Mid-Columbia Fisheries (MCF) is seeking to hire an entry level Riparian Restoration Project Manager, who is eager and committed to grow into a full performance position.  MCF is seeking an individual with a passion for our mission as well as botany, plant ecology, habitat restoration, and vegetation community dynamics. The position’s primary role is development, implementation, grant reporting, and monitoring of riparian restoration projects.  The position reports to and works closely with the Riparian Program Director and other Project Managers to support MCF’s goal of high-quality riparian and floodplain restoration and management in our region.  

LOCATION: 

This position will work out of MCF’s Ellensburg or Yakima offices. The position is open to candidates that live within one hour commuting distance to Ellensburg or Yakima. The Riparian Restoration Project Manager Trainee is expected to meet regularly in-person with their supervisor and other MCF staff located in the Yakima and Ellensburg areas, and will regularly travel to project sites located around the Yakima basin. After a probationary period, and as approved by the Riparian Program Director, the Riparian Restoration Project Manager Trainee may request permission for occasional use of a home office for independent tasks. 

PAY: 

Starting pay is $23.94 per hour, plus benefits. Benefits include:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance (employer pays 85% of the premium for the employee and 0% for dependents)
• Paid vacation and sick leave
• 12 paid holidays per year
• Eligibility for a 3% employer retirement match after one year of employment (Simple IRA)

Mid-Columbia Fisheries tiers our positions to the federal general scale (GS). This position is offered at a GS-07 level pay scale.  After approximately two years in the position or when the candidate meets full performance Responsibilities and Qualifications of a project manager, the full performance position is expected to advance to a GS-09 level pay scale.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Riparian Restoration Implementation

• Develop and implement riparian restoration projects in keeping with MCF’s restoration approaches and under the supervision of the Riparian Program Director.
• Complete landowner outreach, site visits, and site assessments to develop riparian restoration projects.
• Coordinate partner involvement in projects.
• Develop project materials such as budgets, maps, site photos, and riparian site plans.
• Manage multiple restoration projects at different phases of development, implementation and stewardship.
• Identify invasive plant management needs on restoration projects, and develop management approaches.
• Collaborate with restoration crew supervisor and project managers to effectively implement projects with MCF restoration crew.
• Apply for, secure, and manage project permits and permissions.
• Prepare bid packages, solicitations, and agreements for consultants and contractors. 
• Complete revegetation contractor oversight.
• Identify seasonal work priorities for successful establishment of riparian restoration projects.
• Accurately track and document project work.
• Collaborate with MCF staff and partners to develop and implement innovative riparian restoration techniques.
• Complete wetland or other seed collection as needed for planned projects.
• Manage plant orders and coordinate deliveries.
• Manage seed orders and MCF seed inventory.
• May collaborate in partnerships with secondary education professionals to accomplish restoration project or monitoring goals.

Grant Management and Project Budgeting

• Research and identify funding opportunities.
• Prepare grant applications.
• Ensure that grant deliverables are achieved within project budgets. Track grant deliverables and complete timely grant reporting.
• Work with MCF administrative and project staff to approve grant expenditures within project budgets, review project expenses to-date, and adjust workflow to ensure projects stay within budgets.

Riparian Restoration Monitoring 

• Implement vegetation monitoring plans for restoration implementation, and complete monitoring reporting. May adjust established monitoring protocols or develop new protocols for implementation at new restoration sites.
• Acquire and maintain monitoring materials and equipment, and maintain current inventory of MCF monitoring materials and equipment.

Riparian Professional Development Partnership

• Coordinate a partnership to provide riparian professional development opportunities in Eastern Washington, providing leadership and direction to the organizing committee.
• Work with riparian professionals to coordinate the content of annual riparian symposium, trainings and site tours.
• Coordinate with MCF staff and organizing committee members to assure event logistics and fundraising.

Other Riparian and Floodplain Management 

• Provide support to aquatic and floodplain restoration project design teams to incorporate riparian ecology goals and objectives, including field and GIS mapping, implementation specifications and cost estimates.
• Support work to develop and implement regional riparian forest management, including data collection, data analysis, and report writing.
• Complete, or provide support to complete, wetland delineation field data collection and reporting. 

Administration and Other Duties

• Participate in MCF staff meetings and trainings.
• May assist the MCF Restoration Crew and other MCF projects or programs.
• The position may include supervision of seasonal technicians, interns, and volunteers.

TRAINEE SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

This entry level position will work closely with the Riparian Program Director to gain experience toward meeting the position Required Skills and Qualifications.  The trainee position will be evaluated annually in progress toward the Full Performance Required Skills and Qualifications.

Trainee Required Skills and Qualifications

• Have a passion for ecological restoration and MCF’s mission.
• Degree in plant ecology or botany, biology, natural resources, hydrology, stream ecology, geomorphology, or related, or minimum one years professional experience with work similar to that described above.
• Knowledge of or experience working in vegetation community dynamics, watershed processes and river/wetland ecology.
• Demonstrated ability to identify unknown plants species using dichotomous botanical keys including grasses, sedges and rushes.
• Ability to accurately visually identify wetland/riparian species, and knowledge of PNW flora.
• Knowledge of stream morphology and previous experience working in riparian areas.
• Two years’ experience implementing riparian restoration projects in arid environments.
• Two years’ experience with invasive plant management.
• One year experience completing vegetation sampling and restoration implementation monitoring, soil profile descriptions, and/or other environmental data as required. 
• The ability to acquire and maintain a valid Washington pesticide applicator’s license (Commercial Operator).
• Demonstrated experience and skills using ArcGIS or similar geospatial program to develop site plans, map site attributes, create maps required for grant applications and presentations, and plan site and regional work.
• Have excellent presentation, written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with stakeholders, partners, landowners, and colleagues. 
• Have a demonstrated record of maintaining timely, consistent and effective communication with co-workers, colleagues, landowners, grantors, project partners, and equivalent.
• Have a demonstrated ability to represent MCF professionally.
• Be able to manage multiple projects with dynamic schedules and priorities; be flexible to changes in prioritization of work.
• Ability to effectively and efficiently use desktop applications (ie, Microsoft Office, Google, Adobe Acrobat) and to learn project management software.
• Be dependable, self-motivated, well-organized, and able to work independently.
• Be willing to develop and use skills to maintain a positive organizational culture.
• Able to safely walk up to 4 miles a day on uneven terrain, and lift project gear and supplies (up to 50 lbs) as needed 
• Have a Washington State drivers license and a relatively clean driving record. 
• Be able and willing to perform all aspects of the work and other duties as assigned.

Trainee Desired Qualifications

• Experience completing permitting required for restoration project implementation.
• The ability to evaluate and interpret engineering design plans, construction drawings and results of hydraulic modelling.
• Experience using field methods for quantifying changes in plant communities.
• Knowledge of or experience working on fluvial and groundwater hydrogeomorphology, and/or geomorphology.
• Experience completing wetland delineations and reports for Clean Water Act permitting.
• The ability to use Microsoft Access software or similar relational database to manage vegetation monitoring data.
• Experience using statistical analysis techniques and modelling platforms such as R or GIS.

FULL PERFORMANCE SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

The following Required Skills and Qualifications will be needed for the Trainee position to advance to a full Project Manager, in addition to the Trainee Skills and Qualifications listed above. 

• Two years’ experience implementing riparian restoration projects in arid environments.
• Two years’ experience developing riparian restoration budgets and successful grant applications 
• Two years’ experience with invasive plant management.
• Two years’ experience completing vegetation sampling and restoration implementation monitoring, soil profile descriptions, and/or other environmental data required. 
• Two years’ experience completing permitting required for restoration project implementation.
• Two years’ experience using ArcGIS or similar geospatial program to develop site plans, map site attributes, create maps required for grant applications and presentations, and plan site and regional work. 
• One year experience completing wetland delineations and reports for Clean Water Act permitting.
• One year of experience evaluating and interpreting engineering design plans, construction drawings and results of hydraulic modelling.
• Experience working with information on fluvial and groundwater patterns, hydrogeomorphology, and geomorphology related to riparian plant communities.
• Hold a valid Washington pesticide applicator’s license (Commercial Operator).
• Have a demonstrated record of maintaining timely, consistent and effective communication with co-workers, colleagues, landowners, grantors, project partners, and equivalent.
• Have excellent presentation, written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with stakeholders, partners, landowners, and colleagues. 

Desired Qualifications

• The ability to use Microsoft Access software or similar relational database to manage vegetation monitoring data.
• Experience using statistical analysis techniques and modelling platforms such as R or GIS.