Manager, Restoration Ecology & Forest Resilience

## Special Information

* **Work Location:** This position is an on-site position which requires the incumbent to complete their work primarily at an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation. Opportunities for remote work are rare.
* **Funding & Status:** This position is subject to the availability of funding. The incumbent is not eligible for Service Professional non-renewal notice, or Classified Staff layoff or recall status.
* **Titles:** This position is posted as **Manager, Restoration Ecology & Forest Resilience**, which is a working title. The NAU system title for this position is **Manager, Research Project**.
* **Driving Requirements:** Driving a vehicle on behalf of the university is anticipated to be a regular part of this position. Arizona Administrative Code Fleet Safety Policy requires all employees who drive on university business become authorized by submitting Driver’s license information for driving record monitoring and completion of training. This applies to all faculty, staff, and students who drive personal or university-owned vehicles for business purposes. More information can be found on the NAU Authorized Driver Policy website.

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## About the Department/College

The Ecological Restoration Institute (ERI) Restoration Ecology & Forest Resilience Program Manager leads the day-to-day management, coordination, and delivery of ERI’s Restoration Ecology & Forest Resilience portfolio in support of ERI and SWERI goals. The position applies subject-matter expertise in restoration ecology, forest and fire ecology, and wildfire risk reduction to advance proactive, landscape-scale restoration, fuels management, and conservation in frequent-fire forests and woodlands of the Intermountain West.

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## About the Position

The Program Manager oversees a portfolio of externally funded projects and associated staff that design and implement field-based studies, evaluate restoration treatments and fuels management strategies, and develop science-based decision support for managers and decision-makers. Work integrates field, inventory, and monitoring data with modeling and analytical approaches (e.g., wildfire behavior, fuels, and landscape or vegetation dynamics models) to inform treatment planning, adaptive management, and long-term resilience strategies.

Responsibilities include maintaining program work plans, timelines, and budgets; supervising and mentoring professional staff and students; monitoring progress and compliance requirements; and supporting reporting and deliverables across multiple grants and agreements.

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## Responsibilities Include

### 35% Program Management and Strategic Planning (Essential)

* Lead planning, implementation, and evaluation of ERI’s Forest Health & Resilience Program.
* Develop and manage multi-year projects and work plans focused on forest stand conditions, fuels, restoration prescriptions, and wildfire mitigation.
* Coordinate project scopes, timelines, deliverables, and staffing across multiple grants.
* Track progress toward milestones and adjust plans to meet partner needs.
* Identify emerging needs and translate them into projects and externally-funded proposals.
* Contribute to program-level metrics to evaluate the impact of proactive forest health work.

### 35% Research, Analysis, and Technical Leadership (Essential)

* Provide subject matter expertise in forest and fire ecology, hazardous fuels management, and ecological resilience.
* Lead design and implementation of field-based studies and monitoring.
* Utilize wildfire behavior and fuels modeling tools (e.g., BehavePlus, FARSITE, FlamMap, QUIC-Fire).
* Utilize landscape and vegetation dynamics models (e.g., FVS, LANDIS-II, VDDT, or SyncroSim).
* Integrate modeling and field data to develop decision support products for managers.
* Lead and contribute to peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, and guidance documents.

### 15% Collaboration and Partnerships (Essential)

* Build and maintain partnerships with federal/state agencies, Tribes, NGOs, and local governments.
* Coordinate with other ERI programs (Human Dimensions, Disturbance Ecology, etc.) to ensure alignment.
* Co-develop projects with land managers to inform planning, NEPA, and treatment implementation.
* Represent ERI in collaborative forums, workshops, and professional meetings.
* Brief policy-makers on ERI and SWERI outcomes related to forest resilience.

### 10% Supervision, Mentoring, and Team Development (Essential)

* Supervise and lead research associates, coordinators, and professional staff.
* Provide day-to-day direction, mentoring, and feedback to staff and students.
* Support professional development through training and engagement in publications.
* Participate in hiring processes for program staff and students.

### 5% Other (Marginal)

* Attend coordination meetings among ERI, SWERI, etc.
* Contribute to ERI-wide initiatives, retreats, and strategic planning.
* Other duties as assigned.

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## Minimum Qualifications

* Master’s degree in forestry, ecology, geography, natural resources, environmental sciences, informatics, or closely related fields.
* 1 year of project management or supervisory experience.
* 2 years of relevant experience.
* *A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent.*

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## Preferred Qualifications

* PhD in forestry, ecology, or related field with emphasis in forest/fire ecology or fuels.
* Experience leading field-based forest ecology or fuels projects.
* Experience with wildfire behavior modeling (BehavePlus, FARSITE, etc.) and landscape dynamics models (FVS, LANDIS-II, etc.).
* Advanced skills in quantitative and spatial analysis using R or Python and GIS tools.
* Demonstrated success in securing external funding and proposal development.
* Record of peer-reviewed publications or technical reports.

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## Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

* **Technical expertise:** Forest and fire ecology, silviculture, and ecological restoration relevant to the Intermountain West.
* **Modeling:** Proficiency in wildfire behavior and vegetation dynamics modeling concepts.
* **Research:** Knowledge of research design, sampling, and statistical methods.
* **Management:** Skills in budgeting, project management, and program development within a sponsored projects environment.
* **Data Science:** Proficiency in R or Python and spatial analysis with GIS tools.
* **Communication:** Strong written and oral skills for technical and non-technical audiences.
* **Leadership:** Ability to supervise staff, mentor students, and build collaborative relationships.

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## Compensation

Salary range begins at **$76,082.00**. Annual salary is commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications and related experience.

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## Pre-Employment Check

Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for a criminal background investigation, employment history verification, and degree verification prior to employment. A fingerprint background check may also be required. NAU participates in the federal E-Verify program.

This is a safety/security sensitive position. If applying for a job requiring a CDL, you must register with the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse.

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## Notice of Availability of the Annual Fire and Security Report

Each year NAU releases an Annual Security Report in accordance with the Clery Act. It includes crime statistics and safety procedures. The Fire Safety Report is combined with the Annual Security Report for the Flagstaff Mountain Campus. Free paper copies are available via the NAUPD Records Department at (928) 523-8884.

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## Immigration Support/Sponsorship

Northern Arizona University will not provide any U.S. immigration support or sponsorship for this position.

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