Job Title: Conservation Program Manager
Purpose of Position: National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) has regionally placed several grant funded Land Conservation Specialists (LCS and Specialist) and a Conservation Program Manager to target and implement relevant conservation programs aimed at reducing sediment and nutrient loading, and improving wildlife habitat in the Illinois and Kaskaskia River Basins in a coordinated effort. Under supervision of the Conservation Program Manager” the Land Conservation Specialists work with EPA, NRCS, USFWS, and IDNR to actively target Best Management Practices (BMPs) or conservation practices on private lands, using sound data; hiring and training of LCS and other related staff; and on special projects as they arise with NGRREC℠ partners. As time allows the Manager will serve as a backup to perform certain duties assigned to those in LCS roles if it would become necessary.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
The Manager will be responsible for overseeing the work of the Specialists, ensuring that they are meeting established performance measures, and have adequate training. The Manager will be required to successfully demonstrate and report that project goals and mile stones are being met. LCSs will be required to demonstrate the following:
• Successful integration of relevant conservation cost-share and grant programs with CREP. Staff will be required to demonstrate they are knowledgeable and understand program requirements for all applicable federal and state programs, above and beyond CREP that can be utilized to improve water quality and wildlife habitat. These programs will include but not be limited to: USFWS Partners for Conservation, CRP, EQIP, WHIP, WRP, SSRP, CSP,IEPA Section 319, TMDLs.
• Ability to successfully establish working relationships and coordinate with local, state and federal agency staff as well as stakeholder groups, active watershed groups, and NGO’s.
• Ability to successfully communicate with private landowners and communicate the various programs, program requirements and eligibility requirements.
• Understanding of local watershed issues and activities such as existing watershed planning efforts and TMDLs, water quality conditions, and landowner attitudes.
• Ability to develop successful IEPA Section 319 implementation grants where applicable.
• Ability to use existing data to prioritize and target the various programs to areas they are needed the most. Staff must be able to evaluate project sites and determine what programs are most relevant.
IDNR and the Manager will evaluate quarterly reports and conduct site visits with staff to determine if staff are successfully meeting established performance measures. With input from staff, IDNR will establish numerical implementation and load reduction goals and will compare quarterly reports to those numerical targets. IDNR and the Manager will provide training to regional staff and work with staff to establish realistic numerical performance targets within high priority areas. Numerical performance targets will be based on, but not limited to the following:
• Watershed specific water quality pollutant load reduction targets as identified in existing watershed plans or TMDL’s
• Watershed specific eligible acres
• Number of landowners and history of conservation success
• Watershed specific modeled pollutant loading
Additional Duties
The Manager will be responsible for the following:
• Oversee and supervise the day to day work of the Specialists,
• Ensuring staff are meeting established performance measures, staff training, reporting, and maintaining communications among partnering agencies.
• Assess the success of specialists in meeting project goals and milestones
• Using sound science and available data, work with Agency staff to identify strategic sites and conduct outreach to landowners in high priority areas.
• Landowner outreach and on-on-one contact will actively target practice implementation.
• Establish and maintain working relationships with local agency staff and other stakeholder groups.
• Understand watershed conditions and opportunities to leverage state and federal programs for the purposes of implementing conservation practices and BMPs.
• Evaluate private ground, assess sources of nutrient and sediment loss and recommend the most applicable cost share or grant programs to maximize water quality, habitat benefits, and landowner needs
• Develop field specific project plans and cost estimates
• Work with landowners to negotiate practice implementation and provide technical assistance where needed
• Direct landowners to relevant program support and agency staff and provide assistance on meeting eligibility requirements and completing “paperwork”.
• Develop project specific grant applications and provide administrative and technical assistance.
• Adhere to and meet or exceed established performance measures.
• In cooperation with IDNR, provide training to watershed coordinators.
• Serve as lead or team member on special projects as they arise with NGRREC℠ partners.
• Other duties as assigned
Minimum Qualifications:
Minimum Training and Experience Required to Perform Essential Job Functions
• Highly motivated, organized, mid-level natural resources professional who desires to work in a dynamic, environmental science center environment that requires honed interpersonal skills
• A bachelor’s degree in environmental science, natural resources, biology or a related field is required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Two to five years of experience in natural resources planning desired, education may substitute for experience
• Proven record of working one on one with private land owners on Farm Bill conservation programs
• Grant writing experience is preferred
https://jobs.lc.edu/postings/1017