Green Careers

Restoration Manager

Position Overview

In partnership with the Greening Urban Watersheds Program Manager, the Restoration Manager sees to the critical restoration of natural landscapes that mimic natural watershed processes which direct urban runoff to vegetated green infrastructure systems to reduce, filter or slow stormwater runoff. The Restoration Manager is responsible for the design, installation, and stewardship of native and drought-tolerant landscaping in rain gardens, bioswales and habitat gardens, as well as overseeing the urban forestry program. This highly visible position requires strong internal collaboration with other TWP program staff, as well as collaborative external relationships with project partners, including municipal representatives, community groups and the general public.

This position may be part-time or full-time, between 24-40 hours per week, depending on the availability and skill set of the candidate. Please see below for details.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities for a part-time position may include, but are not limited to:

Restoration Project Management (40%)

• Overseeing TWP landscapes and fostering stewardship of completed projects.
• Implementing, consulting and leading an urban forestry program, which includes a comprehensive tree care program for successful establishment of planted trees.
• Identifying and coordinating appropriate restoration projects with input from other staff.
• Developing planting plans and plant lists for projects.
• Ordering and maintaining plants for restoration or construction projects.
• Preparing the scope of work for and facilitating field workdays.
• Training and supervising staff and/or volunteer work crews in landscape and tree planting tasks.
• Transporting tools, supplies and plants, including trees, to planting sites.

Outreach and Communications (15%)

• Explaining the ecological benefits and functions of various habitats in our project areas to the public.
• Developing relationships with municipal partners and community groups.
• Attending and participating in targeted community meetings as needed.
• Preparing and leading training presentations on maintaining native vegetation landscapes and trees for the general public, agency maintenance staff, and TWP staff.
• Supporting and establishing programs/activities for large community events such as MLK Day, Earth Day, and Coastal Cleanup Day.

Coordination and Reporting (5%)

• Managing urban forestry inventory spreadsheet.
• Writing project schedules and reports.
• Tracking progress of projects, including budget expenditures.
• Providing subject matter expertise to non-restoration TWP staff as it relates to their projects (e.g. consulting on appropriate trees, plants for project needs, identifying invasive plant species, etc.).

Additional responsibilities for a full-time position may include:

Volunteer Coordination and Program Support (40%)

• Recruiting groups and volunteers to participate in stewardship events such as clean-ups, planting or weeding.
• Organizing and supporting staff and volunteer stewardship events such as urban greening workdays, trash assessments, and large community events such as MLK Day, Earth Day, and Coastal Cleanup Day.
• Responding to inquiries related to volunteer opportunities.
• Keeping track of relationships with volunteers and community contacts using spreadsheets and/or databases such as Salesforce.

Desired Qualifications

Qualified candidates must demonstrate:

• Passion for outdoor field work and public education/interpretation.
• Experience with native plant landscaping and gardening work, tree planting, and tree care.
• Familiarity with native California and drought tolerant flora.
• Experience leading work groups (especially volunteers).
• The ability to work effectively independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Flexibility, enthusiasm, dependability, and the ability to work effectively with a diverse range of people.

Additionally, the ideal candidate will possess some of the following knowledge, skills, and experience:

• Interest in watershed health and ecology.
• Experience with project management and tracking expenditures.
• Degree and/or certification in a related field (botany, horticulture, landscape management etc.) preferred.
• Familiarity with or ability to learn computer applications such as Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish a plus.

Physical Requirements

• Fingerprinting and proof of COVID-19 vaccination required after hire. Fingerprinting costs will be reimbursed.
• Requires flexibility to work weekends, particularly Saturdays, for community events that may occur on the weekend.
• A valid California Driver’s License, clean DMV record, and access to a vehicle is required.
• Work involves walking on uneven or muddy terrain. Work requires squatting and kneeling.
• Frequently lifts, carries and positions objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

Work Environment and Values

Work is performed in an outdoor and office setting. Office location is at the Richmond Field Station in Richmond, CA, with field sites primarily in West Contra Costa County and Oakland.

TWP is an equal opportunity employer that strives to recruit a diverse workforce and provide an equitable and inclusive workplace for all. We strongly encourage people with a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences to apply and thrive within our growing team. We seek qualified and passionate individuals regardless of age, ancestry, color, creed, cultural background, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, marital status, military obligations, national origin, parental status, physical ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or veteran status.

Compensation: This is a part-time or full-time Salary Exempt position with a full-time equivalent (FTE) salary of $50,000-53,000 per year. Employees who work 60% FTE or more are eligible for benefits. The Watershed Project offers excellent benefits, including:

• Medical and dental insurance
• Paid vacation time (10 days per year) and sick leave
• 12 paid holidays per year
• 403(b) retirement plan
• Paid professional development opportunities
• Flexible work schedule
• Friendly, dedicated, and supportive coworkers

To Apply: Please email a resume and cover letter, detailing your interest and experience relevant to this position, to jobs@thewatershedproject.org and include “Restoration Manager” in the subject line. Applications received by Monday, January 2 will be prioritized for review, although we will keep the position open until filled. We hope our new team member will start in February, but this timeline is flexible based on mutual availability. Please revisit this web page for up-to-date information.

Click here to view and download a PDF of this job description.

Community Outreach Coordinator

Position Overview

Under supervision of the Community Engagement Manager, the Community Outreach Coordinator will develop and cultivate relationships with community members and local groups in Richmond and surrounding West Contra Costa County communities, especially low-income communities of color facing disproportionate climate change impacts. The Community Outreach Coordinator, with the support of TWP program staff, is responsible for leveraging these relationships to ensure TWP includes and uplifts community voices in our work, and partners with community members to take action to improve watershed and community health.

This position may be part-time or full-time, between 24-40 hours per week, depending on the availability and skill set of the candidate. Please see below for details.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities for a part-time position may include, but are not limited to:

Community Outreach and Engagement (40%)

• Inviting Richmond, North Richmond, San Pablo,  and other West Contra Costa County community members to participate in projects such as development for parks, gardens, trails, creeks, shorelines, and climate resiliency actions in their communities.
• Planning, organizing, and facilitating public events for community engagement, such as community workshops, block parties, and participation in design charrettes, surveys, and community discussions and panels.
• Cultivating long-term relationships with community groups and individuals through regular communication.
• Attending and participating in targeted community meetings.
• Translating between English and Spanish as needed at community events.
• Tabling at fairs, festivals, and other events to promote The Watershed Project’s work.
• Networking and relationship-building with other organizations, non-profits, governmental agencies, elected officials, neighborhood councils, schools, etc., at local and regional scales.
• Keeping track of program activities for grant reports.

Communications and Marketing (20%)

• Developing outreach materials such as flyers, posters, and door hangers.
• Creating content for community-facing web pages about projects and events.
• Writing articles for the monthly Ebb & Flow newsletter.
• Translating outreach materials from English to Spanish.

Additional responsibilities for a full-time position may include:

Volunteer Coordination and Program Support (40%)

• Recruiting groups and volunteers to participate in stewardship events such as clean-ups, planting or weeding.
• Organizing and supporting staff and volunteer stewardship events such as urban greening workdays, trash assessments, and large community events such as MLK Day, Earth Day, and Coastal Cleanup Day.
• Responding to inquiries related to volunteer opportunities.
• Keeping track of relationships with volunteers and community contacts using spreadsheets and/or databases such as Salesforce.

Desired Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess some of the following knowledge, skills, and experience:

• “People person”; passion for cultivating relationships with community groups and individuals in Richmond and surrounding West Contra Costa County communities. An existing relationship to Richmond/North Richmond (e.g. someone who has lived or worked here) is a big plus. Must bring experience working with communities of color.
• Mission-driven; commitment and desire to improve the well-being of our environment and our communities, especially low-income communities of color.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills in English and Spanish are required.
• Comfort with a variety of communication methods including phone (texts or calls), emails, video conferencing, and in-person.
• Experience communicating with the public and participating in community events.
• Flexibility, enthusiasm, dependability, and the ability to work effectively with many different types of people.
• The ability to take individual responsibility and to work effectively as part of a collaborative team.
• Organization and attention to detail.
• Familiarity with or ability to learn computer applications such as Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite.
• Basic graphic design skills; ability to create messaging and visuals for outreach materials.

Physical Requirements

• Fingerprinting and proof of COVID-19 vaccination required after hire. Fingerprinting costs will be reimbursed.
• Requires flexibility to work weekends (particularly Saturdays) and evenings for community events that may occur during those hours.
• Regularly sits at a computer station and operates electronic equipment 6 to 8 hours per day.
• Work involves walking on uneven or muddy terrain.
• A valid California Driver’s License is highly desirable.

Work Environment and Values

Work is performed in an outdoor and office setting. Office location is at the Richmond Field Station in Richmond, CA, with field sites primarily in West Contra Costa County and Oakland.

TWP is an equal opportunity employer that strives to recruit a diverse workforce and provide an equitable and inclusive workplace for all. We strongly encourage people with a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences to apply and thrive within our growing team. We seek qualified and passionate individuals regardless of age, ancestry, color, creed, cultural background, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, marital status, military obligations, national origin, parental status, physical ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or veteran status.

Compensation

This is a part-time or full-time Salary Non-Exempt position with a full-time equivalent (FTE) salary of $43,000-45,000 per year. Employees who work 60% FTE or more are eligible for benefits. The Watershed Project offers excellent benefits, including:

• Medical and dental insurance
• Paid vacation time (10 days per year) and sick leave
• 12 paid holidays per year
• 403(b) retirement plan
• Paid professional development opportunities
• Flexible work schedule
• Friendly, dedicated, and supportive coworkers

To Apply

Please email a resume and cover letter, describing your interest and experience relevant to this position, to jobs@thewatershedproject.org and include “Community Outreach Coordinator” in the subject line. Applications received by Monday, January 2 will be prioritized for review, although we will keep the position open until filled. We hope our new team member will start in February, but this timeline is flexible based on mutual availability. Please revisit this web page for up-to-date information.

Click here to view and download a PDF of this job description.

Green Collar Corps

Position Overview

The Watershed Project’s Green Collar Corps (GCC) program provides paid job training and part-time employment for youth and young adults (17-24 years old) in Richmond, San Pablo, and Oakland. The program’s goal is to support personal and professional growth for local young people, especially those who are underrepresented in the environmental field (such as Black, Indigenous, and other youth of color) and who cannot afford to take an unpaid internship opportunity. Created in 2009, our GCC program now employs 5-7 young adults annually, giving them the skills and experience they need to pursue environmental or other careers. Members work across all TWP’s program areas with introductions to diverse environmental careers and hands-on experiences, in addition to educational trainings, professional development, and team-building activities.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Leading outdoor field trips and in-class lessons with K-12th grade students.
• Installing green schoolyard features such as rainwater cisterns, trees, plants, and artwork on elementary school campuses in Oakland.
• Stewardship of community green spaces, including weeding, planting, watering, and spreading mulch.
• Participating in creek and shoreline trash cleanup events.
• Conducting water quality monitoring in creeks throughout Contra Costa County.
• Community outreach and participation in community events.
• Website and social media communications, writing articles for the email newsletter.
• Support evaluation of K-12th grade education programs and community events.

Desired Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess some of the following knowledge, skills, and experience:

• Interest and/or experience working with K-12th grade students.
• Enjoy physical outdoor field work such as gardening.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is a big plus.

• Flexibility, enthusiasm, dependability, and the ability to work effectively with many different types of people.
• The ability to work effectively as part of a collaborative team and to take individual responsibility.
• Familiarity with or ability to learn computer applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Office Suite, and Google Suite.

In order to adhere to our grant requirements and work toward our goal of increasing equitable access to employment in the environmental field, GCC members must meet at least one of the requirements listed below:

• Come from a low-income community (based on median household income, as defined by the Outdoor Equity Program Tool or the Disadvantaged Communities Mapping Tool)
• Identify as a person of color, LGBTQIA, or person with a disability

Physical Requirements

• Fingerprinting, TB test, and proof of COVID-19 vaccination required after hire.
• A reliable method of transportation to TWP’s office and field sites in West Contra Costa County and Oakland.
• Work involves walking on uneven or muddy terrain. Work requires squatting and kneeling.
• Frequently lifts, carries and positions objects weighing up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment and Values

Work is performed in an outdoor and office setting. Office location is at the Richmond Field Station in Richmond, CA, with field sites primarily in West Contra Costa County and Oakland. Some tasks may be performed remotely.

TWP is an equal opportunity employer that strives to recruit a diverse workforce and provide an equitable and inclusive workplace for all. We strongly encourage people with a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences to apply and thrive within our growing team. We seek qualified and passionate individuals regardless of age, ancestry, color, creed, cultural background, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, marital status, military obligations, national origin, parental status, physical ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or veteran status.

Compensation

This is a part-time hourly position with a salary of $17 per hour. GCC members are generally expected to work ~12-16 hours per week, with a flexible schedule designed to accommodate college courses. GCC members commit to spending at least one full academic year with TWP, and have the option of staying longer to gain more in-depth experience and leadership opportunities. 

To Apply

Visit the Google Form at tinyurl.com/GCC-App-2022 or scan the QR code below to complete the GCC application. If you have any questions please reach out to the Internship Manager, Pinkie Young, at pinkie@thewatershedproject.org or (510) 730-1551.

Click here to view and download a PDF version of this job description.

Click here to view and download a flyer about the GCC program.