New Mexico Grasslands Restoration Project Coordinator

This position will support and guide the growing and successful Restore New Mexico partnership which has been working for over a decade to improve rangeland condition for Lesser Prairie-Chickens and other wildlife through removal of mesquite canopy . This partnership includes the  Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Land Office, Center for Excellence in Hazardous Materials Management (CEHMM), New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, among others. Habitat work has been on the magnitude of tens of thousands of acres per year and is accelerating with influx of Inflation Reduction Act funds through the Bureau of Land Management. This position focuses in southeast New Mexico within the Pecos District of the BLM, primarily within Roosevelt and Chaves counties but some work in Curry, DeBaca, Eddy, Lea, and Quay counties may occur.

The position requires coordination among private, local, state, and federal agencies, and as such the incumbent needs to be a team leader and participant. Day-to-day work consists of working with landowners, permittees, JV staff from various disciplines (GIS, biological science, conservation delivery, communications, and social science) and local, state, and regional partners to accomplish bird habitat conservation.

Major Duties

• Facilitate the implementation of the Restore New Mexico mesquite removal program with landowners and lessees within the identified priority area.
• Facilitate communications between PLJV office staff and other Restore NM partners to ensure progress on program deliverables.
• Ensure project deliverables and reports are completed on time.
• Collect data on landowner demographics, social context and lived experiences.
• Oversee data collection to monitor vegetation in treatment areas.
• Maintain an existing network of partners, and work to engage new partners  and re-engage with others.
• Identify and work to build relationships with groups focused on diversity and inclusion in conservation.
• Coordinate and conduct field days with landowners and Restore NM partners to demonstrate impacts of mesquite removal.
• Participate in meetings with Restore NM partners to inform future management actions.
• Assist with collection of vegetation data for ground truthing.
• Travel within the designated counties. Some evening and weekend work may be necessary to accommodate landowner schedules.

Required Qualifications

• A degree in Natural Resources Management, Communications, Social Science, Community Organization, Environmental Studies or related experience and 3-5 years experience in natural resources management.
• Experience with Farm Bill practices and programs.
• Ability to build and establish relationships with private, municipal, state or federal landowners.
• Demonstrated track record of working with agricultural producers, both farmers and ranchers.
• Ability to organize multiple moving pieces, meet deadlines, and adapt to fit various situations.
• Strong communications skills, including the ability to succinctly explain detailed scientific information in a way that is understandable to the average audience.
• Demonstrated ability in coordinating or leading a group in a successful project.
• Ability to connect and communicate with, and listen and learn from people with diverse perspectives, experiences, and values.
• Ability to forge lasting relationships and build partnerships to find common ground among those with diverse perspectives on issues involving natural resource conservation and management.

Additional Desired Qualifications

• Understanding of livestock/ranching operations in southeastern New Mexico.
• Knowledge of New Mexico and U.S. Federal lessee agreements.
• Ability to communicate in English and Spanish.

Other Requirements/Physical Demands

• Must possess and maintain a valid state driver’s license.
• This position will need to conduct off-site meetings and evaluations that may include traversing wet, rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces in hot, cold, dry, or humid environments.

Travel Required

This position requires substantial workday travel within southeastern New Mexico to meet with landowners and partners. Travel requirements may be greater than 50%, although nights away from home may be less than 15%.

About Playa Lakes Joint Venture

PLJV is a regional partnership of federal and state wildlife agencies, conservation groups and private industry dedicated to conserving bird habitat throughout portions of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Our mission is to conserve the playas, prairies and landscapes of the western Great Plains through partnerships for the benefit of birds, other wildlife, and people. The Joint Venture facilitates cooperation among a broad coalition of partners on the national, regional, state and local levels to fund and implement habitat conservation. We provide regional planning, value­-added efficiency and implementation approaches, while our partners provide financial, technical and local expertise to develop conservation projects. In addition, PLJV supports local conservation partnerships, state agencies and other partners by developing various decision support tools, as well as providing education about how to use the tools to target and deliver the most effective habitat conservation. PLJV also works with a variety of partners to inform landowners about conservation programs and to target conservation efforts in areas that will provide the most benefit.

Supervisor

This position reports directly to the Conservation Science Director. Job performance is reviewed in the context of responsiveness to objectives and priorities as determined by the Conservation Science Director, and based on input from an advisory team of Restore NM partners. Annual work plans for the position will be developed by the position incumbent in consultation with the Conservation Science Director. Beyond a work plan, the incumbent is largely self­-directed in accomplishing objectives.

Salary, Benefits, and Start Date

Starting salary is commensurate with education, experience, and location with an expected range of $60,000 – $70,000 per year. PLJV offers a generous benefits package, including full medical and dental coverage, HSA with annual contribution to defray medical deductibles, and a 7% salary match toward our retirement plan. We anticipate this position will begin working on or around December 1, 2023.

PLJV’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

People are essential to realizing our mission to conserve birds and wildlife across the western Great Plains. At PLJV we are committed to including all voices within our landscape in order to implement conservation work by collaborating with a wide variety of individual and community stakeholders and ensuring that our work is reflective of their values, beliefs, and ways of knowing. We commit to building more equity into our programs and services by improving our awareness and understanding of the unique perspectives of people, engaging in dialogue with communities of all backgrounds, and taking actions that support our combined interests in a meaningful way.

Job Location

The job location is in southeastern New Mexico near Roswell or Carlsbad and will be in a remote work setting. Priority will be given to candidates with a demonstrated connection to the landscape or community.

To Apply

Playa Lakes Joint Venture is an Equal Opportunity Employer and seeks a diverse applicant pool. Please email your application documents as one complete PDF file to jobs@pljv.org. All applications should include a one-page cover letter and a resume. In the cover letter, please include salary requirements and an estimated start date. The deadline for all applications is October 13, 2023.