Conservation Associate Manager

TreePeople; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4/10 work schedule

Field-based work in Southern CA

Job summary

TreePeople seeks a Conservation Associate Manager to design, implement and oversee field conservation projects in Southern California mountains and wildlands. You will manage staff and volunteers, coordinate data collection and reporting, and maintain safety and equipment for diverse field activities.

The role requires strong project management, leadership and land-management skills and involves travel across Southern California with regular field days in varying conditions.

Qualifications

• Education in forestry, forest ecology, habitat conservation or environmental science.
• Experience managing habitat restoration, reforestation or similar projects.
• Staff management experience and the ability to lead volunteers.

Responsibilities

• Oversee projects in mountain or wildland areas, meeting goals, grants, schedules and budgets.
• Recruit, train and manage staff; engage volunteers; lead in the field.
• Coordinate data collection, surveys, monitoring and reporting for funders.
• Develop scopes of work, RFP reviews and contractor evaluations.
• Maintain safety protocols and build partner relationships (USFS, NPS, NFWF, etc).
• Ensure tools, equipment, and vehicles are maintained; manage materials and inventory.

Skills

Public speaking

Project management

Volunteer management

Leadership

Team-building

Problem-solving

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Spanish fluency

Education

Forestry or environmental science degree

Tools

ArcGIS

Salesforce

Google Workspace

Microsoft Office

GPS devices

Job description

TreePeople is an environmental nonprofit organization that mobilizes indivuduals, families, communities, philanthropists, and public agencies to work together to create green, resilient communities by providing education on the benefits of planting trees, capturing rainwater, greening schools, and providing fun enviromental educational activities. TreePeople unites with communities to grow a greener, shadier and more water-secure region at homes, neighborhoods, schools and in the local mountains.

The Conservation Associate Manager works directly with the Senior Manager of Conservation or the Associate Director of Conservation to design, implement and oversee program(s) in the local mountains or wildland areas with the assistance of the Conservation Coordinators and in direct cooperation with TreePeople's managers, nursery operations, partners and grantors. The Conservation Associate Manager will be responsible for delivering on the success of given projects with the support of their supervisor.

They will be responsible for management on various properties under TreePeople management, assist in planning focused activities, and other tasks assigned by the Associate Director of Conservation.

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee, implement and deliver on one or more projects within mountain or wildland areas to meet TreePeople's goals and grants deliverables, schedules and budgets. Projects may include habitat restoration, habitat enhancement, and reforestation.

  • This includes regularly driving long distances to work sites.

• Help recruit, train and manage staff to ensure success of activities and volunteer engagement.

  • Be a leader in the field, with the knowledge or the ability to quickly learn plant identification, location ecology specifics, wilderness first aid, and more.

• Oversee all activities related to data collection, surveys and monitoring of specific projects, in order to draft reports to funders, grantors and partners.

• Assist in developing scopes of work, requests for proposals, reviews and evaluations of contractors.

• Maintain a high level of attention to safety protocol when working in the field.

• Help establish, maintain and develop multiple partner relationships, including but not limited to: The US Forest Service, National Park Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Mountain Recreation Authority, National Forest Foundation and others.

• Ensure tools, equipment and vehicles are regularly maintained.

• Purchase materials, tools and supplies for the program, and maintain inventory.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Working knowledge of land management skills including the use of tools used in site preparation, fuel modifications, and other duties that pertain to land management.

• Office and remote field environments. Utilization of various means of transportation, potentially including 4x4 pickup trucks and stakebeds. Required to drive, ride or walk through rough terrain in difficult weather conditions, in daylight and dark, in wet and dry environments. Involves working long periods of time outdoors, sometimes alone, including adverse weather conditions.

• Exposure to loud noise, extreme temperatures, fumes or air borne particles, outdoor weather conditions, and inclement weather. Exposure to heavy equipment operations. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to drive, walk, stand, talk, and listen. The employee is frequently required to bend, stoop, reach with hands and arms, lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

• Potential travel and ability to function as a team member on large projects throughout the Southern California region. Overnight travel is required on some projects.

• Assist in volunteer recruitment strategies including training volunteers to become Volunteer Supervisors.

• Coordinate with the nursery team for needs of plant material and potential staff support.

• Represent TreePeople at donor events, or for the media.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE HAS THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS

• Education in forestry, forest ecology, habitat conservation, natural sciences, and/or environmental science.

• 3+ years experience in habitat restoration, habitat enhancement or reforestation management.

• Minimum of 1 year of staff management.

• Residency near and/or strong familiarity with the local ranges of mountains, their ecosystems and the communities in the surrounding area.

• Ability to do physical labor for a full day, including loading and unloading heavy tools onto trucks, and hiking off-trail on mountainsides.

• Skills in public speaking and public engagement

• Attention to detail, precision and demonstrated ability to concentrate on tasks that deliver accurate results.

• Demonstrated project management skills, including, but not limited to, budget management, time management, effective verbal, non-verbal, and written communication and ability to actively listen, receive and interpret information.

• Experience with computer applications and database management systems including but not limited to ArcGIS, Salesforce, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and remote GPS devices.

• Valid driver's license and good driving record, with ability to safely operate four-wheel drive vehicles on steep and narrow mountain roads and to navigate using map and compass or GPS.

• Highly organized, strong work ethic, friendly, smart, proactive and a quick learner.

• Strong leadership, team-building, and problem-solving skills.

• Experience with volunteer management and recruitment.

• Soft skills: Excellent written and oral communication, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability, attention to detail, time management, decision-making and the ability to translate communications into appropriate action.

• Ability to manage multiple projects under strict time constraints, to multi-task and prioritize in a fast-paced work environment.

• Proficiency in native and invasive plant identification.

• Ability and desire to work with a diversity of people including local, state, federal, and non-governmental resource professionals, non-profits, industry professionals and other community representatives, volunteers, etc.

• Interested in local climate resilience and environmental issues impacting communities throughout Southern California.

• Understanding of effective scientific communication

• Available to work a 4/10 schedule including some weekend days.

• Spanish fluency

PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Work demands physical energy, twisting, safe heavy lifting ability, and hand-to-eye coordination.

• Uses machines, equipment, and work tools including but not limited to: shovels, rock bars, McLeod's, pitch forks, general hand tools, lift gates, water tanks, fire hoses, weed whips, chainsaws, and augers.

• Must be able to repeatedly lift 50 pounds throughout a work day.

• Must be able to enter and exit a truck cab and bed numerous times a day.

• Must be able to navigate up to 5 walking miles of uneven terrain with heavy tools.

• Must be able to withstand exposure to a variety of environmental conditions while completing work assignments including rain, heat, wind, snow, and varying levels of exposure.

• Must be able to stand for extended periods of time.