Opportunity

Salary: $70,000 - $85,000

The New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) stands at a pivotal moment of opportunity for advancing cutting edge forest-based climate solutions across New England and beyond. NEFF is an advocate for forest-climate solutions; a generator of new information and science on how Exemplary Forestry can advance the integrated goals of ecological health, forest carbon, and a dynamic bioeconomy; a conservation landowner that actively manages forest land; and an active collaborator in support of ecologically aligned forestry.

This position posting comes in the context of a significant period of growth for NEFF focused on how climate-smart forestry can be implemented across New England and as a national and international model for climate-smart forestry on private lands. The USDA recently awarded NEFF a $30 million grant under their Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (CSC) program for the New England Climate-Smart Commodities Partnership project. This program represents an unprecedented opportunity to pilot scalable, carbon-saving forest management practices as part of a systems approach including forestland protection, wildland preservation and building with wood to store carbon and displace carbon-intensive materials. Through this program, NEFF will define and implement a groundbreaking and nationally relevant pilot program in New England to build a climate-smart, forest-based economy as a powerful tool for climate action.

The CSC Program Forester will work with the Exemplary Forestry Program – Senior Forester and the rest of the project team to support on-the-ground implementation of and participation in the program. Work will touch on each of the three main areas of NEFF’s CSC program including design and implementation of climate smart incentives; monitoring, verification and reporting; and support for climate smart sourcing for wood markets. All areas of work will be conducted in coordination with project partners and based on expert inputs across project elements. Work will also be integrated with the ongoing work of NEFF’s Exemplary Forestry Center.

The CSC Program Forester will work under the direction of NEFF’s Senior Science and Policy Fellow and in close partnership with the Exemplary Forestry Program – Senior Forester. Work under this position will be integrated with the ongoing work of NEFF’s Exemplary Forestry Center. Location is flexible across the New England region, but regular presence in Maine will be a significant component of the position.

Responsibilities:

• Support NEFF’s overall Exemplary Forestry program towards our vision of implementing Exemplary Forestry practices across New England in service of climate and ecological outcomes.
• Support strong relationships with forestland owners to support adoption of Exemplary Forestry principles and practice.
• Support and conduct pertinent forestry research projects.
• Familiarity and experience with forestry issues in the southern New England region.
• Specific roles related to NEFF’s Climate Smart Commodities Partnership include:
  • Support outreach to and engagement of participating forest landowners – with a focus on smaller and southern New England forestlands.
  • Outreach to and engagement of foresters and loggers in understanding, supporting and implementing the climate smart forestry protocols for the project.
  • Support development of the landowner incentive payment program(s) specifically designed to enable forestland owners to implement climate smart forest practices under this CSC program.
  • Support design and execution of contractual agreements with landowners to achieve the intended goals of the CSC incentive payments.
  • Document on-the-ground implementation of required climate smart forestry practices under the program in coordination with the project team and GHG monitoring partners.
  • Support development of long-term monitoring protocols designed to be deployed beyond the five-year project term to fulfil the forest management and carbon outcomes of the program.

Qualifications:

• Familiarity with New England’s forest ecosystems and forest industry.
• Master’s Degree in forestry or forest science with at least five years of experience working on natural resource and/or climate mitigation issues.
• A passion for forest conservation, forestry, and climate change action with a clear understanding of those issues and their relationships to forests, forestry, and natural resource management.
• Knowledgeable on Maine’s forests and desirable to have existing relationships with landowners.
• Familiarity with GHG monitoring approaches relevant to forest carbon management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience with effectively communicating complex scientific and technical information to a wide range of audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively with NEFF staff, project partners, and outside stakeholders to build strong partnerships and achieve common goals.
• Affinity for working on dynamic, innovative, out-of-the box approaches.
• Exceptional organizational and prioritization skills with fluency and nimbleness in managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample via email to Kim Doherty at kdoherty@newenglandforestry.org.

Please use CSC Program Forester as the subject line of your submission.

Positions will be filled on a rolling basis.