Work Location: Ukiah, CA, with some travel to sites throughout Mendocino County

Position: Full-time, 40 hours per week

Salary: Annual Compensation Range: $60,683 - $88,523 with regular COLAs mandated by the Board of Directors, as the budget allows.

• Salary commensurate with experience and education.
• 4 weeks paid time off (PTO) to per year to start.
• Employer – up to 3% matching contribution to IRA.
• Generous benefit package covering 100% of “Gold Plan” insurance from SDRMA, with up to $1000 per month contribution for family benefits.
• Start Date: July-August 2025

WHO WE ARE:

The mission of the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District (MCRCD) is to conserve, protect, and restore wild and working landscapes to enhance the health of the water, soil, and forests in Mendocino County. The MCRCD is a Special District of the State of California, governed by Division 9 of the California Public Resources Code. The MCRCD is led by an Executive Director and a 5-member Board of Directors.

Sustainable Agriculture Program

The MCRCD Sustainable Agriculture Program’s mission is to support climate resiliency and agricultural productivity through soil health and sustainable land management. We work in partnership with landowners, farm managers, schools, Tribes, other partner agencies, and the public to enhance, protect, and restore soil, water, and wildlife habitat in Mendocino County. Together, we engage in technical assistance, outreach, education, and promotion of cost-share and grant opportunities to:

• Empower farmers to manage for a climate-resilient future by improving ecosystem function and soil health
• Connect land stewards with the scientific community and research
• Promote the establishment or enhancement of on-farm wildlife habitat
• Support cost-share and grant opportunities for planning and implementation of climatebeneficial land management practices, including composting, erosion control, irrigation efficiency enhancements, hedgerows, native seed collection/amplification, and more

POSITION SUMMARY:

• The Mendocino County Resource Conservation District (MCRCD) is hiring a full-time Project Manager (PM) to assist with management and collaboration on regional sustainable agriculture and watershed related grant projects.
• The PM will co-lead the development of Conservation Carbon Farm Plans and provide technical assistance in soil health, agriculture, and water conservation-based projects.
• This position will be responsible for facilitating education and outreach to various ages and knowledge levels around agricultural and watershed related best management practices.
• The PM will assist local land stewards in applying and implementing conservation practices funded through programs like Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and California Dept. of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Healthy Soils Program (HSP) and State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP).
• Oversee projects that involve planning, permitting, implementation and monitoring.
• The PM will support program development by working within their team to procure funding and provide general support in grant management.
• Travel to sites throughout Mendocino County to provide technical assistance.

MAJOR DUTIES:

• Work a majority of time in the Sustainable Agriculture (“Soil”) Program, with limited technical support for skillset-related or program-overlapping projects (typically in the Water Program but could be with others; expected to be 10% time or less annually, may vary seasonally).
• Assist local land stewards in applying for funding to implement conservation practices through CDFA and NRCS programs, and others as applicable.
• Work with local Indigenous Tribes to plan and implement projects that benefit soil and water quality, aquatic habitat, and water supply reliability, and climate resilience.
• Develop Carbon Farm Plans (training available).
• Use GPS and ArcGIS to generate project-site maps and use published soil surveys and other resources for data required in projects and Carbon Farm Plan development.
• Conduct site visits, provide technical assistance, and submit grant applications with landowners to various state and federal programs.
• Assist in planning education and outreach events, including workshops (virtual and in person), and conduct soil and watershed health demonstrations.
• Provide general programmatic support for a wide range of duties associated with grant management, including quarterly reporting and invoicing, managing project budgets and timelines, communicating with all project participants, and executing grant deliverables.
• Participate in grant writing and other funding efforts to sustain the position and the Soil Program.
• Work with other staff to post to social media, update the MCRCD website, develop newsletters, and generally support other outreach tasks for the organization.
• Work collaboratively with MCRCD staff, other regional RCDs, the public, county officials, state and federal agencies, and local landowners.
• Participate in staff and board meetings, and in other general organizational administration.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, ecology, soils, botany, or similar natural resources management degree program.
• At least one year of experience each in: natural resources management, project management, partner engagement, and education. May consider less experience for exceptional candidates with other relevant experience.
• At least one year of experience with the ESRI suite, including ArcGIS pro, AGOL (ArcGIS Online).
• Excellent organizational, communication, and team collaboration skills.
• Experience with technical report writing.
• Proficient use of the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to write clear, accurate, and effective reports.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with co-workers, partners, and the public.
• Experience with project management, budgeting, and grant writing.
• Experience with grant-funded organizations.
• Professional experience with watershed processes, sustainable agriculture or land resource management, environmental science, and plant science.
• Valid California Driver’s license and provide proof of insurance.
• Ability to identify regional plant species, including trees, shrubs, forbs, and grasses.
• Experience writing Carbon Farm Plans or other conservation-based planning documents.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in related field.
• Bilingual in Spanish, ASL, or other language(s) in common use in Mendocino County.
• Advanced ability to identify regional native plant species.
• Experience working with diverse communities, including Spanish-speakers and Native American Tribes in Mendocino County.
• Proficient and highly experienced in project management, budgeting, and grant writing.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Work in the field approximately 20% of the time, which fluctuates seasonally.
• Work and navigate in the field independently or in groups.
• Work full days, in all-weather conditions (i.e., hot/dry summer and cold/wet winter days).
• Walk long distances on uneven terrain, in all-weather conditions.
• Ability to lift 40 pounds and bend, squat, stretch, reach overhead.
• Experience/ability to learn to drive ATVs, UTVs, stick-shift, and 4-wheel drive vehicles.

PAY, BENEFITS, AND WORK SCHEDULE:

This is a full-time position with competitive benefits including health, dental, holiday pay, cumulative paid time off, and 3% 401K match. Salary schedule is updated regularly