Project Manager, White Mountain

Description

ABOUT TROUT UNLIMITED

Founded in Michigan in 1959, Trout Unlimited (TU) is a national non-profit organization with 350,000 members and supporters, organized into over 400 chapters and councils nationwide, dedicated to conserving, protecting, and restoring North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. These dedicated grassroots volunteers are matched by a respected staff of organizers, lawyers, policy experts, and scientists who work out of more than 40 offices across the country. All these people work together to protect, reconnect, restore, and sustain trout and salmon habitat on behalf of today’s anglers and coming generations of sportsmen and women who value the connection between healthy, intact habitat, healthy communities, and angling opportunity. The Southwest team at TU, working across the Rio Grande, Gila, Salt, Verde, and other trout bearing basins in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, has rapidly grown its restoration partnerships in recent years, with a focus on completing post-fire recovery, nature-based solutions, and native fish recovery projects in drought-impacted watersheds. It’s an exciting time to join the Southwest team as it expands its work across the region.

Position Summary

TU seeks to hire a self-motivated, passionate, and highly capable person to identify, plan, and implement projects to benefit source watersheds, aquatic resources and native and wild fish populations in Arizona’s White Mountains. Projects may include stream and watershed habitat restoration, including process-based and beaver-based restoration, Apache and Gila trout reintroduction, removal or creation of fish barriers, and other measures that protect or restore fish habitat. The project manager will work cooperatively on a daily basis with a variety of partners, including agencies, tribes, NGOs, and private companies. The project manager will be expected to identify new project concepts, work with partners to develop concepts into projects, and apply for and secure grants to cover project costs.

Competitive candidates for this position will need to demonstrate strong project management skills and an understanding of river restoration, hydrology, ecology, and partnership-building, especially as it relates to Arizona’s wild and native trout populations. This position will require travel to Arizona project sites and sometimes work in the backcountry, in extremely remote areas of Arizona’s national forests. Additionally, the position will occasionally travel to neighboring states to attend conferences, retreats, and trainings.

The position will be based in eastern Arizona, ideally in Showlow, Pinetop, Eager, Springerville, or Alpine, or in a nearby community, with the ability to travel frequently to project sites.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Represent TU on the Apache trout cooperative management planning team and develop and maintain relationships with agency members, including the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Arizona Game and Fish Department.
• Work closely with partners to implement projects that benefit aquatic resources and Apache, Gila, and wild trout populations. Manage all elements of project implementation in close coordination with the Arizona State Lead, Southwest Program Director, and other internal staff and external partners.
• Identify new project opportunities and lead discussions and other work activities with partners to develop concepts into viable projects, grant and funding applications, and project implementation.
• With support from TU departments and staff, raise funds through philanthropic foundations and corporate conservation funding programs. Manage all aspects of project work, including grant applications, reporting requirements, and procurement processes.
• Manage complex budgets with multiple funding sources and match requirements.
• Contract with engineering consultants and contractors to design and construct restoration projects.
• Write grant proposals, working with partners and TU staff, to apply for funding from local, state, and federal agencies.
• Monitor and report on project results, including fish usage of improved habitats and the use of a variety of methods to record and report project-specific data.
• Increase awareness and understanding of the conservation status and significance of native Apache and Gila trout through communication, education, and community events.
  
  

This is not an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities.

Requirements

• A B.S or M.S. degree in biology, ecology, hydrology, engineering, or a related field.
• Four years of relevant experience in watershed restoration, fisheries biology, environmental policy, or similar fields.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral).
• Attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Professional experience working with landowners, resource managers, and other interested parties in a collaborative setting.
• Work in a wilderness setting, including multi-day pack trips.
• Experience with grant writing.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Passion for our natural resources.
• Ability to problem-solve and think creatively to achieve a conservation mission. With minor supervision, this employee will need to be resourceful and self-reliant.
• Strong time-management and organizational skills, with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability and willingness to travel. A valid driver’s license and vehicle are required (a 4x4 vehicle is beneficial).
  
  

Salary And Benefits

TU staff and leadership understand that life outside of work is essential to personal health, and we strive to create a healthy and family-friendly atmosphere. This is a full-time position with a generous benefits package. The starting salary range is $59,000 to $66,000 annually.

Staff and leadership at TU understand that life outside of work is important to personal health, and we strive to create a healthy and family-friendly atmosphere. At TU, we value diversity, and we actively seek candidates for this position who come from communities that have been historically under-represented in conservation and those who have been most impacted by degraded rivers and streams. We are committed to building space for all people to participate in our work to care for trout and salmon and healthy rivers and streams.

TU is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.