National Forest Foundation (NFF) is pleased to offer a full-time, exempt 3-year term position that will support the restoration and improvement of recreation areas on the Lincoln National Forest in southern New Mexico.

About the NFF: As the official national partner to the US Forest Service (USFS), the National Forest Foundation was chartered by Congress in 1993. Today, the NFF advances forest resiliency, healthy watersheds and wildlife habitat, and recreation for all by working with communities and organizations across the country. The Foundation has grown significantly in the last few years in programmatic impact, revenue and support, and organizational capacity. NFF leads with impact, deploying roughly 90% of its expenses towards projects and programs across the country’s 193-million-acre National Forest System. NFF is forward-thinking and innovative, with ambitious strategies and goals to advance and prepare forests for a new economy.

Position Function: The Lincoln National Forest Project Coordinator reports to the New Mexico Program Manager and works closely with other NFF Southwest Team field staff and regional nonprofit partners to cooperatively plan, develop, and implement priority projects on the Lincoln National Forest (LNF). The coordinator will assist in forestry related projects such as pre implementation unit prep, fuels reduction projects such as thinning, mastication and cut, skid, deck work, as well as community engagement, fundraising, and project management to assist in post-fire forest and water restoration projects. This work requires close coordination with the U.S. Forest Service, community organizations and implementation partners to accomplish identified goals and activities.

Position Duties and Responsibilities: The Lincoln National Forest Project Coordinator will:

Partnership Building and Community Engagement

• Build and develop close and mutually beneficial relationships among the U.S. Forest Service, the NFF, and southern New Mexico field partners to implement effective community-based conservation partnerships.
• Conduct ongoing communication with partners on the status of project planning, implementation, and project successes.
• Network with organizations, agencies, and others surrounding the Lincoln NF to advance forest, watershed, and recreation restoration activities
• Coordinate and manage restoration efforts, providing oversight of on-the-ground project implementation (e.g., working with forestry crews, trail crews, youth crews, coordinating between U.S. Forest Service and contractors, facilitating final inspection, etc.).
• Oversee projects through their full life cycle - project initiation, planning, managing schedules, tracking budgets, construction site management, quality assurance, and safety.
• Serve as the NFF’s on-the-ground point of contact for daily project management needs.

Fundraising

• Work with NFF staff to solicit funds from government sources, foundations, corporations, and individuals to support all aspects of project preparation, implementation, and oversight.
• Prepare grant and funding reports and conduct donor stewardship activities.
• Work with NFF staff to communicate restoration project needs and the community benefits and accomplishments.

Project Management

• Coordinate with the U.S. Forest Service, NM Forestry Project Coordinator and partners to implement forestry and fuels reduction projects and provide oversite for thinning projects (hand thin, cut, skid, deck, mastication, steep slope thinning), traditional ground-based logging, and common stand exams.
• Work with U.S. Forest Service staff to prepare project implementation plans and provide grants and contract agreements to complete on the ground restoration projects.
• Oversee contractors implementing projects in coordination with U.S. Forest Service staff to ensure successful project completion in a timely and financially responsible manner.
• Manage service agreements, invoices, and finances for all NFF related partnership projects on LNF.
• Serve as a point of contact in the NFF for stewardship activities on and near the LNF.
• Assist as necessary with NFF’s program of work across New Mexico and the Southwest, which may include the management of diverse, short-term projects.

Education and Qualifications: NFF expects the Lincoln National Forest Project Coordinator to possess the following educational and experiential qualifications:

• Minimum of an undergraduate degree in forestry, natural resources, recreation management, environmental science, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• A minimum of three (3) years’ experience with proven results in community outreach, partnership development and forest restoration and/or land management.
• A strong knowledge of and experience in U.S. Forest Service land management policies, procedures, and regulations.
• A strong understanding of recreation and natural resources issues.
• Strong writing skills and public speaking experience (Spanish speaking abilities a plus).
• 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 and the cultural landscape.
• Effective communication, interpersonal, organizational, and administrative skills.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Abilities and Skills: NFF expects the Lincoln National Forest Project Coordinator to possess the following proven abilities and skills:

• Ability to represent the NFF with diverse constituents in a clear and professional manner through excellent written and oral communication skills, and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently, performing fieldwork, attending meetings, and managing projects with minimal oversight.
• Experience and ability to work in post-fire landscapes with ever changing on-the-ground conditions.
• Experience convening multiple partners to evaluate roles across a dynamic landscape with a collaborative approach.
• Excellent research and analytical skills.
• Creativity and initiative; ability to respond quickly to last-minute needs and changing priorities.
• Ability to work with a wide range of people with differing and sometimes conflicting opinions, and to always maintain neutrality.
• Ability to collaboratively manage programs and evaluate their outcomes against quantifiable measures of success.
• Ability to effectively manage a variety of projects and tasks to successful completion.
• Ability to work well and be flexible in a team-oriented environment.
• Strong time management and organization skills to align workload with competing requests and departmental priorities.
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently within the Lincoln National Forest and beyond.
• Ability to understand forest restoration treatment types and systems, including restoration prescriptions, on-the-ground operations, treatment specifications, guidelines, and desired conditions for a diversity of forest and watershed ecosystem projects.
• Ability to understand recreation infrastructure, community-based conservation, and forest and watershed restoration projects.
• Ability to understand wildfire mitigation and forest and watershed restoration projects.
• A valid U.S. Driver’s License and a clean driving record.

Location: The location for this position is Southern New Mexico in Ruidoso, Cloudcroft, Alamogordo, or Las Cruces. Applicants must be able to travel regularly throughout the Lincoln National Forest. This position is a work-from-home position and requires reliable internet access and a dedicated workspace.

Compensation: The NFF offers competitive compensation and benefits. The starting salary range for this position is $63,440 to $65,208 with the ability to grow to $73,008 and above.

Benefits: NFF is proud to offer our staff:

Health and Wellness:

• Medical and dental insurance paid at 75% by the organization for you and any dependents.
• Vision insurance paid 50% by the organization for you and any dependents.
• Health savings account (HSA) with employer contributions between $1,878-$3,750 per year, predicated on coverage type.
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSA).
• Employee assistance program (EAP) at no cost.

Financial Wellbeing:

• 403(b) retirement plan with a 5% employer match after one (1) year of service.
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance at no cost.
• Basic life and AD&D insurance at no cost, with voluntary life insurance options.
• Whole life insurance at a discounted rate

Flexibility and time off:

• Employees start with 35 days of annual leave, sick leave, personal leave and holidays (annual leave accrual rates increase with years of service)
• Family & medical leave for up to sixteen (16) weeks with up to four (4) weeks paid.

Personal Development:

• Training & Development Programs
• Professional development reimbursement for up to $1,000 per year.

Journey of a Lifetime:

• The opportunity to support an incredible mission and travel to / work in spectacular locations.

To Apply: Applications must include both a cover letter and resume. Incomplete packages will not be considered. Applications will be revied on a rolling basis. This posting will close on October 10th, or earlier if filled. Please visit our careers site to apply online.

The National Forest Foundation is an equal opportunity employer – meaning we provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law. Further, we prohibit discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, benefits, training, and termination. We strive to foster a work environment where every individual is respected, valued, and treated fairly. This statement reflects our unwavering dedication to fairness, respect, and equality in employment practices and sets the foundation for a positive work environment.