Restoration Specialist

Overview Summary

Ecostudies Institute (ESI) is hiring a Restoration Specialist to support projects across a wide variety of habitats including prairies, oak woodlands, wetlands, balds, and coastal dunes. The Specialist’s primary duties will include leading restoration projects from development to completion, including assisting with site plans, implementing treatments and assessing progress, and reporting. The majority of activities will be in South Puget Sound, although travel to North Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula will be required. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to restore habitat for many rare, state, and federally listed wildlife species such as Mazama pocket gopher, Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly, Oregon vesper sparrow, and streaked horned lark, as well as restoring populations of rare and endemic native plants.

This position requires a high-level of responsibility and interpersonal skills, sound work ethic, and positive attitude during long field days. Development of positive and effective relationships with volunteers and partners is critical. The Specialist must also be able to work independently, completing substantial tasks without direct supervision or through the supervision of conservation partners, including state agency personnel, such as the WA Dept. of Natural Resources or WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. The Specialist will be required to document, report, and share all data pertinent to the operations on a regular basis.

Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of a restoration project, from assisting with planning, budgeting, and writing restoration plans, to managing logistics, leading crew members, and implementing management actions.
• Carry out on-the-ground restoration treatments such as herbicide applications, occultation, solarization, weed wrenching, seed collection, sowing, planting, and prescribed fire.
• Operate and conduct routine maintenance on equipment such as tractor, chainsaw, hand-operated gas-powered brush cutter, mower, boom sprayer, and other heavy and light equipment.
• Collect and QA/QC monitoring data using ESRI suite on vegetation abundance and diversity.
• Support the development of service contracts, ensuring contract compliance and fulfillment of deliverables.
• Assist with development and management of project operation budgets and prepare progress and final project reports.
• Contribute to restoration and management plans for sites in the Puget Sound.
• Work with Ecostudies staff to develop new projects including project scope, grant writing, budgeting, communications, and partner development.
• Communicate successes and lessons learned to partners, staff, and the public through written reports, presentations, and other methods as appropriate, including performance and grant reporting.
• Maintain respectful, reciprocal relationships with government, tribal, and other partners.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Three years related experience in ecology, botany, natural resources, and/or ecological restoration as well as a BA/BS/AS/Technical or vocational degree in science-related field or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
• Excellent communication and written documentation skills, with proven ability to communicate with partners, private landowners, and colleagues.
• Experience managing restoration projects, including planning and coordinating field staff and identifying common plants and weeds.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (e.g.; Word, Excel) and ESRI Apps (e.g.; Field Maps, Survey123).
• Demonstrated cultural competence with people of diverse races, ages, genders, abilities, and economic backgrounds and/or interest in advancing knowledge or contributing to this work.
• Willingness to conduct work in remote locations under adverse weather conditions, with potential exposure to cold, rain, heat, and stinging or biting insects.
• Ability to drive long distances with occasional overnight trips to Puget Sound islands.
• Ability to pass a federal background check to qualify for a military base pass as a contractor.
• Have or able to obtain a Washington commercial pesticide operator license.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with and identifying plants in Coast Salish prairies.
• Ability to create maps and content with ArcGIS Pro.
• Previous experience writing restoration and conservation management plans.
• Knowledge of current trends in conservation, land management, and natural resource preservation.

Working Conditions

• Regularly works outdoors in natural and agricultural areas across uneven ground, occasionally work indoors in an office setting.
• Regularly lifts, positions, or otherwise moves objects weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Responsible for some evenings and weekends including travel.

About Ecostudies

Ecostudies Institute is a 501(c)(3) scientific non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of native species and their ecosystems. We achieve our mission through effective partnerships, sound scientific research, strategic land management, and ecological restoration. At the core of our mission is a cooperative conservation model that strives to realize improved conservation outcomes by developing shared goals and vision through partnerships. These partnerships, in turn, encourage information transfer, advances in cutting edge restoration techniques, and the development of integrated range-wide conservation approaches. The organization is headquartered in Olympia, Washington with field offices in Boardman and Eugene (OR). Ecostudies currently employs over 40 permanent and seasonal staff.

Hiring Equity and Justice

ESI values and seeks diversity and equity within the organization, and we encourage applications from all groups of people. We recognize that the strength of the organization is in our people, and we believe that every employee has the right to work in surroundings that are free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. Ecostudies does not and will not discriminate in employment and personnel practices, and our commitment to equal employment opportunity applies to every aspect of the employment relationship.

It is well-documented that Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), queer and transgender folks, women, and other marginalized groups often do not apply for jobs unless they feel they meet every qualification listed in the job description

. We are most interested in finding the right candidate for the job and our organization. We encourage all passionate and interested candidates to apply and think broadly about their background and qualifications that could be transferable for the position. We are committed to working against structural biases that keep marginalized people excluded from the conservation, restoration, and prescribed fire fields and to making sure our hiring practices are not reproducing those biases.

Ecostudies Institute is an Equal Opportunity employer. Personnel are chosen on the basis of ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation, in accordance with federal and state law. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature of the work being performed by people assigned to this work. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Ecostudies Institute management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary. This position description does not constitute an employment agreement between Ecostudies Institute and the employee and is subject to change by Ecostudies Institute as the needs of Ecostudies Institute and requirements of the job change.