Project and Business Development Lead

About the Role

Reporting to Resilience Force’s Managing Director, the Project and Business Development Lead will take the lead on contract procurement and business development. When in the field, they will oversee field-based vegetation management crews to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality vegetation management practices. Responsibilities include developing relationships with payors and partners, supervising crews, facilitating bilingual communication, and coordinating projects focused on wildfire fuels reduction and invasive species management throughout Sonoma County. This position combines leadership, environmental management, and hands-on fieldwork to advance local conservation goals.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in vegetation management practices, strong leadership abilities, and proficiency in both English and Spanish. This is a full-time, exempt position that works closely with farmworkers and organizers at our anchor partners, North Bay Jobs with Justice, who are developing and implementing a just transition by and for immigrant and Indigenous communities at the intersection of economic, racial, and climate justice.

The Project and Business Development Lead Can Expect to:

• Develop new business relationships and strengthen existing partnerships
• Lead collaboration toward project selection, development, and procurement
• Oversee and lead field-based vegetation management crews, ensuring safety, project efficiency, and high-quality land stewardship
• Conduct daily supervision and bilingual communication
• Coordinate projects like wildfire fuels reduction and invasive species management across Sonoma County.

Duties and Responsibilities

Business Development and Partner Engagement:

• Identify new partnership and business development opportunities by exploring leads on new revenue sources, and building relationships with potential clients
• Maintain strong relationships with existing clients, contractors, local agencies, and community organizations.
• Collaborate with Resilience Works staff to confirm crew assignments and ensure project alignment with broader program goals.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for clients and partners, ensuring effective communication, issue resolution, and satisfaction throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support the development of project proposals, budgets, and bids for new work, helping to expand the organization’s vegetation management portfolio.
• Represent the organization in meetings, site visits, and public events to strengthen relationships and identify future projects or funding opportunities.
• Maintain compliance with local, state, and federal environmental and safety regulations.

Project Management and Crew Supervision:

• Develop, plan, safely execute, and oversee vegetation management projects designed to reduce and prevent fire risk.
• Lead, supervise, and coordinate the activities of the vegetation management crew, ensuring that all safety procedures are followed.
• Conduct daily briefings to communicate work plans, safety protocols, and project updates.
• Provide bilingual support and training to crew members to ensure understanding and compliance.
• Deliver project-specific training, including tool use, teamwork, leadership skills, and workplace communication.
• Utilize knowledge of fire fuel reduction, land stewardship, habitat restoration, creek maintenance, invasive species removal, and defensible space to guide project decisions and assign tasks to crew members once on-site.
• Identify and manage safety or other issues that may arise on the project site, ensuring all crew members adhere to safety standards and regulations.
• Monitor project progress and make adjustments to ensure timely and within-budget completion in collaboration with Resilience Works staff.
• Support professional development by fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning among crew members.

Administrative Duties and Resource Management:

• Lead business development activities, including preparing and reviewing bids, proposals, and cost estimates for prospective projects.
• Oversee the use, maintenance, inventory, and storage of vegetation management equipment, tools, materials, and supplies.
• Coordinate the repair and replacement of equipment as needed.
• Prepare and maintain accurate records, including project documentation, employee records, and safety reports.
• Contribute to strategic planning discussions regarding growth opportunities, resource allocation, and partnership development.

Key Competencies and requirements:

• Strong commitment to and understanding of worker justice and the labor movement, gender and racial justice, immigrant justice, climate justice, and an intersectional social justice movement
• Extensive experience working, or ideally managing crews, in one or more of the following fields: vegetation management, prescribed fire, wildland firefighting, forestry, or restoration
• Ability to work effectively & collaboratively within working-class, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ communities
• Strong oral communication skills, multilingual, including Spanish (Indigenous languages are ideal, but not required)
• Physical requirements: Ability to work outdoors in various weather conditions, capability to lift and carry heavy equipment and materials, and stamina to perform physical labor for extended periods.
• Effective time management skills
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout Sonoma, Marin, and Napa Counties, and occasional travel to San Francisco and Oakland. Must have a valid driver’s license and proof of car insurance by job start date

The ideal candidate has the following preferred skills and qualifications (preferred, not required):

• A degree in forestry, natural resource conservation (or similar)
• C-27 Landscaping Contractor License

Our benefits include a 401(k) with 4% matching contributions, five weeks of paid vacation, 100% employer-paid health insurance (which includes vision and dental coverage) for employees, paid short-term disability insurance, and life insurance.

Fluent in English and Spanish