of safely working together in our Seattle office. We offer competitive salaries, good benefits, and the opportunity to make a difference. We are committed to a diverse, socially just, and welcoming work environment and people of color, people with varying abilities, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are especially encouraged to apply. We continue to advance the application of a racial equity lens to our work, and are led by a CEO who is a woman of color.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a temporary full time position with an annual salary range of $53,000 to $60,000 depending on experience. The initial term is for 12 months, which may be extended depending on funding. We offer a generous benefits package including medical and dental insurance, 401k plan and organizational match of up to 3% of your annual salary, a flexible spending account, paid vacation and sick leave, eleven paid holidays per year, an Employee Assistance Program, and if you work for seven consecutive years you are eligible for a two-month paid sabbatical. We welcome new and diverse people to a great team who together shape environmental protection in Washington.

To Apply

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and brief writing sample here. No phone calls or mailed applications please. The brief writing sample should include no more than 500 words and should describe the concept of ecosystem services to a general subject audience. Position open until filled. First review of applications on November 11.

Washington Environmental Council is an equal opportunity employer committed to dismantling structural racism and creating a welcoming work environment. WEC does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, gender, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation. People of color, people with disabilities, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are especially encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

  • Respect tribal treaty rights, particularly in the context of salmon recovery.
  • Research and apply the scientific basis for services provided by streams, forests, and marine shorelines, including evaluating relative levels of services.
  • Coordinate closely with Kitsap County applying available geographic information system (GIS) data to characterize levels of service provided by natural resources, including data durability for future assessments as conditions change in the county.
  • Clearly communicate results verbally and through written documents. Seek feedback from Tribes and County.
  • Develop and implement outreach programs that gather input on desired levels of service provided by streams, forests, and marine shorelines of Kitsap County, including stakeholder organizations, tribal members, and the general public. Due to COVID restrictions, this will likely require virtual engagement though in-person opportunities may exist in 2021.
  • Amplify the Kitsap County work and seek additional jurisdictions to expand the program in the region.
  • Advance racial equity in natural resources asset management. This includes implementing components of WEC’s racial equity plan and working with staff to better integrate this work across programs.

Qualifications

Required Skills

  • Commitment to environmental protection, and principles of racial, social, and economic justice.
  • Demonstrated success in technical aspects of natural resources ecosystem services and systems-based thinking.
  • Familiarity with geographic information systems (GIS) for mapping ecosystem attributes and analyzing patterns.
  • Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain professional working relationships with tribal nations, county leaders, and diverse stakeholders.
  • Excellent organizational skills, keen attention to detail, and able to complete tasks to meet deadlines.
  • Ability to communicate verbally and in writing with a variety of audiences, from highly technical to the general public.
  • Thrive in a fast-paced, always changing, non-profit environment.

Desirable Skills

  • Policy experience with salmon recovery and local land use, the Growth Management Act, and Shoreline Management Act, including how they are implemented by local governments.’
  • Familiarity with public policy and resource economics in general.
  • Experience working with the public on technical issues.
  • Experience with grants and foundations.

Apply here: https://wecprotects.org/jobs/temporary-puget-sound-habitat-policy-manager/