More about Juneau, Alaska:

Juneau is the ancestral home of the Áakʼw Ḵwáan. It is also the state’s capital city. The greater Juneau borough is surrounded by the Tongass National Forest and is therefore rich with access to the outdoors, including fishing, hunting, foraging, kayaking, hiking, and skiing, among other activities. We have two public swimming pools, multiple fitness clubs, many city parks and libraries, and a variety of educational options for families of all ages. The community also has a vibrant arts community with numerous visual artists, dance troupes, theatre companies, two opera companies, chamber and symphony orchestras, a jazz and classics festival, and an annual folk music festival, as well as the State Museum and Sealaska Heritage Institute. The biennial Alaska Native cultural event ‘Celebration’ is held every two years in Juneau, Alaska, and is a major social and cultural event, with the next slated to occur in summer 2022.

Our city is famous for its rainy and sometimes gray coastal climate and is only accessible by air travel or the state ferry system, which are considerations for those contemplating a relocation from the Lower 48.

Are you an environmental campaigner and/or forest or public lands advocate? Do you want to build people power in Southeast Alaska to advocate for legislative change and hold agencies and decision-makers accountable to enhance and preserve the largest intact, carbon-dense temperate rainforests left on earth? Do you envision a future that encourages and celebrates community resilience, national forest restoration, and recreation and tourism opportunities in lieu of industrial development? If so, we want to talk to you!

The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) is seeking a Tongass Forest Program Manager to coordinate and lead our forest and land-use-related campaign work at SEACC. The Tongass Forest Program Manager reports to the Executive Director and manages the Tongass Forest programmatic work at SEACC. The Tongass Forest Program Manager will be a part of the management team at SEACC and supervises not more than two staff members. 

What you’ll do:

The Tongass Forest Program Manager will spend the majority of their time working on federal lands issues related to the Tongass National Forest, including some lobbying and travel to Washington, D.C. The role breaks down to about 50% program strategy and implementation, 20% Tongass Coalition leadership and coordination, and 30% staff and program management. The changing political landscape means the role will evolve over time but you’ll have three major areas of responsibility:

Coordination with partners: 

• Coordinate and/or participate in regional, statewide, and national coalition and partnership efforts to protect the Tongass National Forest and help develop a new vision for the future of our region;
• Work with the Executive Director and Indigenous Engagement Lead to continue to improve and grow SEACC’s efforts around Indigenous engagement and outreach;

Management:

• Supervise and work closely with one to two staff members;
• Participate in the Management Team;
• Participate in programmatic grant writing, editing, and reporting;
  

Program development and implementation:

• Work with the Executive Director and Environmental Policy Analyst to complete, manage and periodically refine SEACC’s Tongass Forest Program strategy;
• Contribute to the development of and manage the annual Tongass program budget, with support from Deputy Director;
• Work with SEACC’s legal partners and Environmental Policy Analyst to address ongoing timber sales and advocate for beneficial and against detrimental public-land-related legislation;
• Lead efforts to organize and engage the public to influence policy, decision-makers, and state and federal agencies. This will be done by working with volunteers to implement grassroots and grasstops tactics both in-person and digitally, using social media, our WordPress-hosted website, and other digital engagement tools like Nationbuilder, New/Mode, and SimpleTexting;

Advocate for land protections at the local, state, and federal levels by giving presentations, lobbying, and meeting with government officials.

Who you are:

We are looking for someone who is a people person ready to organize with energy and enthusiasm. A self-starter comfortable stepping into a leadership role who is able to develop and implement land conservation campaigns to protect Southeast Alaska’s temperate rainforest, working alongside and in support of our Alaska Native partners, local community members, and conservation partners.

Fundamentally, we want someone who loves making good things happen, directly and by managing and working with others. Southeast Alaska has a unique social landscape and the conservation movement has a complicated (and at times problematic) regional history. Cultural competency to navigate this complex space is important, as are good listening skills! 

More specifically, you will be or have most of the following qualifications:

• A background in environmental policy, and/or grassroots or grasstops campaigns;
• Professional experience or study in forest conservation, forest science, forest-related advocacy, forestry, or biology. A forest-related degree is specifically not required for this position, but relevant experience is required. This could include experience working for Indigenous organizations engaging in forestry or forest conservation, or work for the Forest Service, in the forestry industry, in restoration, climate policy, natural resource economics, or educational or professional background in conservation, the biological sciences, law or policy;
• An effective communicator (written and oral), able to quickly understand, translate, and communicate problems and policy solutions that the general public can understand and engage in.
• This includes a background, comfort, or interest in learning to communicate with the media, including as an occasional spokesperson; 
• A proactive and strong problem solver with demonstrated people skills, experience untangling tough social issues, and working to bring people together and empower SEACC, our partners, and more importantly the public in effective advocacy for our shared conservation objectives;
• Commitment to the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, with demonstrated successes in previous work and self-awareness of where you need to grow. You work effectively with a diverse team and partners and act proactively to spot issues of equity and inclusion and develop practical solutions.
• An excellent time manager comfortable planning, prioritizing, troubleshooting, and moving tasks forward while coordinating in all directions, especially across lines of difference (by gaining trust and rapport through warmth, humility, optimism, humor, etc.);
• Experience managing others, with the ability to provide a supportive environment and adapt to the evolving needs of your staff and the broader organization;
• Interest in and desire to work with a wide variety of people throughout Southeast Alaska. SEACC’s work takes us to communities throughout our region, so a genuine interest in the people and places of Southeast Alaska, and an ability to sustain a high level of energy and engagement over community visits lasting several days is required;
• Comfort outdoors and in communities — SEACC staff travel in small planes, skiffs, larger boats, and by foot, in addition to traveling by commercial planes. The Program Manager will visit small mill sites, old-growth stands, and remote communities while in the field, largely staying in SEACC supporters’ homes when we travel. Flexibility, adaptability, and good houseguest etiquette are key requirements for this role;
• Knowledge and interest in Southeast Alaska Indigenous language, culture, and communities. The Program Manager connects and builds relationships with Native groups, Tribal representatives, and Indigenous community members and leaders to further conservation and equity objectives. Your understanding of, and willingness to learn, cultural protocols, language, and knowledge systems supports the outcomes that best fit our region. Knowledge of, and/or willingness to learn Lingít, Xaad Kil, or Smʼalgyax improves connection to local Indigenous ways of being.

We know there is not one ideal candidate who has all of these traits, so if you have a mix of interests, skills, and experience related to the above — and a passion for this work — please don’t let a specific gap in your strengths for this role stop you from applying or reaching out. We encourage candidates who have at least 75% of the above qualifications to apply.

What else you should know:

SEACC recognizes, supports, and values all forms of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Compensation:

This role is a full-time exempt position, and the salary range for this role is between $58,000 to $64,000 with exact salary dependent upon experience.

We also offer excellent benefits, including:

•   Three weeks of paid leave your first year and four weeks of paid leave after one year, plus
•   11 federal and state holidays, plus
•   Fully paid healthcare, plus
•   12 days of medical leave annually, plus
•   Two days of community service or participation leave, plus
•   A 401K plan with a 5% match that begins after just one year of employment, and
•   In addition, the Executive Director closes the office between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day each year as a thank you to the staff!

Where you will work:

SEACC’s office is located in Juneau, Alaska. During the pandemic, this role may work remotely if/as needed.

•   Southeast Alaskan candidates who are not located in Juneau but are interested in the position are strongly encouraged to apply. As a regional nonprofit, the selected candidate must be located in our region, but the exact location in Southeast Alaska may be negotiable.

•   Alaskan candidates who live outside of Southeast will not be required to relocate to Southeast immediately, given the changing status of the pandemic, but must plan to relocate to Juneau on an agreed-upon timeline.

More about Juneau, Alaska: Juneau, known by the Tlingit people as Dzántik’i Héeni, is the ancestral home of the Aak’w Ḵwáan and Taku Ḵwáan. It is also the state’s capital city. Juneau is surrounded by the Tongass National Forest and is rich with access to the outdoors, including fishing, hunting, foraging, kayaking, biking, hiking, and skiing, among other activities. We have two public swimming pools, multiple fitness clubs, a city-owned ski mountain, many city parks and libraries, and a variety of educational options for families of all ages. Juneau also has a vibrant arts community with numerous visual artists, dance troupes, theatre companies, two opera companies, chamber and symphony orchestras, a jazz and classics festival, and an annual folk music festival, as well as the Alaska State Museum and Sealaska Heritage Institute. Juneau has a robust and growing Indigenous arts and culture scene, and the biennial Alaska Native cultural event ‘Celebration’ is held every two years in Juneau and is a major social and cultural event, with the next slated to occur in summer 2022.

Our city is famous for its rainy and often gray coastal climate and is only accessible by air travel or the state ferry system, which are considerations for those contemplating a relocation from the Lower 48.

Desired start date:

Not later than March 28, 2022.

Application process:

Applications submitted by end-of-day on February 8 will be considered in the first round of review. SEACC will continue to accept applications and review them on a rolling basis until role is filled. If the role is still posted, then we are still accepting applications.

To apply:

Please submit your cover letter, resume, and a short professional writing sample of not more than 1,000 words (excerpts are fine) to [email protected] Please put ‘Job Application — Tongass Program Manager’ and your last name in the email subject line. Please also include a list of three professional references, including one from a former or current direct supervisor.