Forestry Project Manager

The Big Thompson Watershed Coalition is hiring a Part-Time Forestry Project Manager!

Employment Status: Part-time (32 hours per week, to start), exempt
This is a one-year, grant-funded position with the possibility of extension based on funding availability.
Location: Loveland, Fort Collins, or nearby preferred – Hybrid/flexible schedule with field travel required throughout the Big Thompson Watershed
Schedule: Mon-Thurs or Tues-Friday. Occasional evening, weekend, and in-person community events. 

Open until filled; preferred Application submission by Sunday September 14, 2025

Overview:

The Big Thompson Watershed Coalition (BTWC) seeks a highly organized, experienced, and motivated self-starter to oversee BTWC’s forestry projects. Under the general direction of the Forest Health Program Manager, the Forestry Project Manager will predominantly act as the main point of contact for contractors and landowners during project implementation, while also assisting with community outreach, project identification, project planning, monitoring, and field work. Our ideal candidate will enjoy working with people and will have over three years of professional working experience with these tasks in the fields of forestry, watershed science, ecological restoration, and natural resource stewardship. Additional training and experience in the following topics will be highly applicable to the job: contractor oversight, conflict resolution, wildland fire, collaborative planning, stakeholder engagement, and western water resource ownership and management. Local knowledge of the Big Thompson River and water system and its diverse water use needs are extremely beneficial to this position, but not required.

The Coalition:

The BTWC was formed as a 501(c)3 to help private and public landowners collaborate 2013 post-flood recovery efforts of the Big Thompson watershed. BTWC is a leader in stakeholder-centered planning and implementation of multi-objective resource management projects that serve diverse needs for the watershed. BTWC maintains an array of partners with shared dedication to stewardship, restoration, outreach, and watershed science. Our fundamental programs focus on Stream and Water Resource Function, Forest Management, and Disaster Recovery. BTWC works across public and private lands and contributes to both local and landscape-scale initiatives to support private landowners, water utilities, local to federal governments, fire districts, special interest groups, research institutes, university programs, the public, and more. We work with affiliated Coalitions in Larimer and Boulder Counties to enhance watershed stewardship across Colorado.

Essential Job Functions:

Project Planning, Management, and Monitoring (80%)

• Project management and monitoring:
  • Act as main point of contact for contractors and landowners during project planning, implementation, and monitoring
  • Estimate project costs, resources, time required, priorities and tasks to complete to ensure they are integrated into the project and monitoring plans
  • Coordinate, supervise, and manage contractors on-site and remotely as necessary
  • Work with Forest Health Program Manager to monitor progress and performance goals:
    • Meet and achieve project plans
    • Execution and completion of project deliverables
    • Ensuring tasks are safely completed on time and within scope and budget
  • Troubleshoot, resolve, or deescalate operational problems and minimize delays
  • Implement pre- and post-project monitoring, as needed
  • Develop, organize, and maintain databases to analyze quantitative/qualitative data for monitoring activities and engagement outcomes
  • Help hire and train seasonal field technicians
• Assist with creating and implementing treatment plans:
  • Landowner engagement, education, and outreach to identify potential projects
  • Conduct site visits for feasibility
  • Timber cruising/forest inventories
  • Mark silvicultural prescriptions
  • Write forest treatment plans
  • Use industry-standard modeling (e.g., FVS) and forest inventory tools for developing forest treatment and/or management plans
  • Assist in writing grant proposals to fund projects
  • Write and distribute requests for proposals and lead contractor procurement
  • Acquire appropriate permitting, as required
  • Ensure projects follow local, state, and federal rules, regulations, policies, and standard operating procedures
  • Use GIS and other mapping/presentation software to create maps and visualizations for project planning, monitoring, and outreach

Partner and Community Relationship Building and Outreach (10%)

• Help organize stakeholder (landowners, partners, and contractors) meetings to collaboratively develop forest restoration treatment plans that will include:
  • Fostering productive relationships and building trust
  • Addressing landowner concerns and needs
  • Communicating ecological health and function
  • Contributing to overall watershed health goals, as needed
  • Developing site-appropriate forest management and wildfire hazard mitigation prescriptions to balance treatment goals, property conditions, and project stakeholder needs

• Advance partnerships with federal, state, and local land management agencies, non-profits, landowners, and other stakeholders that expand landscape-scale restoration and disaster recovery treatments in the West, move projects forward to completion, and enhance BTWC’s mission
• Represent BTWC at various partner meetings such as Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative and Big Thompson Watershed Health Partnership meetings
• Co-organize and lead community engagement opportunities such as volunteer workdays, project tours, project monitoring, and community workshops
• Present project updates and outcomes to various stakeholders, the public, and BTWC’s Board of Directors
• Assist Communications Manager to produce community engagement materials for seasonal newsletter and weekly social media excerpts on BTWC programs, projects, and community events through sharing photos, video, etc. through various media platforms

Grant Management and Administration (5%)

• Work with Executive Director and Forest Health Program Manager to manage project budgets, control expenditures, and comply with funding requirements
• Assist in the development of consistent grant reporting through organized project documentation, as required

Organizational Administration and Development (5%)

• Complete BTWC monthly reporting and timesheet needs
• Assist with developing a strategy and vision for BTWC’s forest health and fire recovery program
• Assist with identification and development of future project opportunities for partnered private-public stewardship of the watershed’s rivers and forests
• Participate in other organizational activities with BTWC staff
• Carryout other project coordination tasks as assigned by the Director and as identified in the annual work plan

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Experience:

• Associate’s degree in a forestry-specific discipline or a Bachelor’s degree in a related field. Master’s degree may be accepted as equivalent to 2 years of professional experience.
• 3 years of experience working in a professional environment on land management projects related to forest ecology, wildland fire, natural resource management, watershed science, or ecological restoration.
• Experience conducting forest inventories, writing silvicultural prescriptions, and marking prescriptions.
• Strong project management skills. Must be able to prioritize and stay on top of day-to-day tasks and broader project goals while working from home with minimal direct supervision.
• Capable of managing both routine and complex tasks simultaneously
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing, with a diversity of people including state, federal, and non-governmental resource professionals, private landowners, industry professionals and other community representatives
• Comfortable leading and facilitating groups of diverse audiences
• Ability to work as an individual and in a team setting
• Practical understanding of western forest ecology, wildfire behavior, and land management techniques, particularly in wildland-urban interface communities, western water resource management, and habitat restoration
• Ability to express compassion in addressing resident/landowner issues and respect requests in relation to property access, monitoring, weed management, sharing digital media, etc.
• Ability to resolve challenges or conflicts that may arise in the field and with project partners
• Proficiency in the use of MS Office and ArcGIS software (spatial analysis ability strongly desired)
• Demonstrate a sense of fairness, honesty, practicality and long-range vision
• Ability to pass a background check and have a valid driver’s license, or the ability to obtain a driver’s license or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date, and reliable, insured personal transportation

Additional desired qualifications:

• 4 or more years of experience working in a professional environment on forest management projects related to forest ecology, wildland fire, natural resource management, watershed science, or restoration project management
• Demonstrable knowledge of local geographies and stakeholder interests, watershed issues, collaborative resource management, water and environmental laws, regulatory compliance for watershed projects, and network contacts
• Knowledge of Colorado Front Range flora and fauna, particularly forest communities
• Knowledge and experience in fire recovery work, including reforestation
• Experience working with private landowners
• Working knowledge of the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) software
• NWCG FFT2 training or other wildland fire courses
• Assessing Structure Ignition Potential (ASIP) certification or similar training
• Knowledge and ability to decipher technical site plans, landscape designs and construction documents
• Working knowledge of bid processes, change orders, contracts, etc.
• Experience with environmental permitting and regulations
• Experience working with and leading volunteers in outdoor projects with various weather conditions and on difficult terrain
• Understand group process, group dynamics, meeting facilitation, negotiation, mediation, and group problem solving principles and techniques.

Working Conditions:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Able to work from home with minimal distraction, under standard office conditions; considerable sitting, standing, and viewing of computer.
• Able to occasionally work independently in the field where hazardous conditions may be present (including exposure to the elements and construction site conditions, steep, unstable terrain, proximity to fast-moving water, proximity to highway traffic, and typical conditions associated with travel in the foothills and plains of the Rocky Mountain region)
• Mid-level stress
• Able to travel to regular meetings, mostly within the Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park areas
• May include lifting up to fifty (50) pounds of project gear on a frequent basis
• Able to stand, walk and hike for extended periods of time outside, under varying and adverse weather conditions
• Able to work occasional weekends and evenings for various community and volunteer events, as needed
• Could include frequent driving of employee’s personal vehicle under varying road conditions (with mileage reimbursement provided)
• Willing to follow individual landowner safety and property access requirements
• Ability to troubleshoot when working alone (flat tires, cattle gates, etc.)

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Big Thompson Watershed Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer and no otherwise-qualified individual shall be subject to discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion or religious affiliation, gender, familial status, age, genetics, disability, sexual orientation, or national origin in any phase of employment for this position.