Remote Forest Recovery Program Lead, Southern Appalachians

Society of American Foresters.; United States; Remote; USD 95,000 - 119,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off

Professional development reimbursement

Job summary

National Forest Foundation in the Southern Appalachians seeks a Forest Recovery Program Manager to provide leadership and technical support for a portfolio of forest recovery, restoration, and resilience projects, coordinating with USFS, contractors, and NFF teams.

The role emphasizes project development, contract oversight, budgeting, staff supervision, and facilitation of partnerships, with initial priorities including Hurricane Helene recovery and statewide forest restoration in North

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in conservation, forestry, ecology, natural resource management, planning, landscape design, environmental science, or related field; professional certification; or equivalent experience that demonstrates a working knowledge of forestry and renewable resource management.
• Minimum of 4 years of professional experience in forestry, ecological restoration, reforestation, conservation program management, project planning, and/or coordinating project implementation, including experience with field-based restoration or forest management activities, preferably on federal lands.
• Experience supervising and managing project-level staff.

Responsibilities

• Develop and expand forest recovery and reforestation work in the southern Appalachians, with an initial focus on National Forests in North Carolina.
• Identify and prioritize watersheds and restoration sites; translate assessments into actionable projects.
• Oversee site assessments, forest inventories, restoration plans, and treatment recommendations.
• Define desired future conditions and actions to move landscapes toward those conditions.
• Lead collaborative development of field team strategies and work plans.
• Communicate restoration strategies and project recommendations with stakeholders and funders.
• Leverage GIS datasets to support planning, reporting, and communications.

Skills

Strong writing skills

Public speaking

GIS

Data management

Contract administration

Team leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Undergraduate degree in conservation/forestry/ecology/natural resource management

Tools

GIS

GPS

Job description

National Forest Foundation in the Southern Appalachians seeks a Forest Recovery Program Manager to provide leadership and technical support for a portfolio of forest recovery, restoration, and resilience projects, coordinating with USFS, contractors, and NFF teams.

The role emphasizes project development, contract oversight, budgeting, staff supervision, and facilitation of partnerships, with initial priorities including Hurricane Helene recovery and statewide forest restoration in North