The Sierra Institute for Community and Environment seeks a qualified individual to fill the position of Watershed Restoration Project Manager with responsibilities for a growing suite of watershed restoration projects. The Sierra Institute’s watershed restoration work emphasizes the collaborative development of meadow and stream restoration and forest road infrastructure improvements that improve ecological function and protect critical aquatic resources. The current project portfolio is centered on a million-acre focal landscape for the South Lassen Watersheds Group, a collaborative addressing forest and watershed management, climate resilience, and economic development in critical upper watersheds of Battle Creek, Mill Creek, Deer Creek, and the upper North Fork of the Feather River.

This is a tremendous opportunity for a talented natural resource professional who is excited to join a collaborative organization expanding capacity for restoration across the Northern Sierra and Southern Cascades. The selected individual will work closely with Sierra Institute staff, non-governmental partners, and federal land management agencies to advance watershed restoration as part of multiple large landscape restoration projects to improve forest resilience across the only anadromous watersheds on public lands in the Sierra Nevada, as well as support post-fire restoration in the Dixie Fire footprint.  

Core functions for the Project Manager will include assessment, project identification, design, implementation, and monitoring of meadow and riparian restoration projects, as well as for road and stream crossing improvements. The selected individual will also be expected to apply technical and analytical expertise to support the completion of environmental analysis to meet state and federal legal standards (i.e., California Environmental Quality Act, National Environmental Policy Act), as well meeting permitting requirements (e.g. Army Corps 404 Permits, Clean Water Act Sec. 401 Permits, and CDFW Lake and Streambed Alteration Permits). The Project Manager will have responsibility for tracking and achieving key deliverables across multiple grants, agreements, and contracts, budget control, leading fieldwork including implementation, supervising seasonal and permanent staff, and coordinating the work of multiple subcontractors and partners.

The selected individual will be engaged in a variety of aspects of the Community-based Natural Resource Management program, including providing critical hydrological expertise to forest restoration as part of Sierra Institute’s landscape restoration planning and implementation, and will play a key role in connecting watershed restoration projects with Sierra Institute’s workforce development programs – including P-CREW, a 21st Century Youth Conservation Corp, and High Roads to Tribal Forest Restoration and Stewardship, a Sierra Institute-led tribal workforce training initiative. 

Qualifications

Required

• An undergraduate degree in a relevant field (wildland hydrology, geology, fisheries, or related natural resource/environmental sciences), and two years of work experience
• Experience performing geomorphic, hydrologic, or relevant ecological fieldwork
• Demonstrated experience with technical writing for natural resource management
• Thorough understanding of environmental analysis and permitting requirements and processes
• Ability to meet deadlines both independently and as a team member
• Detail-oriented, organized, and able to work well on simultaneous tasks
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• A valid driver’s license and access to reliable transportation
• A strong desire to engage in land management issues and collaborative landscape management projects 

Preferred

• Prior hydrology/meadow/stream-based fieldwork and/or project experience in southern Cascades or northern Sierra Nevada watersheds
• Direct experience completing NEPA, CEQA, and restoration permitting
• Experience working in post-fire forested environments
• Expertise managing project budgets, building partnerships, and leading staff

Location

A hybrid work arrangement may be negotiated; however, the Watershed Restoration Project Manager will be expected to reside within reasonable commuting distance of the Sierra Institute’s office in the rural northern Sierra town of Taylorsville to enable regular engagement in the field, with staff at the office, and with local partners. This position works both indoors in an office setting and in the field to collect data, coordinate and oversee implementation, and complete monitoring activities. Some travel for meetings, site visits, and workshops is expected, with occasional overnight stays.  

About the Sierra Institute

The Sierra Institute promotes healthy forests, watersheds, and communities by investing in the wellbeing of rural communities and strengthening their participation in natural resource management. Our work is grounded by the concept of triple bottom line values, supporting initiatives that simultaneously benefit the environment, economy, and equity within a given landscape. The Sierra Institute’s office is in Taylorsville, CA (pop. 154), which lies within a large mountain meadow referred to as “Indian Valley,” that includes the communities of Greenville and Crescent Mills. 

For a full position description visit: https://sierrainstitute.us/about/jobs/