Restoration Project Manager

The Restoration Project Manager will be a member of FMR’s five-person Land jobshiringnearme.org Department and will provide project management and restoration service oversight to landowner partners in the organization’s conservation focus areas. The position will report to the jobshiringnearme.org Director and work closely with FMR’s Ecologists and Pollinator Biologist to hire and oversee contractors, manage restoration projects and budgets, conduct plant and wildlife surveys, monitor restorations, and plan and lead volunteer events. For a detailed job posting, visit https://fmr.org/restoration-project-manager 

The position is suitable for a hard-working and independent person with a commitment to and a passion for environmental protection and ecosystem restoration. The ideal candidate will have experience managing contractors and overseeing restoration implementation and a degree in restoration ecology, botany, natural resources or another related field. Significant restoration project management experience may substitute for the completion of a four-year degree program in a related field. Familiarity with Minnesota’s native plant communities and fauna, invasive plant species, and tree diseases, as well as experience with grants management, are also desired. 

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee ecological restoration contractors and restoration implementation.
• Maintain positive working relationships and communication with contractors, landowners and project partners.
• Perform independent site visits to evaluate contractor performance and restoration outcomes.
• Develop and review requests for proposals and bids and select contractors.
• Keep detailed records of project data.
• Track grant and project budgets.
• Assist in the preparation of grant proposals and reports.
• Plan and lead restoration events for volunteer groups.

Additional Responsibilities

• Assist and participate in organizational events, including strategic planning, staff meetings, budgeting and fundraisers.
• Foster good working relationships with other organizations, agencies and community leaders to help accomplish program goals.
• Conduct independent ecological evaluations at specified project locations in the metropolitan area.
• Assist in preparing natural resource management plans.
• Prepare articles and other organizational communication pieces.

Core Competencies

• Sound judgment with the ability to balance independent action with guidance and consultation with colleagues.
• Ability to work collaboratively and communicate effectively with other members of the Land jobshiringnearme.org team.
• Ability to effectively manage time, prioritize tasks and meet deadlines while considering the workload and deadlines of other staff.
• Provide a positive image of FMR to people encountered while in the field.  
• Ability to be creative, adaptive, and flexible when managing conservation activities.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with FMR staff, board, partners and other outside parties.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience conducting or supervising restoration and land management activities such as prescribed burning, herbicide application and working with land management equipment.
• Degree in ecology, conservation biology or related field and 1-2 years of professional experience, especially in restoration project management or contracting. OR, 3-5 years of professional experience in restoration project management in lieu of a degree in a related field.
• Ability to identify a majority of native and invasive plants in a variety of different habitats in the Upper Midwest.
• Experience contracting and overseeing applied restoration work.
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to plan work, meet deadlines and balance multiple projects and objectives.
• Experience managing project budgets.
• Familiarity with ArcGIS Pro and the Microsoft Office Suite of programs.
• Ability to effectively communicate with people of all ages in the field or public forums.
• Ability to direct/instruct volunteers in ecological stewardship activities.
• Reliable transportation.
• Ability to work independently outdoors in rugged terrain under adverse field and weather conditions.
• Commitment to and passion for the mission of Friends of the Mississippi River.

Additional Desired Qualifications

• Professional certifications and/or licenses, such as pesticide application or burn training.
• Experience writing and managing grants.
• Experience writing natural resource management plans and restoration prescriptions.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Identification knowledge of birds, herpetofauna or other wildlife.
• Expertise in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) or Native ways of knowing.
• Knowledge of water quality & erosion BMPs, streambank stabilization, wetland ecology, soil science and tree diseases.
• Experience with or understanding of standard vegetation survey methods.