Reforestation Program Senior Specialist

National Forest Foundation (NFF) is pleased to offer a regular, full-time position that will provide leadership to NFF’s National Reforestation Program efforts. The Reforestation Senior Specialist will spearhead innovation, manage complex funding mechanisms, supervise program staff, and oversee NFF’s program of work focused on holistic reforestation, from nursery production to post planting monitoring, across the U.S.

About the NFF:

As the official national partner to the US Forest Service (USFS), the National Forest Foundation was chartered by Congress in 1990. Today, the NFF advances forest resiliency, healthy watersheds and wildlife habitat, and recreation for all by working with communities and organizations across the country. The Foundation has grown significantly in the last few years in programmatic impact, revenue and support, and organizational capacity. NFF leads with impact, deploying roughly 90% of its expenses towards projects and programs across the country’s 193-million-acre National Forest System. NFF is forward-thinking and innovative, with ambitious strategies and goals to advance and prepare forests for a new economy.

Position Function:

The Reforestation Senior Specialist reports to the Land and Water Restoration Director and is a leading member of NFF’s National Enterprise Programs which provide subject matter expertise, organization-wide coordination, and support to NFF Field Programs helping ensure programs and projects align with our mission, shared goals, and approach to managing cross-cutting risks. In this role, the Senior Specialist will manage a national program providing subject matter expertise to NFF staff, lead the development and execution of various reforestation programs of work, secure and manage programmatic budgets, supervise reforestation programmatic staff, and, as needed, directly manage projects to achieve national programmatic outcomes. The position coordinates closely with the U.S. Forest Service, conservation NGOs, and private sector partners to support strategic initiatives and long-term goals.

Education and Qualifications:

NFF expects the Reforestation Program Senior Specialist to possess the following educational and experiential qualifications:

• Degree (Master’s preferred) in Forestry, Ecology, Natural Resource Management, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• A minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in forestry, ecological restoration, reforestation, and/or project planning.
• Knowledge of forest ecosystems, native tree species, and basic silvicultural practices.
• Familiarity with federal land management practices, especially U.S. Forest Service procedures and reforestation practices.
• Proficiency with GIS, GPS, and data management systems.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Experience supervising and managing remote-based project-level staff.
• Ability to work in remote settings and willingness to travel.
• Commitment to the mission of the NFF and familiarity with the U.S. Forest Service purpose and National Forest lands management.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Location:

The location for this position is flexible throughout the lower 48 continental United States with access to a major airport. This position is a remote/work-from-home position and requires reliable internet access and a dedicated workspace.

Compensation:

NFF offers a competitive compensation and benefits package that reflects our total rewards strategy. The salary range for this position is $105,000 with the ability to grow to $131,250 based on performance over time. Starting salary within this range is determined by a combination of experience, internal equity with comparable roles, and organizational budget, and is assessed annually as part of NFF’s compensation review process.

Tagged as: Conservation, Science/Engineering