NC Mountains Forest Recovery Director

What We:

Can Achieve Together: The NC Mountains Forest Recovery Director will build and oversee a large team and a budget of over $3 million/year to deliver forest restoration projects in collaboration with the US Forest Service. Their work will be focused on delivering on a forest restoration scope of work under a 10-year Disaster Recovery award.

They will build and lead a team of ten professional fire and forest restoration specialists and thirteen seasonal crew members. They will manage with excellence three direct reports and will be responsible for performance management, training, and career development. The Forest Recovery Director will work closely with the US Forest Service to prioritize silvicultural and fire projects, troubleshoot implementation challenges, and deliver results while maintaining relationships with local partners.

In this 10-year term position they will sequence implementation projects across the North Carolina mountains to create a steady pipeline of work. They will have administrative oversight and delivery on the forest restoration scope of work and will complete required grant reporting. Projects will be focused on restoring fire-adapted forests with prescribed fire and silviculture, and will require

skills:

ets in project planning, preparing teams and resources, prescription implementation, and assessments of success. The NC Mountains Forest Recovery Director will have some technical

skills:

, ideally with fire

qualifications:

, to add to our team and will support and aid in implementation. They will play a role in the Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network that includes providing technical expertise, sharing lessons that we are learning, and cultivating strategic and authentic relationships with a broad variety of federal, state, and nonprofit partners.

The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) forest restoration goals in the Southern Appalachian region center on enhancing the resilience, connectivity, and ecological integrity of these fire-adapted forest landscapes. By focusing on both landscape-scale restoration and targeted habitat improvements, TNC is committed to restoring the quality of forest habitats that support the extraordinary biodiversity for which the Southern Appalachians are globally renowned.

The projects will be carried out in close collaboration with the US Forest Service as well as other state, non-profit, and Tribal partners. The NC Forest Recovery Director will report to the Southern Blue Ridge Program Director. They will work closely with a robust team of forestry and fire practitioners in Asheville as well as working across the six state Southern Appalachian area, and particularly closely with Virginia colleagues.

They will contribute as a thought leader to advancing Appalachians-wide forest resilience outcomes through TNC’s Appalachians forestry strategies and teams. They may work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.

The Forest Recovery Director will be asked to work with donors as appropriate, which sometimes will include working on evenings and weekends. The position is based out of TNC’s office in Asheville with hybrid work options available. It is a full-time, ten-year term position without renewal. The salary range for this position is $77,000-$85,000 depending on

experience:

Application materials will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please submit your cover letter and resume as soon as possible and we will be in touch with all applicants by mid-to-late February, if not before. We’re Looking for You: If you’re looking for a career where you can find meaning and purpose, come join our Chapter as the NC Mountains Forest Forest Recovery Director! Not only will you fulfill conservation objectives in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, but you’ll contribute to conservation goals through many networks! We’re looking for a passionate, dedicated person to lead our mountains forest restoration work for the next 10 years.

Systems leadership, excellent managerial

skills:

, creative problem solving, and the ability to influence without authority are key in this role. Come join TNC and apply with a cover letter and resume today!

What You:

’ll Bring: BA/BS degree and 5 years’

experience:

in natural resource management, including forestry, terrestrial ecology, fire ecology or equivalent combination of

education:

and

experience:

.

Experience:

managing complex or multiple projects simultaneously, including staffing, workloads and finances under deadlines. Supervisory

experience:

, including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance of professional employees.

Experience:

in partnership development with non-profit partners, community groups and government agencies.

Experience:

negotiating. Must be able to obtain the

qualifications:

for Prescribed Fire Crew Member (RXCM) or Fire Fighter Type 2 (FFT2) (See TNC Fire Management Manual), including meeting the physical fitness standard of moderate or arduous (See TNC Physical Fitness Testing). Must have valid Driver’s License and be willing to travel to project sites.

Experience:

• performing physical work outdoors in all conditions.

Experience:

using Microsoft Office; Outlook, Word, Excel, GPS and ArcGIS and/or similar applications. Desired

Qualifications:

5-7 years’

experience:

in Southern Appalachian Forest systems or related field or equivalent combination of

education:

and

experience:

Proven track record of project management and organization of large scale, multi-year projects, including collaborative project sequencing and meeting deliverables on deadline.

• Demonstrated

experience:

influencing and developing collaborative priorities, for example between US Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy. Significant, demonstrated partnership building with non-profits, government agencies, and other stakeholders to achieve outcomes.

Experience:

d team leader of groups of 10-20.

Experience:

• overseeing contracts for timber stand improvement, fire line mastication, reforestation, and non-native invasive species contracts.

Experience:

with prescribed fire and other forest restoration practices. Qualified as a single resource boss preferred (Engine Boss (ENGB), Firing Boss (FIRB), and Crew Boss (CRWB)). Other helpful

qualifications:

include Resource Advisor (READ), Fire Effects Monitor (FEMO), Public Information Officer (PIO), and Squad Boss (FFT1). Knowledge of current US Forest Service policies, procedures, practices, and systems.

• Demonstrated

experience:

in public grant management and/or private fundraising. Creativity to develop innovative and novel solutions to management challenges.

Experience:

communicating with excellence via written, spoken, and graphical means in English. Politically savvy. Multi-lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural

experience:

appreciated. This position requires a valid driver's license and compliance with TNC’s Auto Safety Program. Employees may not drive Conservancy-owned/leased vehicles, rental cars, or personal vehicles on behalf of the Conservancy if considered "high risk drivers." To learn more

about:

the Auto Safety Program, visit the Auto Safety information page under the FAQ section. Employment in this position will be contingent upon completion of a Vehicle Use Agreement, which may include a review of the prospective employee's motor vehicle record. Salary Information: The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $77,000 – $85,000 annually.

This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate's location,

qualifications:

, specific

skills:

, and

experience:

Please note countries outside the USA would have a different pay range in the local currency based on the local labor market, and not tied to USA pay or ranges. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment. Who We Are: The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends.

As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC.

Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor. One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued.

In addition to the

requirements:

in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and

experience:

s outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique

experience:

Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”

What We:

Bring: Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world! TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive

benefits:

package including health care

benefits:

, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being

benefits:

Learn more

about:

our

Benefits:

and Perks here. We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports of the health and well-being of the people we employ. Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received.

Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible. The Nature Conservancy is an Equal

Opportunity:

Employer. Our commitment to equal employment

opportunity:

includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture.

• Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

The successful applicant must meet the

requirements:

of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process. Do you have military

experience:

? Visit our U.S. Military

Skills:

Translator to match your military

experience:

with our current job openings! TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Founded in the U.S. through grassroots action in 1951, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world.

Thanks to more than a million members and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and over 400 scientists, we impact conservation in 79 countries and territories: 37 by direct conservation impact and 42 through partners. To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Our vision is a world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives.