WA State Wildlife Operations Manager - Spokane preferred

Duties and Expectations        

The State Coordinator will: 

Supervision:

• Provide direct oversight, leadership, supervision, and guidance to the State-wide Pheasants Forever Biologist Team, ensuring effective conservation delivery and coordination within their counties or areas of responsibility.
• Work closely with field practitioners and partner staff to educate them on the proper implementation and utilization of wildlife conservation programs and practices.
• Provide cost-share program, habitat restoration and management training to conservation planners on wildlife habitat.
• Develop performance plans, including required and suggested training, for all PF staff and evaluate the performance of PF staff with input from the appropriate partners.
• Work with NRCS and other partners to provide the training needed for PF staff to implement Farm Bill and other compatible voluntary conservation programs in Washington.
• Work to build a sense of belonging to team PF Washington as one of several methods to maintain morale, provide professional development, and develop strategies to increase the length of time PF staff spend in Washington.

Coordination:

• The State Coordinator will represent PF within the Washington Conservation Community, and work to maintain current relationships with partners in Washington and seek to bring in new partners and develop new relationships that have some similar goals and objectives
• Work closely with Asst State Conservationist for Partnerships, SRC, NRCS State Biologist, and the State Conservationist to provide insight and input related to programs standards and specifications specifically focused on wildlife conservation, assisting with the development and review/update of wildlife related program standards and specifications and enhancements.  Through the direction of the State Resource Conservationist and NRCS State Biologist, assist in Quality Assurance Reviews and spot checks on wildlife focused practices.   
• Develop strong relationships with conservation partners in Washington, including but not limited to NRCS, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), US Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, Pacific Birds Joint Venture, and several other conservation organizations in Washington
• Develop strong working relationships with NRCS Field Office Staff, NRCS Area Office staff, NRCS State Office staff and ensuring regular communication between PF and all these levels of NRCS to ensure a common understanding of expectations for biologists hired through this partnership.
• Develop strong working relationships with WDFW partners at the state, program, and field levels ensuring regular communication between PF and all these levels of WDFW to ensure a common understanding of expectations for biologists hired through this partnership.
• Working with PF Regional Reps, ensure communication with PF chapter leadership on the successes of this partnership, highlight new conservation initiatives developing in Washington, and generate support for landscape scale conservation within PF chapter.

Outreach:

• Work with PF/QF West Regional Director, Washington Regional Representative, NRCS State Conservationist and NRCS Staff, WDFW staff, and Pheasants Forever Inc. & Quail Forever Marketing Team to provide information focused on promoting in-state strategic conservation efforts (Working Lands for Wildlife, CRP SAFE, Targeted EQIP projects) to media sources in Washington. 
• Work with PF staff to compile success stories, collect photos and videos that highlight the partnerships impact on the landscape, and work with PF marketing and outreach staff to publish stories highlighting this partnership.
• Develop relationships with partners to amplify success stories through all partners media outlets as partners see fit.  This may include but is not limited to NRCS and Joint Venture outreach staff and media outlets.
• Participate in State Technical Advisory Committee meetings.  

Program Oversight and Development:

• The State Coordinator will work with partners to develop relationships and form partnerships that will work together to address conservation priorities of multiple organizations to leverage technical and financial resources to make the greatest impact to the conservation priority.
• Coordinate and lead new and existing landscape level habitat initiatives and partnerships that advance NRCS and PF missions in Washington.  Examples include the SGI and CRP SAFE.
• Identify opportunities (grants or groups) that will enhance strategic implementation of conservation. Pursue granting opportunities as they become available.  Examples include National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grants, Regional Conservation Partnership Grants, and several others.
• Working with the State Conservationist and the Area Conservationists, participate in the identification of strategic locations for wildlife staffing. 

Reporting and Administration:

• Monitor the progress of the Washington PF Biologist Team in the delivery of strategic conservation initiatives, keeping partners aware of timelines and milestones.
• Prepare high quality quarterly written performance reports and a full year summary report to share with all partners describing the accomplishments of this partnerships.
• Write grant proposals, draft agreements, and complete other administrative tasks related to the implementation of conservation programs and ensuring funding is secured for PF staff located in Washington.
• Work with PF Grants and Accounting Team to provide financial reports to all partners engaged in our biologist program and all other conservation programs administered through PF in Washington.

This is a full-time position working directly with NRCS state leadership and Pheasants Forever West Region Director, PF Regional Representative, and PF Chapters, as well as other in-state conservation partners to lead and coordinate the delivery of wildlife habitat conservation within the state of Washington.