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NC Mountains Freshwater Restoration Specialist

USA The Nature Conservancy

Asheville, North Carolina

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JOB DETAILS
SALARY
$59,000–$65,000
SKILLS
ArcGIS, Biodiversity, Cartography, Climate Change, Construction, Construction Design, Driver's License, Ecology, Ecosystems, English Language, Establish Priorities, Flooding, Funding, Government, Grant Writing, Hydrology, Leadership, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Natural Resources, Negotiation Skills, Nonprofit, On Site Support, Physical Demands, Project Design, Project Tracking, Project/Program Management, Proposal Writing, Resource Management, Stormwater Management, Team Lead/Manager, Web Browsers, Willing to Travel
LOCATION
Asheville, North Carolina
POSTED
28 days ago
What We Can Achieve Together:

The NC Mountains Freshwater Restoration Specialist will implement aquatic restoration projects in collaboration with the US Forest Service to support ecosystem recovery from Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. Work will be focused on identifying, implementing, and assessing stream and wetland restoration projects, including dam removals, undersized and damaged culvert replacements, instream habitat improvements, streambank stability enhancements, wetland restoration, floodplain reconnection, and riparian restoration. TNC's goals for freshwater work in this region are to increase the resilience and connectivity of mountain streams, conserve and increase the quality of aquatic habitat critical to support the aquatic biodiversity of western NC, and to increase resilience of downstream human communities to climate change impacts including flooding. The projects will be carried out in close collaboration with federal, state, non-profit, and tribal partners.

The NC Mountains Freshwater Restoration Specialist will report to the NC Mountains Freshwater Recovery Director. They will work closely as part of a local 5-person freshwater team, as well as a larger set of freshwater practitioners working across the six-state Southern Appalachian region in coordination with TNC's Southern Appalachian Whole System. They will work with an existing Freshwater Restoration Specialist to supervise a team of field technicians. They will be responsible for working with partners to evaluate and prioritize potential projects in selected NC watersheds and implementing restoration projects from conceptual design through completion. The Restoration Specialist should be able to review restoration designs, oversee construction work, ensure permitting requirements are met, and have a strong knowledge of aquatic restoration approaches, hydrology concepts, and aquatic ecology.

The work includes writing watershed restoration action plans for priority watersheds on the National Forest that will identify projects to be implemented by TNC and other partners. The Restoration Specialist will coordinate with the US Forest Service and other partners working across the Forest on Hurricane Helene recovery. They may assist staff in grant proposal writing, administration, and reporting.

They will work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances. The position is based out of TNC's office in Asheville with hybrid work options available. It is a full-time, three-year term position subject to renewal based on available funding.

We're Looking for You:

If you're looking for a career where you can find meaning and purpose, come join our Chapter as the NC Mountain Freshwater Restoration Specialist! Not only will you fulfil conservation objectives in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, but you'll contribute to conservation goals through many networks.

What You'll Bring:
  • Bachelor's degree and 3 years' experience in natural resource management, including freshwater ecology or similar field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Knowledge of aquatic restoration techniques.
  • Experience with on-the-ground project implementation.
  • Demonstrated project management skills including contracting for services, restoration/construction oversight, project and grant reporting.
  • Experience working with a variety of partners, including collaboration, negotiation, and relationship building.
  • Experience with field work, ideally in stream and wetland ecosystems.
  • Experience with communication via written, spoken and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.
  • Experience using common software applications such as Word, Excel, web browsers, etc.
  • Working knowledge of ArcGIS and basic map making skills.
  • Must have valid driver's license and be willing to travel to project sites.

Desired Qualifications
  • 3-5 years' experience in natural resource management and freshwater ecology, similar field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Experience leading restoration projects (ideally aquatic barrier removal projects).
  • Experience working with government agencies, particularly US Forest Service.
  • Knowledge of Southern Appalachians freshwater ecology, hydrology, and aquatic biota.
  • Experience contributing to watershed plans and project prioritization.<

About the Company

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USA The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

We address the most pressing conservation threats at the largest scale. Thanks to the support of our more than 1 million members, we’ve built a tremendous record of success since our founding in 1951:
  • We've protected more than 119 million acres of land and thousands of miles of rivers worldwide — and we operate more than 100 marine conservation projects globally.
  • We work in all 50 states and more than 72 countries — protecting habitats from grasslands to coral reefs, from Australia to Alaska to Zambia.
  • We address threats to conservation involving climate change, fresh water, oceans, and conservation lands.
COMPANY SIZE
2,500 to 4,999 employees
INDUSTRY
Nonprofit Charitable Organizations
FOUNDED
1951
WEBSITE
http://www.nature.org