San Francisquito Watershed Project Director

San Francisquito Watershed Project Director
(Full-Time Position)

If you have been searching for a leadership position in an organization in which your ideas not only get heard but also make a difference, then you may be the San Francisquito Watershed Project Director that Acterra is seeking. This is a wonderful opportunity for the right person to take a 15-year-old community legacy to the next exciting level.

The San Francisquito Watershed Project (SFWP) is a program of Acterra devoted to fostering awareness, protection and preservation of San Francisquito Creek and the watershed that supports it. San Francisquito Creek is one of the few free-flowing, unchannelized streams in the SF Bay Area, and is a cherished community and environmental resource. Its watershed, encompassing some 45 square miles, drains into the SF Bay estuary and provides vital riparian and aquatic habitat for native flora and fauna. The SFWP works to restore riparian and aquatic habitats, reduce flood impacts and improve water quality. This group has a strong track record of fostering cooperation among various stakeholders, building long-lasting relationships in local communities and implementing on-the-ground restoration projects in the watershed performed by hundreds of volunteers.

Under the supervision of Acterra’s Stewardship Director, the SFWP Director is responsible for:

Organizational leadership:
• Public outreach on behalf of the SFWP: representing the SFWP to public agencies, the press, volunteers and the general public.
• Providing technical information for projects related to watershed stewardship and developing contacts among those working in local watersheds.

Project and Financial Administration:
• Planning and executing work in the following program areas: volunteer workdays (habitat restoration and creek clean-up), Streamkeepers, invasive plant removal.
• Collaborating with the public entities in the watershed on ways to expand the volunteer workdays and Streamkeepers programs into new communities / projects.
• Coordinating with agencies and landowners to secure permits / permissions for projects in the watershed.
• Working with Acterra’s Native Plant Nursery to plan and coordinate native planting workdays.
• Assuming primary responsibility for sustaining the SFWP financially, including developing the annual project budget with Acterra.
• Securing grants to support the project’s efforts and monitoring the activities to assure all grant deliverables are completed, reported, and billed for on time.
• Monitoring overall expenditures against the project budget with assistance from Acterra’s Stewardship Director and business manager.

Skill Set:
• Ability to work well with and meaningfully engage people from a variety of backgrounds.
• Excellent management skills, including supervision of volunteers.
• Ability to manage grants and raise funds.
• Ability to prepare and manage a budget.
• Ability to track and manage long-term and short-term tasks and activities.
• Organization skills, ability to anticipate and meet deadlines in a timely manner.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills. Macintosh computer skills a plus.
• Knowledge of riparian and aquatic ecosystems is a plus.
• Knowledge of San Francisquito Creek is a plus.

Compensation:
The salary is $45,000 to $48,000 a year plus health/dental insurance, paid holidays, sick leave and vacation time.

To Apply:
Applications accepted until the position is filled. Position Start Date: May 2008

The current Director will be leaving later this spring and the goal is to fill the position as soon as possible in order to provide proper training to the next Director. If interested, please email or mail a cover letter explaining why you are interested, your resume and three professional references to:

Sheri Lubin, Stewardship Program Director
Acterra
3921 East Bayshore Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303
SheriL@acterra.org