Position Title: Senior Restoration Ecologist/Project Manager

Location: San Diego

Reports to: Associate Director of Restoration Science

Status: Full-Time Exempt

Pay Scale: $73,000.00 - $110,000.00

A thriving future for California’s environment and communities requires bold vision, creative problem-solving, and relentless determination. This is a critical decade for action and River Partners is growing our team of talented, dedicated change-makers to meet the challenge head on. Join us!

Who We Are

A tenacious nonprofit founded in 1998, River Partners brings life back to California rivers. We advance an innovative model of conservation that harnesses the power of restored riverways to create a thriving future for the state’s environment and communities.

Blending modern farming practices, cutting-edge science, and diverse alliances, River Partners reforests and reconnects river landscapes and critical wildlife corridors at an unprecedented pace and scale. We’ve restored more habitat along impaired California rivers than anyone else in the western U.S., having led hundreds of projects across nearly 20,000 acres throughout California. Our efforts result in a suite of tangible wins for struggling wildlife, flood safety, climate resiliency, water conservation, healthy communities, and strong local economies.

We are growing fast and looking for passionate team members to help us increase our pace and scale of restoration.

Why We Do It

Healthy rivers are essential for a vibrant California. They provide fresh water for growing our food, economy, communities, and wildlife found nowhere else. Rivers support more species and in greater numbers than any other ecosystem in California—making our state a worldwide biodiversity hotspot. Yet just 5% of our native riverside habitat remains. What’s left needs reviving.

The actions we take during this decade will decide California's future. With their exponential benefits for wildlife, natural resources, and communities, healthy rivers are critical for a flourishing Golden State for generations to come.

Why You Should Join Us

River Partners offers competitive salaries and benefits, including comprehensive health care insurance, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with immediate employer matching, paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance programs, other well-being benefits.

We’re proud of our supportive culture and focus on work-life balance.

Position Description:

The Senior Restoration Ecologist works with the Science, Operations and Development Teams to identify, plan, design, implement and monitor multi-benefit riparian and floodplain restoration projects. While directing multi-million dollar and multi-year restoration projects the Senior Restoration Ecologist collaborates closely with public and private partners from local, state and federal agencies; non-profit organizations, communities, and consulting firms to deliver projects that meet the needs of our partner community. The Senior Restoration Scientist leads teams to deliver on their vision for complex ecological restoration projects, creating opportunities for science-driven projects and programs while developing restoration leaders to build our team, enrich the field and grow our work.

The Senior Restoration Ecologist reports directly to the Director of Science.

Travel for meetings with partners and visiting field sites is expected and could require more than 6 days per month.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This position has supervisory responsibilities.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities of This Position Include:

• Direct all aspects of multidisciplinary, complex large-scale restoration projects, including planning, design, permitting, budgeting, subcontracting and client relationships.
• Develop and maintain productive partnerships with agricultural community, conservation organizations; research scientists; contractors; and local, state and federal agencies to advance River Partners’ mission.
• Train, supervise, and develop staff as a supervisor and recognized leader in the organization.
• Identify and develop new projects, programs, and partnerships; successfully and regularly bring in new projects conceptualized with these partners.
• Manage project through to successful completion, including proposal, reporting, subcontracting and execution tasks.
• Lead a team of scientists tasked with designing, permitting, and monitoring restoration projects.
• Frequently make decisions based on analysis, expert input, dynamic information and context.
• Design and implement multi-stakeholder input processes for project development.
• Contribute to regional planning efforts.
• Serve as a recognized subject matter expert in the field, preparing and managing complex environmental analyses; coordinating with key team members; and implementing and assessing innovative restoration strategies or studies.
• Monitor, oversee and report strategic initiative progress to ensure alignment with goals and objectives of the organization.
• Represent River Partners before the public, elected officials, agencies, stakeholders, and non- profits to generate support for River Partners programs.
• Collaborate with departments and demonstrate strong commitment and enthusiasm to carry out River Partners mission.
• Enjoy working outdoors with diverse people and organizations to get things done.
• Communicate clearly via written, spoken and graphical means in English.
• Participate with keen interest in staff retention and recruitment.

Essential Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

• Possess the enthusiasm and drive to assist River Partners in fulfilling its mission.
• Enjoy working with diverse people and organizations to get things done.
• Creatively solve problems and delight in learning new skills.
• Effectively communicate complicated soil science findings orally and in writing.
• Possess knowledge of and experience with basic irrigation techniques and a knowledge of soil chemistry, physics and plant science.
• Possess advanced knowledge of California native plants, riparian ecology, and river hydrology.
• Proven ability to work effectively with a team and independently.
• Possess an understanding of statistics, experimental design and data collection.
• Experience collecting, organizing, and analyzing field data.
• Demonstrate good organizational skills, ability to work under multiple deadlines, and flexibility to handle changing priorities.
• Be able to remain dedicated and focused on multiple tasks.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Words, Excel, Access, and other programs.

Qualifications:

• MA/MS degree and 5 years’ experience in restoration, agriculture management or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience in agricultural techniques, aquatic or terrestrial ecology is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience influencing, developing and implementing projects, including managing finances and coordinating work to meet deadlines.
• Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading and managing performance.
• Competency managing California and Federal environmental permit applications and compliance, such as CEQA, ESA, CDFW Code, California Water Code, Clean Water Act Section 404/401.
• Integrity and ethics beyond reproach.
• Valid California driver’s license with no restrictions.

Compensation:
Salary is commensurate with experience, anticipated to range between $73,000 and $110,000 annually. River Partners offers a generous benefits package including ample holidays and paid time off, flexible locations and hours, medical insurance, and up to 4% 401K matching.

River Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

River Partners is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, religion, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with disability, or any other protected group status or non‐job related characteristic as directed by law.