The Forest Stewards Guild, a national organization of foresters and allied natural resource professionals, is dedicated to practicing and promoting responsible forestry as a means of sustaining the integrity of forest ecosystems and the human communities dependent upon them. We use innovative, science-based solutions to meet the challenges of forest conservation and management. The Guild has over 700 members, over half of whom are professionals who manage over 42 million acres of forestland in the United States and Canada. The Guild maintains regional offices in New Mexico, Maine, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, Colorado, Washington, and Wisconsin. The Southwest office has a history of working alongside place-based communities and Tribes for 35 years including some longstanding programs related to youth education and workforce development, fire adapted communities, and collaborative forestry. Candidates will have the opportunity to work a hybrid schedule, but must live in or near the 2-3-2 Landscape. Some travel is required.

The Forest Stewards Guild is hiring a full-time Partnership Coordinator position to coordinate essential partnership functions of the 2-3-2 Cohesive Strategy Partnership and manage partnership and funder relations on the Rio Chama Collaborative Forest Restoration Program (CFLRP) project. In addition, this position will assist other staff in their partnership coordination. Using experience in project management, partnership building, and by integrating learning from other CFLRPs and shared stewardship efforts in the region, the successful candidate will work with partners to evaluate project needs, develop and maintain relationships with funders and stakeholders. As project needs are identified, the Partnership Coordinator will collaboratively develop solutions to move project outcomes forward. The successful candidate will help fulfill the Guild’s mission of ecological forestry in the Southwest United States and advance existing projects. Candidates should have strong project management skills, including grant writing and administration, budget tracking, knowledge and experience in dry fire adapted forests their and conservation, and the ability to think strategically.

Position Description

The successful candidate will have a degree in forestry, ecology, natural resource management, or related field with professional non-profit experience. This individual will have excellent organizational,

communication, and written skills, the ability to work outdoors in remote locations, and a desire to support ecological forestry and forest dependent communities in the Southwest. The Guild has been expanding in the Southwest, and the ideal candidate will possess the desire and leadership skills to sustain and strengthen the Guild’s regional presence and impact. Previous experience in field forestry management and working collaboratively with diverse partners in the Southwest, coupled with project management experience, is highly desirable.

We are seeking a dynamic and collaborative leader to join our team. The ideal candidate will be outgoing, and personable, with a strong ability to connect with individuals and groups. This role requires excellent listening skills and the ability to foster relationships with diverse stakeholders, including maintaining a good relationship and working closely with the CFLR Forest Service team. The successful candidate will demonstrate a proactive approach to building partnerships and a genuine enthusiasm for working collaboratively to achieve shared goals.

The SW Partnership Coordinator will focus on facilitating partnerships that drive strategic, landscape- scale, cross-boundary forest management for the Rio Chama CFLRP project, as well as provide staff assistance for other existing forest conservation projects across the region. The SW Partnership Coordinator will work closely with directors and staff based out of the Santa Fe, NM office.

The successful individual will:

• Lead collaboration for the Rio Chama CFLRP and the 232 Cohesive Strategy Partnership
  • Convene and facilitate collaborative and community meetings.
  • Support collaboration and coordination of project stakeholders.
  • Coordinate the 2-3-2 Collaborative Partnership to execute collaborative project outcomes.
  • Maintain relationships with a diversity of project partners and funders across multiple states in the Southwestern United States.
  • Lead and facilitate education and outreach activities for private landowners and natural resource professionals.
  • Engage with small-acreage and underserved landowners to foster emerging markets.
  • Strengthen community connections within the San Luis Valley and across the 2-3-2 Partnership.
• Implement collaborative forest restoration
  • Support the delivery of technical forest and fire management services with other Guild staff and/or contractors.
  • Seek opportunities to increase treatments on non-federal lands by identifying linkages between the federally funded CFLRP, federally managed lands, and non-federally managed lands.
  • Improve coordination and leveraging of funding and resources for forest restoration across the Rio Chama landscape.
  • Support Guild staff on implementation of the Rio Chama CFLRP’s monitoring program.
• Support Forest Stewards Guild work
  • Maintain and grow partnerships for Southwest programs.
  • As needed and desired, may support Guild prescribed fire operations.
  • Represent the Guild at professional conferences or events and perform public speaking, such as PowerPoint presentations or panel discussions to share on project deliverables or monitoring metrics.
  • Collaborate as a team using software such as Asana, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.
  • Track budgets, match, metrics, and deliverables for aspects of the Rio Chama CFLRP project.
  • Perform grant writing, administration, and reporting to a variety of different funders, including private foundations and government grants.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in science communication, forestry, environmental science, or other applicable field, or five years equivalent experience of professional work
• Strong experience in partnership building and collaborating with multiple diverse partners, stakeholders and funders
• Project management experience with complex, multi-year collaborative projects
• Proficiency in project budget tracking
• Clear verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work both independently and with a team
• Leadership skills and self-direction
• Strong organizational skills
• Effective knowledge of common software applications
• Valid driver’s license

Additional Desired Qualifications:

• Experience using partnerships to leverage resources and funding to accomplish cross boundary projects
• Experience in staff supervision or managing a team of people
• Experience writing grant proposals
• Experience with disseminating scientific and complex project information to the public
• Master’s degree in science communication, forestry, environmental science, or other applicable field, or seven years equivalent experience of professional work
• Forestry knowledge or experience in southwest forest ecosystems

Compensation and Benefits Package

• $26.39 - $28.82 /hour, 40 hours/week
• Paid leave is accrued monthly from the first day of employment
• Paid sick leave
• 12 paid holidays per year
• Employer-sponsored comprehensive health and dental care coverage is available after 30 days of continuous employment with the employee contribution at 20%
• Short and long-term disability policies paid by The Guild after 60 days of employment
• Accidental death/dismemberment and life insurance policies paid by The Guild after 60 days
• Flexible compensation plan available after 60 days
• Retirement plan with an employer match is available after 90 days
• Family Leave after 12 months, including up to six weeks paid leave with the remaining time unpaid up to 12 weeks total.

Location

This position is based at the Forest Stewards Guild’s office in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Other locations in northern NM and southern CO (i.e., Chama, Taos, Pagosa) will also be considered. A hybrid schedule is acceptable and remote work is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. This position requires travel throughout northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Some overnight travel is required if travel distances make it necessary. All travel costs from the Guild office in Santa Fe are covered, including the use of a Guild vehicle.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should visit the Smart Recruiters posting and click “I’m Interested” to submit a one-page cover letter, resume, one-page writing sample, three professional references, and earliest available start date. This position is open until filled. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis starting March 5th, 2024.

NOTE: After clicking “Next” on the initial application page, you will have an opportunity to upload the cover letter and reference documents.

The one-page writing sample format is flexible. It can be on a natural resource subject of your choice; it can be a press release, newsletter article, research brief, or other sample of your writing capabilities.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The Guild is dedicated to providing an open, transparent, and just organization and workplace. We strive for clear, open, and kind communication and are committed to recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and supporting staff from underrepresented communities. We are dedicated to building a work culture that recognizes the inherent value of our employees, supports a healthy work-life balance, and provides an environment that supports personal and job growth.

We believe that a diverse workforce reflects the strengths of all members of our community. The Forest Stewards Guild strives to create a collaborative, supportive, and respectful setting for all employees and partners. To meet this goal, we recognize and celebrate the wide range of differences that characterize our members, employees, partners, and collaborators. Indeed, it is those differences that enhance our organization and help us to meet our mission and vision. The Guild values diverse forests because they are more productive, more resilient, more adaptable, and better able to recover from disturbances.

Similarly, our community is healthier when we are inclusive of a diversity of people and perspectives.

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