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The Associate Director of California Headwaters Conservation will help American Rivers develop and implement innovative and inspiring projects that protect and restore source watersheds in the Sierra Nevada to increase climate and water supply resilience, support natural biodiversity, and benefit local and downstream communities. The Associate Director will join a team that works at multiple levels to achieve tangible results and scale impact. Our approach is to implement on-the-ground projects that catalyze partnerships and policies to achieve river conservation at the regional and state-wide scales. The Associate Director will develop and oversee a range of headwaters projects including restoring mountain meadows and streams, improving forest health and roads to protect rivers, and other conservation efforts in the California Region. There will also be opportunities to engage in watershed and regional-scale collaboratives, like the Walker Workgroup, a watershed scale collaborative focused on the health of the Walker River watershed, and the Sierra Meadows Partnership, which American Rivers co-founded. We are seeking a team member who can develop and manage on-the-ground restoration projects from conception to implementation, including securing funding and permits, managing budgets and schedules for state and federal grants, coordinating with multiple agencies, partners, and consultants. The Associate Director will help design and conduct monitoring, and data management and analysis to support the California Headwaters Conservation Program. They will also contribute to fundraising, strategic planning, diversity equity inclusion and justice (DEIJ) initiatives, and other internal needs of the region.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage river restoration projects. This will include managing subcontractors and project budgets, coordinating partners, reporting to agencies and funders, developing restoration designs with subcontractors, completing permits, overseeing construction, leading outreach activities, and identifying opportunities to scale successes. Will likely include managing projects in the Walker River watershed.
• Identify and develop restoration projects that build capacity, accelerate progress, engage new partners, and expand the impact of the river conservation field.
• Troubleshoot restoration project hurdles and identify and implement broadly applicable solutions that advance the restoration field.
• Collaborate with state and federal agencies, Native American tribes and tribal organizations, non-profit partners, and private interests to accelerate restoration and improve watershed management policies and practices in California.
• Monitor project outcomes. Develop appropriate monitoring plans and collect and analyze data on restoration project performance.
• Communicate successes and lessons learned to diverse audiences including state and federal decision-makers, corporate and foundation funders, rural landowners, and others.
  Contribute to project and program development. Support the development and writing of proposals for existing projects as well as new innovative and catalytic projects.
• Participate in California and headwaters program strategic planning, including authentic incorporation of DEIJ. Strive to improve the existing programs and identify new opportunities.
  Conduct outreach activities and help develop media that builds awareness about American Rivers and the value of healthy rivers to communities, funders, and decision makers.
• Represent American Rivers at conferences, press events, and other public events.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in on-the-ground project management, including coordinating multiple partners, grant budget management, contracting, and overseeing consultant teams.
• Experience leading watershed improvement, meadow/river/creek restoration and/or similar projects/programs.
• Knowledge/understanding of watershed processes, and California water resource issues.
  Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice.
• Experience developing and conducting environmental project monitoring and managing and analyzing associated data to communicate results.
• Innovative thinker with excellent organization skills and demonstrated experience meeting deadlines, setting priorities, and working in a self-directed manner in a fast-paced environment.
  Ability to develop partnerships, proposals, budgets, and strategies that will accelerate river restoration and conservation in California.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking and the ability to effectively communicate with partners and agency representatives.
• Demonstrated strength in critical thinking, judgment, and dependability.
• Experience with fundraising for restoration and watershed stewardship.
• Willingness to travel frequently to project locations within the Sierra Nevada and participate in fieldwork in remote settings.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and a minimum of two years of relevant experience, or a minimum of three years of relevant experience.
• Personal commitment to American Rivers’
• Experience with fuel reduction/prescribed burning and/or forest road improvement projects a plus.
  Knowledge of river/meadow ecology (or related), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), California and federal permitting, California plants and wildlife species a plus.

COMPENSATION

The anticipated salary range for this position is $61,000 to $68,000 depending on experience and qualifications. Full-time employee benefits include health, dental, and life insurance; a retirement plan, training budget, sick leave, 11 paid holidays, four weeks of paid vacation, paid sabbaticals every seven years, and a 3% retirement match. American Rivers offers TIAA-CREF Social Choice, including green impact, as an investment option.