Eastern Reforestation Specialist

Overview

Description

National Forest Foundation (NFF) is pleased to offer an Exempt, Full-time, 3-Year Term position that will build connections and partnerships to support the implementation of reforestation activities across the USDA Forest Service Eastern Region. This is a term position, with the intent to grow into a permanent position, provided the incumbent’s success and adequate funding is established.

About the NFF: As the official national partner to the US Forest Service (USFS), the National Forest Foundation was chartered by Congress in 1993. Today, the NFF advances forest resiliency, healthy watersheds and wildlife habitat, and recreation for all by working with communities and organizations across the country. The Foundation has grown significantly in the last few years in programmatic impact, revenue and support, and organizational capacity.

NFF leads with impact, deploying roughly 90% of its expenses towards projects and programs across the country’s 193-million-acre National Forest System. NFF is forward-thinking and innovative, with ambitious strategies and goals to advance and prepare forests for a new economy.

The Eastern Reforestation Specialist reports to the Senior Reforestation Specialist and works closely with NFF’s Reforestation and Eastern Field Programs, Forest Service partners, and other regional partners to advance reforestation activities on National Forest System lands in the Eastern Region. In coordination with Reforestation staff on NFF’s National Enterprise Program, the incumbent will be responsible for providing subject matter expertise to NFF staff by leading or supporting the negotiation and development of new programs of work, implementing and managing complex projects, building and maintaining collaborative relationships, managing agreements, and handling funding mechanisms that drive NFF strategic reforestation initiatives.

Projects shall include but are not limited to: field assessments and implementation, seed collection, stand tending needs, and other associated site-specific treatments that increase the quality and quantity of available seed stock and increase acreage reforested.

• Serve as a member of a National Enterprise Program to rigorously develop best practices and deepen expertise in all aspects of reforestation, based on a national portfolio of projects, to provide guidance and support to NFF Field Teams and position NFF as a recognized thought leader in reforestation efforts.
• Work closely with the U.S. Forest Service and NFF Reforestation and Eastern-based Field teams to develop and expand the NFF’s scope of reforestation work and activities across the Eastern Region of the National Forest System, with an initial focus on National Forests in the Lake States and New England.
• In geographic areas where NFF Field staff aren’t currently supporting National Forests locally, remotely manage a strategic portfolio of projects through their full life cycle, including contracts and related budgets for services related to the on-the-ground implementation and coordination with various partners.
• Collaborate within NFF Enterprise team, with Field teams and Forest Service partners to develop a system of national and regional reforestation technical guidance resources for implementing staff. Resources shall include, but not be limited to, workflows, training material, standard operating procedures and best practices, procurement templates, and standard technical guidance. In a similar manner, identify and document critical needs and challenges to address reforestation in the Eastern Region.
• Supervise and support staff (a minimum of one) by helping develop their scopes of work, providing networking support, and professional development guidance.
• Work closely with the Forest Service to develop forest-based reforestation implementation plans and associated activities to accelerate reforestation on various National Forests, based on need and priority and in service to shared, measurable outcomes.
• Assist the Forest Service in developing a long-term regional strategy to address accumulated stand-tending needs that…