The Conservation Project Manager (CPM) uses matrix management to lead complex projects. Working both internally and externally, the CPM uses strong communication, team building, and organizational skills to ensure project teams produce conservation outcomes. The CPM leads complex projects in different conservation initiatives deployed across geographies and strategies to support high priority efforts. On certain projects, the CPM serves as a principal contact to government agencies, other conservation organizations, foundations and the academic community. The first projects of the CPM will focus on ocean and coastal related projects.
Examples of initial projects the CPM may include:
- Accelerating Oregon’s tide gate strategic priority.
- Exploring a major, innovative coastal land protection and/or restoration projects in Oregon.
- Launching marine fisheries logbook app in partnership with colleagues, state agencies, and private app developers.
- Assisting with marine science projects, including analysis of lingcod pot data from testing and leading projects related to fisheries-climate workshops.
For internal candidates, location may be negotiable at one of our other Oregon Field Offices (except Bend).
The Conservation Project Manager utilizes various tools to lead projects and enable implementation of complex conservation strategies across geographies in partnership with conservation initiative leads. They use project management skills and the ability to navigate ambiguity to enable teams to work through challenging questions and develop clear paths for implementation. The CPM provides leadership across various teams and understands how to capitalize on the resources of teams to develop innovative methods, analyses, tools and frameworks to address the natural system needs, engage local community support for local conservation efforts, and negotiate complex and innovative solutions with government agencies and landowners to conserve and protect natural communities.
RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE
- Geographic scope is the State of Oregon but may include regional and national scale collaborations, partnerships, and projects.
- Coordinate the work of cross-functional teams toward identified outcomes.
- Lead and manage an interdisciplinary team or project, comprised of administrative and professional staff from various programs, to support and improve conservation efforts and deliver on defined outcomes.
- May work with conservation, science, communications, government relations, operations, and legal staff, elected officials, policy makers, and community leaders.
- Lead teams through development of work plans and other project management tools to ensure coordinated and timely tactical implementation.
- Ensure defined project and program deliverables are produced within time and budget scope.
- Provide reporting and documentation and lead team in strategic communications.
- Build staff and partner cooperation to accomplish program goals with a commitment to inclusivity and respecting team dynamics and strong ability to understand and value diverse perspectives and synthesize multiple perspectives to achieve the best outcomes
- Make frequent independent decisions based on analysis, experience, and context with consideration to varied perspectives.
- May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.
- Experience managing complex or multiple projects, including staffing, workloads and finances under deadlines.
- Team leadership experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance.
- Experience in partnership development with non-profit partners, community groups and/or government agencies
- Experience negotiating.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Multi-lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
- 5-7 years’ experience leading projects and/or teams or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Demonstrated experience influencing without authority and navigating in ambiguous circumstances.
- Demonstrated ability to be proactive and create workplans and project management tools based on high level outcomes and/or strategies.
- Experience using project management tools to lead a team through implementation.
- Demonstrated ability to provide leadership in various situations.
- Understanding of adaptive management and ability to create flexibility and responsiveness in project teams.
- Knowledge of current trends and practices in relevant discipline(s) and regions.
- Experience with tribal governments, rural communities and/or indigenous communities
- Knowledge of methods and standards of biodiversity information systems and initiatives or related field.
- Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.
- Politically savvy.