Climate Smart Wood Supply Chain Manager

Are you excited about creating value and demand for wood products that have a positive impact on climate and communities? Are you interested in shaping a new program across the local wood supply chain, partnering with landowners, sawmills, the construction sector, and local government? If so, join our team!

Position Summary

The Climate Smart Wood Supply Chain Manager will lead the work of Washington Conservation Action (WCA) work to promote climate-smart forestry in Washington: forest management that increases forest resilience in the face of climate change and sequesters and stores more carbon over time compared to conventional practices. This position will lead the development and implementation of a new, five-year project in Pierce County. The project centers on a landowner incentive program to support small forest landowners and tribal governments to implement climate-smart forestry practices, as well as working with sawmills to build transparency on log sourcing to connect climate-smart wood to interested buyers. This work will involve close collaboration with Pierce Conservation District and engagement with other local entities and stakeholders. The position will also work closely with other members of the Climate Smart Wood Group, and support statewide efforts to promote climate-smart wood supply chains.

Washington Conservation Action is a statewide environmental advocacy organization that advances environmental policies and pushes for actions that equitably address climate pollution, restore Puget Sound, sustain our state’s forests, and protect our democracy. For Washington to remain a national leader on environmental issues, we need environmental champions in elected office and to hold our leaders accountable. To keep our environment protected, healthy, and vibrant, we are committed to supporting Native candidates, candidates of color, and environmental leaders seeking election.

In January, Washington Conservation Voters and Washington Environmental Council unified under a shared brand—Washington Conservation Action. This evolution builds on our 50 years of work and history of bringing people together to solve Washington’s most critical environmental issues. We develop, advocate, and defend policies that ensure environmental progress and justice by centering and amplifying the voices of the most impacted communities. Washington Conservation Action is a 501(c4) organization. Washington Conservation Action Education Fund is our 501(c3) partner organization. Together, we advance a shared vision for a Washington state where nature and people live in balance for the flourishing of all.

Washington Conservation Action is based in a LEED-certified building in downtown Seattle with a view of Elliott Bay. Our team of nearly 40 works in a flexible hybrid model, with staff in the office two days a week for collaboration and celebration. All staff members have access to tools and systems to support hybrid work. We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and the opportunity to make a difference. We are committed to a diverse, socially just, and welcoming work environment. People of color, people with varying abilities, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are especially encouraged to apply. We continue to advance the application of a racial equity lens to our work and are led by a CEO who is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes Warm Springs, Oregon.

Responsibilities

Manage the climate-smart wood project in Pierce County: Develop and implement a new initiative focused on the creation of climate-smart wood supply chains in Pierce County, including program development, project management, building partnerships with stakeholders, managing consultants, budgeting, and reporting.

• Lead development of the new climate-smart wood project in Pierce County, in collaboration with partners and the Forest Program Director.
• Manage the work plan and budget for the climate-smart wood project.
• Build relationships and partnerships with local entities in Pierce County, including landowners, tribal governments, sawmills, builders/developers, and local government.
• Collaborate with Pierce Conservation District (PCD) to develop and implement a landowner incentive program to support climate-smart forestry practices.
• Collaborate with partners on carbon accounting for the landowner incentive program.
• Implement a sawmill incentive program, including contracting with sawmills to track wood sourcing information, and incentivizing procurement and sale of climate-smart wood products.
• Identify opportunities to connect builders/developers and the architecture, engineering, and construction community to climate-smart wood supply chains related to the program.
• Manage technical consultants on traceability, geospatial analysis, and impact assessment.
• Develop materials to share the program with stakeholders and tribal governments, communicate outcomes, and document the process.
• Identify and promote synergies between the climate-smart wood project and other local initiatives in Pierce County, including connected to local government.
• Lead on narrative and financial reporting to funders, in collaboration with PCD and WCA staff.
• Participate in the Climate Smart Wood Group.
• Provide technical expertise on other local and statewide initiatives related to climate-smart wood procurement and incentives.

Coordinate with staff across WCA to strengthen and communicate Forest Program work

• Coordinate with WCA’s policy and political programs to identify synergies and opportunities across programs.
• Work with WCA’s Communications team to communicate WCA’s work on climate-smart wood in an effective and compelling way.
• Work with WCA’s Development team to support fundraising efforts.
• Commit to WCA's racial equity plan, participating on a racial equity committee and incorporating the racial equity goals into other duties and responsibilities.
• Collaborate with the Tribal Nations Program on engagement with tribal governments in Pierce County.
• Contribute to Forest Program initiatives, including publications and conferences.
• Help foster a positive and inclusive work environment and actively participate in trainings and mentorship opportunities.

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in forestry, environmental sciences, natural resources, business, or a related field and at least 3 -5 years related experience. Additional years of experience may be substituted for a degree.
• Commitment to environmental protection, and principles of racial, social, and economic justice.
• Demonstrated success managing programs or projects, and experience with budgeting and work plan development.
• Familiarity with wood product supply chains, ideally including direct engagement with mills and/or manufacturers.
• Applied experience with forest management, particularly with small and non-industrial forest landowners.
• Experience managing consultants and contracts.
• Entrepreneurial and innovative, willing to develop and implement new ideas.
• Strong communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain professional working relationships.
• Excellent organizational skills, keen attention to detail, and good judgment.
• Willing and able to take ownership of and accountability for completing tasks to meet deadlines.
• Ability to regularly travel to/throughout Pierce County.

Desirable Skills

• Familiarity with the legal and policy framework for forest management in Washington state.
• Familiarity with natural climate solutions, the relationship between forests and carbon, and climate-smart forestry.
• Experience with tribal governments and understanding of Tribal Treaty Rights and tribal sovereignty.
• Experiencing engaging with local government, e.g., related to economic development, sustainability, and/or construction and procurement.
• Experience with supply chain traceability and transparency, and forest management certification
• Experience using project management tools such as Asana.
• Flexible personality with the ability to work in a fast-paced, always changing, non-profit office. 

Location Information

This position is hybrid (minimum of 40% in the Seattle office) or fully remote for those located within Washington State, but outside of mass transit options to our Seattle office. Candidates living in/near Pierce County are preferred. We anticipate this job will involve regular travel to in-person meetings and staff gatherings at the discretion of the supervisor. Reimbursement for approved mileage costs are at the federal mileage rate and other travel costs are reimbursed as well.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

This job requires frequent sitting. Must be able to conduct business in English, though fluency in other languages is welcomed. For remote work, employees must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work during scheduled work hours. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with different abilities to perform functions essential to the duties of the position.

Washington Conservation Action and Washington Conservation Action Education Fund is a unionized employer represented by Communications Workers of America Local 7800. This is a represented position.

COVID-19

The organization follows all requirements of local health authorities. We are currently working in hybrid remote work model with staff working from home in addition to in-office time for collaboration and celebration. We maintain strict safety protocols while in our office. All staff who come to the office must be fully immunized against COVID-19.