West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District District Manager Apply by November 2, 2015
West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District announces the opening for a new District Manager. The District is bidding farewell to Dick Springer, who is retiring after seven years in this position. He leaves the District with a legacy of sound programs, highly competent staff, strong fiscal health and a reputation for ex-cellence in implementing its mission: Conserving and protecting soil and water resources for people, wildlife, and the environment. The District West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District (WMSWCD) is a non-regulatory municipal agency, gov-erned by an elected board of directors. WMSWCD serves private landowners in the District, which covers more than 80,000 acres in west Multnomah County that includes a highly diverse area of urban and rural dwellings, forest and farm land, and owners of small and large properties. The District serves residents within its boundaries (the portion of Multnomah County west of the Willamette River and all of Sauvie Island) with information and assistance on conservation planning, which includes: wa-ter quality, soil health and erosion, invasive weed control, native plants, livestock management, grant fund-ing, wildlife, healthy woodlands, habitat restoration, school gardens, stormwater management and other conservation projects. The District Manager works with a supportive board of seven directors and leads a dedicated staff of nine: Senior Conservationist; Forest Conservationist; Rural Conservationist; Urban Conservationist; Invasive Spe-cies Program Coordinator; Conservation Technician/Education Coordinator; Controller/Budget Officer; Com-munications Coordinator; and Office Manager. The District is a stably funded, fiscally well-managed organization whose activities are primarily funded with tax revenues. The District’s adopted budget for Fiscal Year 2015-16 is $2.9 million. Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to visit the District’s web site, www.wmswcd.org<http://www.wmswcd.org>. The Position Find a full detailed job description on the District’s web site: www.wmswcd.org<http://www.wmswcd.org> As the chief executive officer, the District Manager: • Serves as the public face of the District; • Builds strategic partnerships and networks with other agencies, local and state officials, businesses and individuals; • Inspires and leads staff, board members and partners in accomplishing the District’s mission; • Oversees the District’s budget and maximizes use of resources; • Keeps the board informed and seeks their input; • Initiates and oversees special projects, with assistance from staff; • Manages staff and works with them to set program goals and track accomplishments. The Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate has a commitment to the District’s mission, which is: Conserve and protect soil and water resources for people, wildlife, and the environment. He or she: • Has a collaborative management style where all staff are well supported and treated professionally; • Is an effective, articulate communicator with the board of directors, staff, media, partner organizations, and the general public; • Has a strategic vision for the District programs, geographic focus, and future growth; • Is committed to supporting a diverse staff and serving our constituents equitably; • Possesses excellent organizational skills, with a talent for planning ahead and being proactive. • Understands WMSWCD’s work and the conservation issues facing the urban and rural realms; • Understands and can provide guidance on contracting processes and procedures; • Can provide leadership and knowledge re: grants and other potential sources of funding; • Is a highly productive self-starter, with a desire to make a long term impact; • Has a strong natural resource conservation ethic. What Lies Ahead The District Manager will continue to support the excellent performance and progress of District programs. Looking ahead, some of the areas he or she will be engaged with are the following: • Sturgeon Lake – WMSWCD is partnering with the US Army Corps of Engineers on this $7.5 million project, which aims to break ground in 2017 and restore salmonid access to 3000 acres of lakes and wetlands on Sauvie Island. Currently, this is WMSWCD’s largest project, and the District has raised almost $2 million through grants and private donations to match USACE funds and make this project a reality. • Increase and diversify resources – Although WMSWCD has permanent funding through a tax base, oppor-tunities for taking on important conservation work in the District exceed available funds. Ideally, the new director will use current resources to leverage funds through grants, partnerships and other means. Ad-ditional resources will also allow the District to serve more landowners. • Implement a formal diversity/equity plan – The District recently completed a program organized by The Intertwine Alliance that focused on racial equity. WMSWCD will complete its Diversity Action Plan in the next several months and will begin implementation in the coming year to serve all constituents equitably. Education and Experience 1. Minimum of B.A. or B.S. in public administration; non-profit management; natural resources; environmen-tal policy and management; business administration; or a related field. Coursework in agriculture and natu-ral resource management is a plus. A master’s degree is preferred. A combination of relevant education and experience may substitute for the educational requirement. 2. Five years’ minimum experience in program development, management, or administration is required. Two or more years with a soil and water conservation district, watershed council, natural resource conserva-tion agency, or similar organization is highly desired. 3. A minimum of three years’ experience in hiring, supervising and evaluating staff; five years’ experience is strongly preferred. 4. Experience in developing and implementing long range and strategic plans. 5. Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to speak to and advocate for the District and its programs in public forums, meetings, legislative hearings and other settings. 6. Understanding of SWCD roles, programs and responsibilities. 7. Experience in overseeing a budget for a large project or organization. 8. Experience working with an elected board of directors is highly desired. Compensation and Benefits Starting Salary DOE: $85,000 - $100,000 Sick leave and vacation leave are accrued from the first full month of employment, with paid vacation made available after sixty days. The District offers individual employee medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance. Family medi-cal/dental/vision insurance, which includes married spouse, same-sex domestic partners and opposite-sex domestic partners, as well as children, is available and partially paid for by the employee. The District pays 100% of the premium for employees and 75% for dependents. The District participates in the Oregon Public Employees Retirement Program (PERS). The District also offers its employees a deferred compensation plan created in accordance with Internal Revenue Code Section 457. Liability coverage is provided to all employees, subject to the limitations of the Oregon Tort Claims Act, 30.260 through 30.300, and the Oregon Constitution. Application Instructions All applications must be received no later than 5:00 PM on Monday, November 2, 2015. Your application should include: Cover letter – single page Resume Supplemental essay questions References – one supervisory, one peer, one subordinate Application documents will only be accepted electronically, in a pdf document with no attachments. Submit application documents electronically to: j...@wmswcd.org<mailto:j...@wmswcd.org>. Put the words District Manager in the subject line. West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, gender, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information and political beliefs. The District is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates of color are strongly encouraged to apply. WMSWCD is committed to building a culturally diverse and inclusive environment. Applicants should share in this commitment and be ready to help the District grow in this regard. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE NOTE: Employment will be contingent on passing a criminal background check and verification of education and experience. West Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District 2701 NW Vaughn Street, Suite 450 Portland, Oregon 97210-5398
