Riparian Grant Program Specialist; Program Specialist

Riparian Grant Program Specialist

The typical workweek is a standard 40‑hour week with occasional adjustments to meet customer needs. Work hours are typically 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This position requires occasional travel and overnight stays to attend commission meetings, workshops, and project sites to assist staff, arrange meetings, etc. The role will operate in a hybrid/remote setting, with the expectation of being able to come into the office as needed.

It can be performed from anywhere within Washington State.

• Monitors and processes Riparian Grant Program (RGP) grant applications.
• Checks applications and project data in SCC’s grant portal for completeness and provides an initial review of alignment with guidelines and SCC policies.
• Reviews application and project data in SCC’s Conservation Practice Data System (CPDS) for completeness and provides an initial review of alignment with guidelines and SCC policies.
• Routes applications for review by other SCC staff and tracks awards issued by the finance staff team.
• Monitors and supports implementation of RGP grant awards.
• Provides technical resources and support to awardees, resolving questions and issues as they arise.
• Monitors spending and progress of RGP awards, including quarterly progress check‑ins with conservation districts, review of monthly spending reports, identification of issues or anomalies, and escalation to supervisors or other stakeholders when appropriate.
• Uses knowledge of riparian restoration and experience from conservation district award implementation to support program administration process improvements (e.g., updates to application, reporting tools, and data collection).
• Develops schedule, protocol, and template for 5‑year technical project site/field reviews and coordinates site visits with conservation districts.
• Integrates observations from site reviews into program administrative improvements.
• Provides technical advice to RGP participants on program practices, rules, policies, and procedures to conservation district staff, other agencies, and the public, ensuring compliance with policy and guidelines.
• Identifies, develops, or distributes resources to aid conservation districts in implementing RGP awards and riparian restoration, in collaboration with Science Hub.
• Tracks RGP‑related activities and data, and assists in the development of report templates and SCC data platform.
• Assists in program reporting processes for the RGP portion of agency‑wide biennial and annual reports.

• A Bachelor's Degree AND Two years of experience in natural resources or agricultural grant management, program administration, or a related field. OR Any combination of relevant experience, including strong working knowledge of ecological restoration principles.
• Computer skills with Microsoft applications.
• Strong customer relations, customer service, negotiation, and problem‑solving skills.
• Hold a valid driver’s license, free from serious traffic violations.
• Ability to travel (including overnight).
• Ability to handle multiple projects with competing deadlines in a dynamic work environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking and the ability to research, organize, and present varied and complex subjects in an approachable and understandable manner.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills necessary to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other agency staff, partner organizations, and conservation district supervisors and staff.
• Ability to understand and follow agency safety policies and other standards established to maintain a safe work environment.
• Proven ability to work comfortably with people of widely differing temperaments, perspectives, cultures, work styles, and preferences.

• Experience working with conservation districts.
• Experience interacting collaboratively with local, state, or federal agencies (especially USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service), and other specialty or user groups.
• Experience facilitating meetings/groups and working with committees to gain consensus.
• Extensive knowledge and/or…