District Manager

Foster Creek Conservation District (FCCD) is a very busy, dynamic organization comprised of volunteer board members and a small, professional staff that strive to be leaders in on-the-ground conservation. Our office is located in Waterville, on the Douglas Plateau in north central Washington. We manage a variety of programs that serve the needs of farmers, ranchers and rural communities within the District and provide technical assistance to improve water quality, soil health, fire resilience and wildlife habitat in the region.

The position:
FCCD is looking for a new District Manager. We seek a highly motivated and experienced self-starter with demonstrated abilities to be a successful leader of a very productive and talented team; an individual who has an appetite for new challenges and capacity building skills to maintain and grow FCCD’s robust internal and external relationships, meet the demand for our programs and deliver quality conservation programs.

This is full-time, grant funded position which oversees and directs the operational, administrative and financial needs of the District and provides support and direction to a highly collaborative and very busy team. The position acts on behalf of the district board and is supervised by the Board Chair.
 
The District Manager is responsible for the proactive delivery of services that support the conservation of natural resources to private landowners and the general public in a professional, efficient and productive manner. The successful candidate must be able to work productively with a diverse community of landowners, farmers, ranchers, tribes, community organizations, and government agencies.  

The District Manager’s responsibilitiesinclude but are not limited to:

General Operations:

1. Develop and maintain strong partnerships with local, state, tribal and federal agencies and elected officials to promote conservation.
2. Collaborate and coordinate with staff, landowners and regional agencies to formulate conservation strategies to address priority concerns.
3. Maintain project record keeping systems and ensure all contracted scopes-of-work and grant reporting requirements are fulfilled.
4. Represent the Board and/or the District at local and regional meetings. 
5. Set Board meetings agenda and coordinate meeting details.
6. Perform other duties as assigned by the Board. 
7. Personally perform or direct staff in field activities.

Financial Management:

1. Oversee all the financial needs and requirements for the District.
2. Prepare and oversee the District’s budget, annual and long range plans.
3. Help secure necessary resources and technical support to implement projects and programs and ensure vouchering to grants is timely.
4. Maintain the District’s accounting system, reconcile account balances and prepare monthly financial statements for Board approval.
5. Maintain employee records; prepare payroll and quarterly tax reports.
6. Ensure compliance with relevant laws and rules pertaining to district expenditures.

Personnel Management:

1. Support a harmonious, cooperative and productive workplace.
2. Supervise the activities of District staff as needed.
3. Update and maintain personnel policies and procedures.
4. Schedule regular staff meetings, keep staff advised on project goals and objectives, policies, procedures, annual and long-range plans. 
5. Facilitate hiring of new staff as needed.
6. Enable career growth and training opportunities for staff.

Information & Education:

1. Promote existing District, state and federal programs to interested parties.
2. Provide outreach to landowners to identify natural resource conservation needs and solutions.
3. Keep abreast of all federal, state and local laws that affect the conservation work within the district.
4. Provide support for the District’s public outreach program.
5. Respond to information requests from news media and others.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree with major course work in agriculture, natural resource management, business, or related fields.
• Five to ten years professional natural resources experience, including supervising and managing staff.
• Demonstrated success in managing conservation programs or projects.
• Demonstrated ability to be an effective member and/or leader of a team.
• Experience managing a budget for a large project or organization.
• Proven successful grant writer.
• Successfully pass a federal background check and an additional background check which involves credit evaluation, driving record, and arrest history.

Key knowledge skills and abilities desired:

• The capacity to work with diverse individuals and groups and the ability to establish and maintain effective communication among all project partners.
• Experience working directly with rural communities and private landowners.
• Knowledge of the processes required to assess, plan, monitor and report on BMP implementation.
• Knowledge of natural resource conditions, agricultural practices, and critical area resources in Douglas County.
• Knowledge of Eastern Washington flora, fauna and ecology.
• Demonstrated ability in coordinating, conducting and facilitating meetings.
• Strong organizational and written/verbal communication skills.
• Adaptability  maintaining accurate records.
• High level of literacy in all MS Office applications (Word, Excel are essential), Quickbooks, and GIS software.
• Experience developing, writing, and administering grant applications and projects.
• A valid Washington State driver’s license is required.
• Knowledge of and experience working with conservation districts is beneficial.

Salary and schedule:

This position is a full-time, non-exempt position with compensation starting at $62,748/a - $72,756/a, based on experience and/or qualifications. Benefits include a significant health insurance subsidy, accrued paid sick leave, annual leave and 12 paid holidays each year. Position will also be eligible for retirement contributions after one year of service. Terms of compensation and benefits are set by position appointment letter and may be amended at any time by the Board of Supervisors. There may be the need to attend an occasional weekend day or after-hours event. 

To Apply:

Submit cover letter and resume, and provide three (3) references by email to:

This position is open until filled. Foster Creek CD is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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