Reconnected Rivers Program Associate

📋 Description

• • Serve as a key position supporting the growth of The Nature Conservancy’s Reconnected Appalachian Rivers Strategy, working across the West Virginia Business Unit and the Appalachians Program.
• • Focus 50% of responsibilities on building a new Reconnected Rivers program in West Virginia by identifying, envisioning, developing, overseeing, and supporting dam removal, culvert replacement, and floodplain restoration projects in priority landscapes.
• • Support the Appalachians Free Rivers Accelerator by advancing dam removal projects in two or three additional Appalachian states, coordinating with statewide networks, TNC Business Units, engineering firms, and partners.
• • Report primarily to the Director of Conservation Programs in West Virginia and secondarily to the Director of the Appalachians Free Rivers Accelerator, ensuring alignment across both programs.
• • Manage external relationships, budgets, subcontractors, timelines, and project outcomes for complex freshwater restoration initiatives.
• • Lead and/or manage projects through all phases including planning, grant-writing, proposal development, contracting, permitting, construction, monitoring, and evaluation.
• • Negotiate, draft, and manage contracts for engineering design, project construction, and contractor oversight to ensure project completion.
• • Build trusted relationships with diverse partners including government agencies, Indigenous communities, non-profits, local communities, businesses, landowners, and the public.
• • Communicate and share information effectively between West Virginia and Appalachians Program staff to ensure coordination and alignment.
• • Work within and manage complex budgets to deliver project objectives on time and within financial constraints.
• • Travel as needed to TNC and partner offices, project sites within West Virginia and the broader Appalachian region, and work in variable weather conditions, remote locations, rugged terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances.
• • Utilize GIS and standard office applications (Microsoft Word, Excel, web browsers) for project tracking, reporting, and communication.
• • Ensure compliance with TNC’s Auto Safety Program, including maintaining a valid driver’s license and passing a motor vehicle record review.
• • Translate complex ecological and conservation information for non-technical audiences including landowners, partners, and donors.
• • Contribute river conservation expertise to support West Virginia’s broader Conservation Team efforts to protect, manage, and restore critical lands and waters.
• • Implement equitable conservation strategies in collaboration with local communities and stakeholders.
• • Adapt flexibly to changing program requirements and priorities while maintaining independent task completion and deadline adherence.