Salary Range: $64,000 to $79,689 (depending on experience)

Benefits:  Forterra’s benefits may (depending on position) include ten paid holidays per year and up to 160 hours of paid time off (PTO) leave. You will be eligible to enroll in the employer-sponsored medical, vision dental, and flexible spending account (FSA) plans. You will also be able to enroll in Forterra’s 401(k) program after six months of service. Forterra provides a subsidized Orca Card program for public transit commuters.

ABOUT FORTERRA

Forterra’s mission is to secure places—urban, rural, and wild—that are keystones of a sustainable future for all. From wildlands and working farms and forests, to places in the city for affordable housing, parks and the arts, we work simultaneously across all landscapes because they are interconnected. And ultimately people and lands must all thrive together.  To achieve this mission, Forterra works with regional partners and stakeholders to engage in community visioning, planning, policy work, economic development, recreation initiatives, stewardship and conservation—all with the aim of making land conservation work for our communities. Forterra also draws on its real estate expertise to help urban communities accommodate new growth while maintaining a high quality of life for all residents.

Summary of Position

The Director of Riparian Restoration is focused on sustaining and generating riparian restoration programs and business opportunities within Forterra’s geographic reach and supports the work of other Forterra programs with technical recommendations as relate to riparian corridors. This position supervises two staff members and manages Forterra’s Washington Conservation Corps crew and AmeriCorps positions when serving on riparian restoration projects.

Forterra’s Riparian Restoration Program is a landscape-scale, community focused restoration model that offers invasive plant abatement on public and private lands (primarily knotweed control), native plant installations, collaborative restoration projects with private streamside landowners, and targeted outreach and educational programming. The Riparian Restoration Program team works in partnership with local jurisdictions, government, and other non-profit organizations.

Responsibilities:

• Supervise and manage Riparian Restoration team members on projects in six Puget Sound watersheds
• Oversee the design and implementation of riparian habitat restoration programs on Puget Sound rivers and streams
• Work collaboratively with external project partners to develop and enhance new and existing programs
• Pursue and develop new business opportunities for the Restoration & Stewardship Department
• Manage and implement deliverables on a variety of contracts and grants
• Oversee and conduct outreach and educational programming
• Oversee implementation of streamside restoration projects in collaboration with private property landowners
• Engage community, elected officials, project partners and other stakeholders through public presentations and other meetings and events
• Develop and manage public and private grants and contracts
• Develop and manage programmatic budgets and work plans
• Oversee annual invasive plant control efforts, including; landowner contacts, survey, treatment, data management, analysis, and reporting
• Oversee data collection systems and protocol
• Participate in organizational management

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, natural resource management, landscape architecture, or related field.
• Five years of increasingly responsible program and project management applicable to this position, including contract execution, developing scopes of work, schedule and budget, and managing projects through to completion
• Knowledge and experience with riparian restoration techniques, multi-party restoration project design, best management practices for controlling common invasive plants, and natural resource issues associated with land management
• Experience supervising and leading a team
• Demonstrated success administering multi-faceted programs, grants, contracts, and budgets
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills (general and technical subjects) and ability to effectively communicate to a variety of audiences
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate meetings, including public meetings
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with diverse interests, including elected officials, government agencies, other nonprofit organizations, and landowners.
• Ability and willingness to work some non-standard hours for community meetings and volunteer events, including evenings and weekends.
• Valid, insurable driver’s license/record.
• Washington Department of Agriculture Pesticide Applicator License with Aquatic Endorsement, or willingness to acquire

Desired Experience

• Master’s degree in a related field
• Familiarity with Puget Sound water and land resource issues that affect floodplains, and watershed planning approaches
• Experience/familiar with GIS and database management

Travel, Working Conditions, and Physical Environment

This position is subject to activities beyond typical indoor environmental conditions of a professional office setting. Forterra will provide reasonable accommodation for people who are differently abled. The essential physical requirements of this position include:

• Ability to exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and/or an equivalent amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
• Ability to conduct physical site inspections on uneven terrain including brushy, forested environments in wetlands and along stream and river corridors. Hazards may include steep, slippery, unstable slopes near deep and/or fast moving water, and encounters with unpredictable or angry animals (including humans).
• Ability to safely and correctly use hand tools associated with restoration work, and ability to instruct and supervise others in the use of same tools.
• Ability to travel over a variety of terrains.
• Ability to communicate accurately with co-workers, volunteer leadership, clients, and vendors about matters related to the daily operations of the organization.
• Ability to sit or otherwise remain in a stationary position at a computer workstation for long periods of time.
• Ability to frequently move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office equipment, etc.
• Some regional travel, approximately 10-15% of work hours. This position includes travel that requires the ability to drive a personal or company-provided car.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Forterra is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other class protected by law. Assistance and/or reasonable accommodations during the application process are available to individuals with disabilities upon request. To request assistance or accommodation, please contact the HR Department at HR@forterra.org or call 206-905-6914.