Backyard Habitat Certification Program Operations Manager

Columbia Land Trust is seeking a Backyard Habitat Certification Program Operations Manager to join its team!

Columbia Land Trust is dedicated to conserving and caring for the vital lands, waters, and wildlife of the Columbia River region through sound science and strong relationships. In our first 30 years, Columbia Land Trust has permanently conserved more than 60,000 acres and restored thousands of acres across our ecologically diverse region, for the benefit of both wildlife and communities. Today, the Land Trust is nationally recognized as a leader in conservation and locally appreciated as part of the communities where we live and work.

The Backyard Habitat Certification Program (BHCP) has been a collaborative effort between Columbia Land Trust and Bird Alliance of Oregon since 2009. The program provides technical assistance, incentives, resources, and recognition to urban and suburban residents and community sites seeking to restore native plant communities and wildlife habitat features, manage stormwater, and garden sustainably. We strive to reduce barriers to this work by partnering with culturally specific and community-based groups, develop funding partners, and engage in ongoing programmatic reflection, resource development, and staff training.

Through our collective efforts to revitalize urban landscapes, we make our region healthier for people and for wildlife. Our Backyard Habitats community has more than 15,000 participants and continues to grow. For more information, visit backyardhabitats.org.

Columbia Land Trust's headquarters are located on the historic Fort Vancouver campus near downtown Vancouver, Washington. Additional Land Trust offices are located in Astoria, Oregon, and White Salmon, Washington. This position will be primarily based out of our Vancouver, Washington office with frequent travel throughout the region for site work and partner meetings. For more information, please visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

The Backyard Habitat Certification Program is a collaboration between Columbia Land Trust and Bird Alliance of Oregon. We share responsibility in the delivery of an ecologically sound, community connected program that meets the expectations of several partnering municipalities, funders, and community organizations in the Portland and Vancouver Metro areas. The program additionally supports conservation outcomes and outreach goals of the partnership organizations' independent strategic plans.

Each organization serves unique roles in ensuring the success of the program. Columbia Land Trust is the fiscal sponsor of the program and is the primary lead on the delivery of initial site visits, program budget management, and municipal grants and contract management, among other things. The Operations Manager will be tasked with the operational execution of the Land Trust's role as well as leading day-to-day program management and collaboration with Bird Alliance of Oregon.

The primary functions of the position are as follows:

• Supports program strategy development in close collaboration with the BAO Program Manager, as managing members of the Backyard Habitat Certification Program team and provides implementation of that strategy by serving as the operational arm of the program's partnership agreement and the Land Trust's conservation strategy.
• Coordinates with Stewardship Director to ensure operations of the program deliver the effective outcomes from the Partnership Agreement and are consistent with Land Trust policy and procedures.
• Supports the funding plan for the program by maintaining strong community partner relationships, providing transparency into the program and writing funding proposals.
• Leads development of program budget in collaboration with Bird Alliance's BHCP Project Manager which includes projecting expected revenue from participant fees and municipal contracts and expected expenses for staff and other resources required for the operation of the program.
• Manages the post award program grant cycle by tracking progress of contract deliverables, evaluating metrics and monitoring the effectiveness and satisfaction of site visits in relationship to grant commitments.
• Manages contracting cycle from requests for proposals to contract compliance. Manages sub-contractors as needed to support core program functions.

• Supports program staff by providing operational direction, program meeting agenda development and general…