Science Program Manager

Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board; Wenatchee (WA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board seeks a Science Program Manager to provide scientific leadership and technical expertise for the recovery plan. You will work with UCSRB staff, RTT, WATs, sponsors, tribes, and agencies to translate science into practical tools and decision support.

You will independently lead complex science initiatives, update prioritization frameworks, manage GIS data, and develop planning products for restoration opportunities.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree required or closely related field.
• Independent management of complex technical projects from concept to final product.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with ArcGIS and spatial data analysis; proficiency with R/Python or similar tools.
• Excellent scientific writing and communication skills.
• Strong verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in interdisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide scientific leadership and translate research into practical decision-support tools.
• Plan and manage science-related initiatives from scoping to delivery.
• Identify information gaps and research or monitoring needs for recovery planning.
• Maintain and improve habitat prioritization frameworks and data products.
• Develop and update REMs, floodplain and geomorphic planning outputs.
• Synthesize monitoring data to inform Recovery Plan implementation.

Skills

ArcGIS

Spatial data analysis

Statistical analysis

Data visualization

R

Python

Education

Advanced degree in watershed sciences

Job description

The Science Program Manager provides scientific leadership and technical expertise to support implementation and adaptive management of the Upper Columbia Spring Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Plan. The position is responsible for ensuring that UCSRB programs, planning efforts, and decision-making are informed by the best available science and that scientific information is translated into practical, useful tools for salmon recovery partners.

The Science Program Manager works closely with UCSRB staff, the Regional Technical Team (RTT), Watershed Action Teams (WATs), project sponsors, tribes, state and federal agencies, consultants, and other regional partners. The position requires strong scientific judgment, analytical and organizational skills, and the ability to independently lead complex technical initiatives from concept through completion.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities include:

Science Program leadership

• Serve as the primary technical and scientific resource for UCSRB staff and regional partners.
• Independently plan and manage science-related initiatives from initial scoping through final delivery.
• Identify emerging scientific issues, information gaps, and research or monitoring methods relevant to implementation of the Recovery Plan.
• Translate complex scientific information into clear findings, recommendations, maps, summaries, presentations, and decision-support tools.

Recovery Planning and Prioritization

• Maintain, update, and improve the Upper Columbia habitat and barrier prioritization frameworks, including Assessment Unit and reach-scale prioritization for spring Chinook and steelhead.
• Incorporate new data and periodically evaluate prioritization assumptions, metrics, weighting, scoring methods, and data sources, recommending improvements as needed.
• Translate regional prioritization information into practical products that help project sponsors identify priority locations and restoration opportunities.

Spatial Data and Decision-Support Tools

• Manage core spatial datasets used for recovery planning, including Assessment Units, reaches, restoration priorities, limiting factors, fish distribution and intrinsic potential, project locations, and other relevant datasets.
• Maintain UCSRB's web maps, website, and GIS datasets to ensure current spatial data and information is accurate, accessible, and useful to staff and regional partners.

Technical Support for Restoration Project Development

• Develop and maintain reach-scale planning products that support proactive identification and development of restoration opportunities.
• Develop and update Relative Elevation Models (REMs) and related floodplain and geomorphic planning products for priority restoration reaches.
• Develop analyses of floodplain connectivity, channel migration, side-channel and off-channel habitat, riparian conditions, geomorphic processes, and other reach-scale characteristics relevant to restoration planning.

Habitat Status, Trends, and Recovery Plan Progress

• Develop a framework to track habitat status and trends and progress toward implementation of the Recovery Plan. Communicate results through summaries, figures, maps, or other tools.

Restoration Effectiveness and Adaptive Management

• Maintain a structured process for documenting scientific findings, uncertainties, management questions, and resulting adaptive management actions.
• Synthesize restoration effectiveness monitoring, research, and other scientific information to inform Recovery Plan implementation and identify needed changes to restoration priorities, strategies, or technical guidance.

Data Management and Quality Control

• Establish procedures and schedules for routinely reviewing and updating key datasets and analytical products.
• Verify analytical outputs and conduct quality-control reviews before maps, datasets, analyses, or technical products are distributed or used for decision‑making.

Committee Coordination and Communication

• Organize and lead technical workshops, conferences, science forums, and other events that promote information sharing, collaboration, and application of science to salmon recovery.
• Coordinate the Regional Technical Team (RTT) and associated subcommittee meetings including facilitating technical discussions, tracking priorities and action items, and coordination follow-up activities.
• Prepare the annual recovery progress report for NOAA and provide scientific, technical, and data support for annual BPA reporting.

Technical Project and Contract Management

• Develop scopes of work, budgets, schedules, deliverables, and technical requirements for science, GIS, monitoring, and planning contracts.
• Manage consultants and technical contractors completing GIS analyses, modeling, monitoring synthesis, restoration planning tools, or other scientific work.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• An advanced degree in watershed sciences, fluvial geomorphology, fisheries, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex technical projects from initial concept through a high-quality final product.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Demonstrated experience with ArcGIS and spatial data analysis, statistical analysis, data visualization, databases, and analytical tools such as R, Python, or similar platforms.
• Excellent scientific and technical writing skills.
• Strong verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, decisions, and follow‑up actions.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with salmon and steelhead ecology and freshwater habitat restoration.
• Knowledge of Upper Columbia River Basin salmon recovery issues, organizations, and regulatory frameworks.
• Experience with salmon recovery planning, restoration prioritization, or structured decision-making.
• Experience working with technical committees or collaborative natural‑resource management groups.
• Experience with habitat monitoring or restoration effectiveness monitoring.
• Experience managing consultants, technical contracts, grants, or research projects.
• Experience working with tribal, federal, state, local government, nonprofit, and other natural‑resource partners.

Compensation:

This position is based in Wenatchee. The commencing salary range is $75,000 - $90,000, depending on experience, and offers full benefits: medical, vision, dental, long‑term disability and life insurance, retirement plan, paid vacation and sick leave.

The UCSRB is an equal opportunity employer. Find out more at: www.ucsrb.org

Background

The Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board (UCSRB) is a nonprofit corporation formed to serve as a regional salmon recovery organization to coordinate the implementation of the Upper Columbia Spring Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Plan. The Mission of the UCSRB is to support stakeholders in the restoration of viable salmonid populations and other at-risk species through collaborative processes that honor regional cultural, economic and community values of the Upper Columbia River region. UCSRB board members consist of representatives from Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan Counties, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and the Yakama Nation.