The Upper Mokelumne River Watershed Authority (UMRWA) is a Joint Powers Agency (JPA) comprised of six water agencies and the counties of Amador, Calaveras and Alpine. The Authority is engaged in the stewardship of the Upper Mokelumne's natural resources, with a mission of developing partnerships, formulate plans, execute projects, and leverage federal and state investments for widespread regional benefit. UMRWA serves as lead partner for forest project planning and contracting fuel reduction and restoration projects within the two National Forests that span the watershed, including the Eldorado and Stanislaus National Forests.

UMRWA, U.S. Forest Service and the Amador Calaveras Consensus Group (ACCG)—a community-based local collaborative that works to create healthy forests and watersheds, fire-safe communities, and sustainable local economies, are currently embarking on a multi-phased, large landscape forest health and resilience project in the Central Sierra Nevada Region, CA, called the Mokelumne Amador Calaveras Forest Health & Resilience Project (MAC).

The Monitoring Coordinator will lead the development of a long-term monitoring program strategy for the MAC Project, in addition to various other tasks listed below in the Duties & Responsibility Section. The Monitoring Coordinator will report to the Project Manager at UMWRA and will perform the below tasks under the direction of the ACCG Monitoring Work Group and the MAC Project team, and in coordination with field supervisors and field technicians and data management staff, when funding becomes available.

This would be an approximatley 2-year, part-time (approximately 40 hours per month, will vary) contracted position with UMRWA. This is a fully remote position. However, you’ll occasionally be expected to participate in in-person meetings and to perform field work, as needed.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Monitoring Programs and Strategy Development: Lead the development of the initial execution of the MAC Monitoring Program and Strategy. Lead continued execution of the ACCG Monitoring Program, including efforts to update the current strategy, incorporating funding of the ACCG Monitoring Groups into long term monitoring efforts.
• Monitoring Funding Plan Development: Lead development of long-term funding plan to maintain MAC monitoring program.
• Data Management, Analysis, and Reporting: Facilitate gathering of long term ACCG monitoring data. Participate in data entry, record keeping, data sharing, and report writing tasks and activities in the pursuit of finalizing ACCG monitoring data collected to date.
• Field Coordination and Project Management: Assist in developing and implementing
  ACCG Work Group monitoring projects to meet program goals and objectives in collaboration with contractors. Develop and oversee the implementation of standardized field protocols. Develop and coordinate monitoring schedules and communication with staff and other participating entities.
• Administrative Support: Assist with work group management. Attend and facilitate monthly 2-hr ACCG Monitoring Work Group meetings. Develop meeting summaries for reporting to the ACCG collaborative. Maintain the Monitoring Work Group webpage.
• Program Outreach: Occasionally participate in other workgroups, and/or technical user group meetings as well as ACCG general meetings. Development of tools to disseminate information to the team and the public (e.g., AGOL tools).
• Additional task may be included depending on funding, guidance from the Monitoring work group or based on input from funders.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• BA/BS in natural resources management, ecology, biology, or related field;
• One to two years of relevant work experience;
• Knowledge of ecology and fieldwork, including vegetation monitoring;
• Proficient with data evaluation and analysis, including experience with detailed database management using Excel, Access, and data visualization tools such as AGOL Experience Builder;
• Excellent project management, time management, organizational, verbal, and written
  communication skills;
• Must be detail-oriented and able to manage projects and responsibilities with varying
  requirements and timelines;
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Preferred Qualifications

• MS in natural resources management, ecology, biology, or related field;
• Three to five years of relevant work experience;
• Knowledge and experience conducting statistical analyses of environmental data;
• Experience in the technical areas of monitoring in the Sierra Nevada;
• Experience coordinating teams and facilitating meetings;
• Knowledge of the Central Sierra region and watersheds.
• Additional skills related to fieldwork and crew supervision would be preferred if funding leads to in field monitoring;
  • Experience with fieldwork in inclement conditions with a strong focus on safety protocols;
  • Ability to adapt and troubleshoot in the field;
  • Ability to walk/hike and work outside in all types of weather, able to carry 20-50 lbs. of equipment over rough terrain to remote field sites;
  • Ability to supervise field crews composing of a crew lead and one to two crew
    members.

Visit UMRWA’s website (https://www.umrwa.org/) to learn more. For more information about
the ACCG, visit the collaborative’s website (https://acconsensus.org/), including the ACCG
Monitoring Program webpage (https://acconsensus.org/monitoring/).