EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Temporary with benefits for 3 Years. Employment beyond 3 years is contingent upon the success of the program and acquisition of additional funding.
SUPERVISION: Reports to the leadership team at Coalitions & Collaboratives (COCO), works closely with COCO’s Collaborative Conservation Specialist, implements the decisions of the Steering Committee and supervises the Forest & Mitigation Program Manager.
LOCATION: Remote but must have the ability to travel for regular in-person meetings and field based activities in Gilpin County, Clear Creek County, Jefferson County and Adams County.
The Watershed Coordinator will play a crucial role in advancing the Clear Creek Watershed & Forest Health Partnership’s (CCWFHP) mission to protect and restore the Clear Creek Watershed. This position will be responsible for a wide range of tasks, including partnership coordination, organizational development, project management, community outreach, fundraising, and technical assistance. The successful applicant will be a motivated, independent, enthusiastic problem-solver who is capable and willing to serve the larger purpose of restoring ecosystems and engaging in meaningful community dialogue. The ideal candidate will understand watershed and forest processes, water quality, project management, collaborative conservation, partnership building, and community engagement. The Watershed Coordinator should be organized, capable of working independently and with a team, and comfortable splitting time out in the field and at the computer. You must love the outdoors and have the physical ability to hike in sometimes remote, strenuous conditions, have your own vehicle, and lift up to 50 pounds. We offer you the opportunity to have a position with a high degree of independence and flexibility, and the ability to work in a unique and innovative program.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Watershed Coordinator serves as the primary facilitator and core staff person for partnership-based management and stewardship in the Clear Creek watershed. The position requires building strong relationships with a wide range of partner organizations, landowners, and agencies, and becoming familiar with the history, characteristics and issues in the Clear Creek watershed. The position also requires extensive experience and knowledge in equitable partnership building and collaborative governance and processes. CCWFHP is an affiliate of COCO. This position will be hired and managed through COCO as they are the fiscal agent for CCWFHP.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Organizational Development and Facilitation
- Assist in the development of the CCWFHP’s governance structure, strategic plan and operational policies.
- Contribute to fundraising efforts and grant writing, and work with COCO to support the CCWFHPs financial management and reporting requirements.
- Manage and build partner relationships and provide work planning and coordination with partners, including government agencies and landowners.
- Build agendas, plan, and facilitate CCWFHP partnership meetings including managing all communication before and after meetings and maintaining a repository of relevant meeting and partnership documents.
Staff Supervision
- Supervise a fulltime Forest & Mitigation Program Manager to ensure that priority areas are identified and forest and watershed mitigation projects are designed and implemented collaboratively and with consensus from the CCWFHP’s lead partners.
Project Management
- Oversee the development and implementation of watershed restoration projects, including 1) project planning, design, and permitting, 2) coordination with partners and contractors 3) monitoring and evaluation of project outcomes.
- Manage budgets and timelines for assigned projects.
- Prepare grant proposals and reports.
- Ensure all on-the-ground work is conducted within the parameters of federal, state, and local regulations including the Clean Water Act and NEPA.
Community Engagement
- Develop and implement a comprehensive community engagement plan.
- Organize public meetings, workshops, and other outreach events.
- Build and maintain relationships with local stakeholders, including landowners, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.
- Develop communications and outreach campaigns to educate the public about watershed issues, the importance of conservation, and opportunities to engage with and support CCWFHP.
Technical Assistance
- Provide technical assistance to landowners and partners on best management practices and understand external technical assistance resources/providers available to watershed residents and CCWFHP partners.
- Conduct field surveys and data collection, as needed.
- Assist with developing and implementing monitoring programs to assess the effectiveness of restoration projects.
Internal & External Communications
- Produce and design communication materials for both CCWFHP and external audiences.
- Build and manage communication functions including website and social media content, management of internal and external document sharing, Annual Reports, and an external facing e-newsletter.
- Write and produce promotional and informational materials needed for fundraising, publications, press releases and public outreach.
EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS
Required Skills
- Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience (5+ years of experience) in natural resources, environmental sciences, conservation social sciences, nonprofit management, or a related field.
- Strong skills in leadership, collaborative conservation and partnership building, organizational effectiveness, community outreach, consensus building and program management.
- Proficient with general Microsoft suite and ArcGIS, Avenza or other GIS platforms to collect field data and develop maps.
- Ability to understand and clearly communicate about watershed restoration treatment types and systems.
- Experience with project management from concept through implementation.
- Ability to solve complex problems using sound professional judgment, creativity, and innovation.
- Ability to participate and collaborate in a team setting and to engage in independent creative and critical thought.
- Experience working on your own to meet the common goal of a team.
- Ability and willingness to travel regularly, work in an office environment, and maintain a flexible work schedule with occasional weekend and evening events.
- Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license by the employment start date.
- Ability to travel to locations throughout the Clear Creek Watershed in your own vehicle. Mileage is reimbursable.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work with a wide array of partners that include federal, state, and local agencies, as well as private landowners.
- Ability and desire to work remotely, check in regularly, plan and implement tasks independently and create the structure you need to manage your time and meet deadlines.
Preferred Skills
- Graduate degree in natural resources, environmental sciences, conservation social sciences, nonprofit management, or a related field.
- Willingness to teach skills you already have to promote community stewardship.
- Experience with grant writing and project proposal development.
- Strong writing and communication skills.
- Comfortable representing Clear Creek Watershed and Forest Health Partnership at various collaboratives locally and regionally.
- Experience developing effective community engagement processes.
SALARY & POSITION DETAILS
Compensation for this position is $32.00-$34.00 per hour / 30 hours per week ($49,920 - $53,040 annual part-time salary equivalent).
- 12 Paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave
- Company match to simple IRA
- Health Insurance
- Flexible work schedule and remote work options
- Career advancement & professional development opportunities
EEO STATEMENT
COCO is an equal opportunity employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. https://co-co.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/DEIJ-Statement.pdf
CLEAR CREEK PARTNERSHIP BACKGROUND & STRUCTURE
The Clear Creek watershed drains a 575 square mile area originating in headwaters at the Continental Divide and extending eastward to its confluence with the South Platte. In 2019, a pre-wildfire risk evaluation study was commissioned by the Upper Clear Creek Watershed Association (UCCWA), the City of Golden, and the Standley Lake IGA Cities of Northglenn, Thornton, and Westminster. The study report, completed in 2021, identified key needs for wildfire risk management in the basin, including:
- Specific watercourse, forest, and infrastructure vulnerabilities;
- Priority mitigation project options to manage fuels, stream channels, floodplains, wildland-urban interface, and;
- A need to establish a watershed stakeholder partnership to address these issues.
The Clear Creek Watershed & Forest Health Partnership was formed to meet the need for Clear Creek stakeholder coordination and collaboration to facilitate acting on wildfire risk. The CCWFHP was officially established through a Memorandum of Understanding in September of 2022 between 10 local governmental entities that are either in the Clear Creek watershed or depend on the watershed for water resources.
TO APPLY
Interested individuals should submit the following (in PDF format):
- Cover Letter. No more than one page. Include statements describing your specific knowledge, skills and experience as they relate to this position (PDF file).
- CV or Resume. Should be a maximum of two pages and include at least three professional references (PDF file).
- Please send application materials via email only, with the ‘Subject Line’ of that email titled with the following format: “Last Name_CCWFHP Watershed Coordinator”. Email application materials to workwithus@co-co.org. No phone calls, please.
