Conservation Programs - Special Projects Lead

The National Forest Foundation is offering a part-time position supporting Conservation Program leadership with strategic operations and high-priority special projects.

About the National Forest Foundation

As the official national partner to the US Forest Service, the National Forest Foundation was chartered by Congress in 1990. The NFF advances forest resiliency, healthy watersheds and wildlife habitat, and recreation for all by working with communities and organizations across the country. The Foundation has grown significantly in recent years in programmatic impact, revenue and support, and organizational capacity. The NFF deploys roughly 90% of its expenses toward projects and programs across the country's 193-million-acre National Forest System.

Position Function

The Special Projects Lead for Conservation Programs serves as a strategic and operational partner to the Chief Conservation Officer and the conservation leadership team. This role leads high-priority special projects that advance conservation goals, supports cross-functional execution, and helps ensure that complex initiatives move from concept to completion. The Special Projects Lead drives coordination, project management, leadership communications, and organizational effectiveness for the NFF's Conservation programs, advancing wildfire resilience, land and watershed restoration, and recreation enhancement.

Duties and Responsibilities

•  Partner with the Chief Conservation Officer and conservation leadership team to identify, prioritize, and advance high-impact special projects and strategic initiatives.

•  Develop and manage systems that improve communication, accountability, and decision-making across the Conservation team.

•  Prepare briefing materials, presentations, agendas, and talking points for internal meetings, board interactions, partner engagements, and external events.

•  Facilitate project planning and leadership coordination meetings by shaping agendas, documenting action items, monitoring progress, and surfacing risks or bottlenecks early.

•  Lead and manage special projects that support organizational growth, conservation impact, and operational excellence, ensuring clear objectives, timelines, ownership, and successful delivery.

•  Facilitate the development of systems and processes that capture qualitative and quantitative metrics that help internal and external audiences understand the NFF's conservation impacts.

•  Collaborate with advancement and program staff to cultivate corporate relationships, shape partnership concepts and proposals, and secure financial contributions that align business sustainability objectives with measurable conservation outcomes.

•  Represent conservation leadership in selected meetings and partnerships, and help maintain strong relationships with public agencies, nonprofit partners, funders, and community stakeholders.

•  Support preparation for strategic planning, annual budgeting, team retreats, and other organizational planning processes.

Education and Qualifications

•  Commitment to conservation, public lands, and the mission of the National Forest Foundation.

•  Bachelor's degree in environmental studies, public administration, nonprofit management, business, natural resources, or a related field. Equivalent experience may be considered.

•  Seven to ten years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit leadership, conservation programs, strategy, operations, project management, or a related field.

•  Experience in conservation, forestry, land management, watershed restoration, wildfire resilience, outdoor recreation, or closely related fields.

•  Experience working with federal or state agencies, especially in partnership-oriented environments.

•  Demonstrated success leading complex special projects and managing cross-functional initiatives from planning through execution.

•  Strong understanding of organizational strategy, operational systems, and performance management in a mission-driven environment.

•  Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information into clear recommendations, plans, and presentations.

•  Exceptional project management, organizational, and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

•  Strong judgment, discretion, and the ability to handle sensitive or confidential information with professionalism.

•  Ability to build trust and collaborate effectively across teams, functions, and external partners.

•  Familiarity with nonprofit fundraising, grants management, donor reporting, or public-private partnerships.

•  Experience supporting distributed teams and leading change management or process improvement efforts.

Compensation and Benefits

The starting salary range is $90,000 to $101,250, with the ability to grow based on performance outcomes, assessed annually.

•  Medical and dental insurance paid at 75% by the organization for the employee and dependents; vision paid at 50%.

•  Health savings account with employer contributions between $1,878 and $3,750 per year, depending on coverage type.

•  Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts, and an employee assistance program at no cost.

•  403(b) retirement plan with a 5% employer match after one year of service.

•  Short-term and long-term disability, and basic life and AD&D insurance at no cost.

•  Employees start with 35 days of combined annual, sick, personal leave and holidays, with accrual increasing with years of service.

•  Family and medical leave up to sixteen weeks, with up to four weeks paid.

•  Professional development reimbursement up to $1,000 per year.

Location and Travel

This is a remote, work-from-home position. The location is flexible throughout the lower 48 states and requires candidates to be in close proximity to a major airport, with reliable internet access and a dedicated workspace. Travel is estimated at up to 10% per year.

The National Forest Foundation is an equal opportunity employer, providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law.