Remote Forestry Restoration Project Lead

Project Equity; Ruidoso (NM); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 97,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental insurance

Vision insurance

HSA contributions

FSA benefits

EAP program

403(b) retirement plan with match

Generous leave and holidays

Professional development support

Job summary

The National Forest Foundation advocates forest restoration across Lincoln National Forest and beyond. This remote/coordinator role supports on-the-ground restoration, reforestation, and contract oversight in New Mexico, collaborating with agencies, crews, and partners to deliver conservation outcomes.

You will engage with diverse communities, manage budgets, and promote wood products initiatives while ensuring compliance and reporting for grantors.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in conservation, forestry, natural resource management or equivalent work experience.
• At least three years of work experience with conservation programs, project planning, and/or coordinating project implementation.
• Involvement in project planning, coordination, accomplishment and budget tracking, and project operations management that involve multiple implementation partners, contractors, contracts for services, and funding sources.
• Experience with land and watershed science, policy, and management, including fire science, vegetation management, wildlife conservation, and/or meadow and stream restoration.
• Commitment to the mission of the NFF and familiarity with the U.S. Forest Service purpose and National Forest lands management.
• An understanding of New Mexico natural resource issues.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, and administrative skills.
• Strong writing skills and public speaking experience.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Build and develop close and mutually beneficial relationships among the U.S. Forest Service, the NFF, and New Mexico field partners to implement effective community-based conservation partnerships.
• Coordinate and manage forest-related restoration efforts, providing oversight of on-the-ground project implementation (e.g., working with logging crews, oversight with planting crews, coordinating between U.S. Forest Service and contractors, facilitating pre-work meetings, during contract inspections, and conducting final inspection for contract close out etc.).
• Research, outreach and development of wood product industry and facilitation of regional mills, community woodbanks, and fuelwood businesses for woody material distribution from thinning projects.
• Help develop and implement work under Stewardship Agreements, Participating Agreements, and/or Challenge Cost Share Agreements with the U.S. Forest Service.
• Expand and support Wood For Life initiatives including wood bank establishment, indigenous and traditional community meeting participation, pre implementation and implementation of forest fuelwood thinning projects, and wood hauling coordination and delivery.
• Coordinate and develop Requests for Proposals and contracts for all forest restoration and reforestation projects, and work accordingly with NFF staff to process, select contractors, and oversee implementation of projects. Compile NFF and FS prospective contractor bidders list. Hold pre bid site visits for Q&A sessions for prospective contractors.
• Report on outcomes and deliverables of forest restoration projects. Outcomes include a verbal and/or written report related to each project as required by grantors.
• Attend and participate in Lincoln NF coordination meetings and events.
• Identify partnerships and grants and provide input and support for expanding capacity for forest thinning projects and other restoration projects. Provide support in establishment of grants and development opportunities and attend meetings with partners and/or potential funders.
• Effectively communicate with and engage the public in caring for their National Forests and Grasslands through community-based conservation initiatives and outreach and awareness campaigns.
• Maintain a breadth of knowledge about current trends, emerging issues, policy interventions, and innovations in the field of forest restoration.
• Serve as a point of contact in the NFF for forest restoration, reforestation and related development activities in New Mexico and the Southwest Region.
• Provide forestry and fuels reduction project oversite for a multitude of projects including but not limited to hand thin, mastication, traditional ground-based logging, and common stand exams.
• Conduct Timber Sale Administration duties including but not limited to timber marking, basic timber cruising, inspections, documenting findings, collecting and interpreting field data.
• Conduct basic project layout and preparation activities including, but not limited to, conduct preliminary field reconnaissance, flagging boundaries and resource protection buffers, landings, skid trails, and temporary roads.
• Provide reforestation project oversite including seed collection, nursery coordination, planting crew oversight, and pre- and post- planting site assessment and monitoring activities

Skills

Partnership development

Project coordination

Forestry knowledge

Communication skills

Public speaking

Travel flexibility

ArcGIS Online

Driver's license

Education

Undergraduate degree in conservation or forestry

3+ years conservation experience

Budget tracking experience

Wildlife & meadow restoration knowledge

Familiarity with NM resource issues

Excellent written & verbal skills

US work authorization

Tools

ArcGIS Online

MS Office

Job description

The National Forest Foundation advocates forest restoration across Lincoln National Forest and beyond. This remote/coordinator role supports on-the-ground restoration, reforestation, and contract oversight in New Mexico, collaborating with agencies, crews, and partners to deliver conservation outcomes.

You will engage with diverse communities, manage budgets, and promote wood products initiatives while ensuring compliance and reporting for grantors.