Southern Appalachian Forest Recovery Program Manager

National Forest Foundation (NFF) is pleased to offer an exempt, full-time position that will provide programmatic leadership and technical support to successfully plan, develop, implement, and manage a complex portfolio of forest recovery, restoration, and forest resilience projects. The Forest Recovery Program Manager will facilitate collaborative efforts, manage complex funding mechanisms, oversee project implementation and contracts, potentially supervise program staff, and work collaboratively with NFF’s technical advisory teams, contracted forestry consultants, and the U.S. Forest Service.

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.

The Southern Appalachian Forest Recovery Program Manager reports directly to the Southern Region Director. This position provides facilitation, project management, program development, and forest recovery support for collaborative forest stewardship and conservation efforts in the southern Appalachians. The incumbent is responsible for planning for project implementation, overseeing and supporting complex contracts, and working directly with contractors and consultants conducting assessments, restoration planning, and related forest recovery work.

The incumbent will provide support for forest restoration and reforestation projects, working in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service, NFF colleagues, and partner organizations. The incumbent may hire, supervise, and mentor program staff and will navigate complex partnership relationships and work independently to build programs consistent with strategic priorities.

Initial priorities include supporting projects aimed at restoring forests heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene. The position will work with the U.S. Forest Service, contractors, consultants, and partners to assess forest conditions, develop restoration plans and treatment recommendations, identify desired future conditions and the actions needed to move priority sites toward those conditions, and support implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

• Work closely with the U.S. Forest Service, NFF colleagues, and contracted forestry consultants to develop and expand NFF’s scope of forest recovery and reforestation work in the southern Appalachians, with an initial focus on National Forests in North Carolina.
• Work closely with the Forest Service, forestry consultants, and partners to identify and prioritize watersheds, landscapes, and restoration sites; understand forest recovery needs; and translate technical assessments and recommendations into forest recovery and reforestation strategies and actionable projects.
• Work directly with the Forest Service, contractors and consultants on site assessments, forest inventories, restoration plans, treatment recommendations; help define desired future conditions and identify the actions, treatment sequencing, and monitoring needed to move priority landscapes and sites toward those conditions.
• Develop and advance forest recovery opportunities from early…