Overview
POSITION TITLE: Forest Program Director
SUPERVISOR: MSI Executive Director
TERMS: Full-time exempt position beginning in April 2025 Compensation of $70,000 – $85,000, plus benefits described below
LOCATION: The position will be based in Durango, CO or Silverton, CO
Mountain Studies Institute (MSI) is looking for a creative, strategic, and self-motivated professional to lead MSI’s Forest Program. This position will direct the Forest Team in implementing a suite of existing collaborative, research, and monitoring projects as well as build and develop new initiatives to lead the program into the future. The Program Director will work closely with the Executive Director on strategic direction and funding for the MSI Forest Program.
A successful Forest Program Director will actively engage with the network of stakeholders working in forest management in the Southwest (and the San Juan National Forest specifically), will have a pulse on current forest science & management, and will work to find the niches where MSI can act as the bridge between science and management in this collaborative setting.
With oversight from the Executive Director, the Forest Program Director will:
• Continue MSI’s position as a trusted partner in forest science and management
• Supervise and mentor a team of 3-4 full-time staff
• Develop and maintain a portfolio of monitoring and research projects that meet stakeholder needs and inform adaptive management, leveraging past MSI research and data
• Manage MSI’s participation in forest collaborative groups and regional initiatives
• Participate in organization-wide collaboration and strategic planning
• Maintain, grow, and diversify funding for the Forest Program via grant applications, cooperative agreements, and funder relationships
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
The successful candidate has a passion for systems thinking and for creatively applying their skillsets in forestry, ecology, and natural resource management to find solutions to community needs across multiple scales. They are driven to work with diverse groups of people in small mountain communities and thrive in situations involving varied demands. They embrace a team atmosphere and bring a proactive approach to addressing the needs of a dynamic organization. The candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, and motivated. Occasionally, long days, evenings, or weekends are required.
EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
MSI offers a competitive benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance; generous vacation, sick, and holiday pay; and a 403(b) retirement plan with match after one year of employment.
Visit https://www.mountainstudies.org/careers for more details
Qualifications:
• Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Forestry, Ecology, Geography, Environmental Science, Natural Resources, or other relevant field
• Professional Experience: 5+ years of project management experience in a relevant field, with experience managing budgets and supervising teams
• Excellent communication skills
• Competency collecting, organizing, managing QAQC, analyzing, and interpreting ecological and forest monitoring data
• Valid driver’s license and auto insurance
Required Skills:
• Non-profit, business management, or leadership experience in addition to forest-specific and natural resource science experience
• Grant writing experience and track record of success
• Knowledge of forest and fire ecology and management, landscape ecology, forest-watershed nexus, forest interactions with climate change, and restoration concepts in the Southwestern U.S.
• Local knowledge of the San Juan Mountains landscape and relationships with the network of forest management active in SW CO
Preferred Skills:
Note that experience includes lived experience, traditional knowledge, volunteer experience, school or coursework, work experience, and other related qualifications, skills, and experience. No candidate will meet every requirement. If you're excited about the position and think you may be a good candidate, we encourage you to apply.
Candidate will be required to successfully pass a background check prior to their start date.
About Mountain Studies Institute (MSI)
MSI is a 501 (c)(3) non-advocacy, mountain education and research nonprofit established in 2002. MSI was created to increase knowledge of our unique mountain environments, deepen our understanding of the issues that affect them, and develop solutions for the benefit of our vibrant mountain communities. We build partnerships to steward natural and cultural values by engaging scientists, citizens, and land managers to innovate solutions through advancing research, promoting education, and developing best practices to put science into action.
DIVERSITY MAKES US STRONGER
MSI aims to build a welcoming, inclusive team that is as diverse as the many mountain communities we serve. We seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and maintain an environment where all staff are valued and respected.
