The Director of Northern California Headwaters Conservation will help American Rivers develop and implement innovative and inspiring projects and programs that protect and restore source watersheds in the northern Sierra Nevada to increase climate and water supply resilience, support natural biodiversity, and benefit local and downstream communities. The Director will join a team that works at multiple levels to achieve tangible results and scale impact. Our approach is to implement on-the-ground projects that catalyze partnerships and policies to achieve river conservation at the regional and state-wide scales.
The Director will lead the Northern Sierra sub-program area of the California Headwaters Conservation Program, including strategic planning, budgeting, and fundraising for sub-program success. The Director will develop and oversee a range of headwaters projects including restoring mountain meadows and streams, improving forest health and roads to protect rivers, and other conservation efforts in the California Region. The Director will also co-lead and engage in watershed and regional-scale collaboratives, including the Eagle Lake Partnership, a new collaborative focused on watershed and forest restoration in Lassen National Forest, and the Sierra Meadows Partnership, which American Rivers co-founded. We are seeking a team member who can develop and lead on-the-ground restoration projects from conception to implementation, including securing funding and permits, managing budgets and schedules for state and federal grants, coordinating with multiple agencies, partners, and consultants, and conducting appropriate project monitoring. We are also seeking someone who can help launch and lead a watershed-scale collaborative, including authentically incorporating diverse stakeholder and tribal participation. The Director will also contribute to fundraising, strategic planning, communications, DEIJ initiatives, and other internal needs of the region.