Department: Forest Restoration
Reports to: Director, Program Operations & Administration
Location: Remote
FLSA Category: Exempt
Post Date: 07-01-2024
Close Date: 07-14-2024
Salary: $60,000 to $80,000
ABOUT US
American Forests is a national non-profit organization committed to creating healthy and resilient forests from cities to wilderness, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water and wildlife. We advance our mission through forestry innovation, place-based partnerships to plant and restore forests, and movement building. We envision a world in which the significant environmental, societal and economic benefits of forests are fully realized and equitably available to all people. Established in 1875, American Forests is the oldest national non-profit conservation organization in the U.S. working to restoring urban forests and forested landscapes for nearly 150 years.
American Forests is proud to be a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible (DEIA) workplace. These are our shared values. We welcome individuals who bring a variety of backgrounds and experiences to be a part of our team to help make a difference individually and collectively as we work toward achieving our mission. We are committed to fostering an environment that is welcoming and respectful and provides opportunities for advancement and professional growth for every team member.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Resilient Forests team supports American Forests’ efforts to advance landscape-scale and collaborative climate-informed forest restoration through place-based partnerships, workforce development, and science-application. The team consists of managers, coordinators, foresters, scientists, analysts, and partnership experts who work collaboratively to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders and land managers. Resilient Forests is experiencing rapid growth owing largely to a new generation of exciting partnerships with federal agencies like the USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management. To promote our continued growth, proficiency, and excellence in program delivery, the Resilient Forests program is seeking a program operations and administration specialist to serve as a key point of coordination between the Resilient Forests’ program team and American Forests’ Finance & Operations team with regards to various administrative, project management, human resource & personnel initiatives. The Sr. Manager will also promote efficiencies in ways of working across various information technology systems core to the operations of American Forests and help ensure that the program team has the support needed to effectively manage a portfolio of high-profile projects and partnerships of increasing complexity and impact.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Compliance (40%)
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Ensure compliance with OSHA and related state and federal laws and standards for Resilient Forests’ operations, including field staff and contractors with a particular focus on field forestry operations and safety standards.
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Foster a culture of safety and support for field forestry workers at American Forests.
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Track emerging needs from field forestry staff with regards to the nature of field forestry work and work with the Resilient Forest program staff and Operations team to address these needs as they arise.
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Support the training of program staff, including addressing the specific needs of field forestry staff. Help program staff identify and secure training needs and coordinate maintenance of training certifications with Human Resources.
Program Operations (20%)
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Support the program and operations teams in managing all aspects of program operations, implementing and suggesting best practices and standard operating procedures efficient operations. Help support a culture of excellence in project management and training and adoption of operational technologies and systems among program staff.
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Work with Director, Program Operations & Administration and the program team and the programs team to support drafting and administering contracts and agreements and routing these through contract review and approval processes. Support the organization in providing excellent partnership and relationship management via partnership agreements and contracts.
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Help ensure all American Forests contractors are in compliance with applicable laws and policies.
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Manage the contractor procurement process in collaboration with the Director, Program Operations & Administration, lead program staff, e.g., posting solicitations, collecting bids, and ensuring compliance with procurement standards.
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Support accurate and intuitive file management and organization of key programmatic administrative documentation.
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Serve as a point of contact for Resilient Forests for external partner organizations with regards to operations issues.
Human Resources (20%)
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Serve as lead point of coordination for the Resilient Forests program and American Forests Human Resources & Operations team with regards to developing, posting, recruiting, and onboarding new positions in the Resilient Forests program.
Program Financial Management (10%)
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Work with the Director, Program Operations & Administration and the Operations & Finance team to provide program staff with regular and accurate program area and grant & agreement-level financial information on a regular, recurring basis. Support the development of billing codes.
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Support the Resilient Forests program and Finance teams in generating and submitting financial filings and reporting on state, federal, and philanthropic grants and agreements.
Other Tasks and Duties (10%)
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The candidate will provide input and assistance on other aspects of American Forests’ operations as necessary.
QUALIFICATIONS
While we do not expect any one candidate to possess all of these qualifications, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal skills and qualities:
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BA/BS/BBA degree is required.
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5+ years of relevant experience in a related field. Candidates with a combination of relevant education and experience will be considered.
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Strong project management and well-demonstrated organizational skills
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We value individuals with a diverse portfolio of skill sets and work experience.
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An individual with a knack for problem solving, a collaborative team support-oriented mindset, and attention to detail, will thrive in this role.
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Individual must have a passion for forest restoration and the overall mission of American Forests.
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Knowledge of, and experience in, forestry, conservation, or agricultural operations and safety is preferred.
LOCATION & WORKING CONDITIONS
American Forests’ headquarters is located in downtown Washington, DC. This position can be a remote position.
Subject to applicable laws, American Forests requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. We will consider requests for accommodation to this vaccination requirement during the recruiting process. Any requested accommodation(s) must be reviewed and approved (if applicable) in advance of your start date.
TRAVEL
Light travel, less than 5% of time may be required. The majority of time will be spent in a general office environment.
SUPERVISORY REQUIREMENTS
There are no supervisory requirements for this position and this position will be supervised by the Director of Program Operations & Administration within the Resilient Forests program team.
American Forests is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to provide access to all individuals along the continuum of human ability and experience.
Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran/LGBTQ+
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In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information is also available in languages other than English.