The Mitigation Program Manager is responsible for managing Maine’s In Lieu Fee Mitigation program for aquatic resources—the Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (mnrcp.org)—and for advancing other opportunities to avoid, minimize and offset the ecological impacts of infrastructure development.
The Mitigation Program Manager will have primary responsibility for overseeing all aspects of The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) contract to administer the Maine Natural Resource Conservation Program (MNRCP) on behalf of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. The position will be responsible for managing the annual competitive grant process, including development of supporting materials and review tools, coordinating all correspondence with prospective applicants, and facilitating public meetings of the MNRCP Review Committee and Approval Committee. S/he will also be responsible for leading the process to develop, review and implement all required documents for approved compensation projects, including project agreements, project closings, management plans and restoration plans. The Mitigation Program Manager will manage all MNRCP program outreach, including electronic communications, press releases, website management, and speaking engagements, with particular emphasis on reaching new audiences and potential applicants in historically underrepresented parts of the state. S/he will be the primary point of contact for all public agency and non-profit partners engaged in the program, and will identify and advance opportunities to increase the capacity for compensatory mitigation in the state. S/he will coordinate a team of TNC staff in Maine and Boston and also work closely with other TNC-Maine teams (including conservation programs, science and external affairs), and with TNC’s North America mitigation team and Mitigation Learning Network.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
- Part-time (75%) role with potential to expand to full-time in the future based on opportunity and funding.
- Manages multi-disciplinary team of professional staff, contractors, volunteers and interns.
- Maintains optimal program performance standards within budget.
- Financial responsibility includes managing a budget to complete projects, negotiating and contracting with vendors, and assisting with budget development.
- Ensures program compliance with internal policies and external requirements.
- Under minimal supervision, makes independent decisions based on analysis, experience and context.
- May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- BA/BS degree and 5 years’ experience in natural resource management or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience negotiating complex agreements.
- Supervisory experience.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills both in writing and verbally.
- Politically savvy and experienced in developing partnerships (particularly non-profits & government).
- Knowledge of current trends and issues in wetland and stream mitigation, restoration, monitoring, land and water conservation, and ecological land management.
- Experience using applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and Web Browsers.
- Experience with principles of land acquisition.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural experience appreciated.
- 7 years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience managing complex or multiple projects, including managing finances and coordinating the work of other professionals and partners under deadlines while delivering quality results.
- Proficiency in developing and implementing monitoring protocols to evaluate mitigation project performance and success.
- Experience with Federal, State and local regulations, permits, and policies for stream and wetland mitigation.
- Demonstrated experience communicating effectively with the public, media and influential officials (especially governmental) and explaining conservation practices to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Excellent ‘team player’ with a commitment to respecting team dynamics, and a strong ability to understand diverse perspectives, and synthesize multiple perspectives to achieve the best outcome.
- Proven ability to develop and facilitate productive, inclusive meetings and negotiate difficult conversations.
- Proven experience influencing without authority.
- Ability to learn, retain, and implement information quickly.
This is a part time (75%) position, working 26 hours per hour. Schedule is flexible.