Program Manager - Area Manager Northwestern Land Office

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's mission is to help ensure that Montana's land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations.

The DNRC believes employees are their most important asset. The DNRC empowers employees to exercise professional judgment in carrying out their duties. Employees are provided with the training and tools necessary to achieve the mission. Both team effort and individual employee expertise are supported and sustained.

Core Values:

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s Forestry and Trust Land Division recognizes that building a collaborative, professional, and inclusive work environment is critical to fulfilling our mission of managing, protecting, and promoting stewardship of Montana’s forests and lands for the benefit of current and future generations and our trust beneficiaries. We hold ourselves to these high standards as we are accountable to the people of Montana.

• We value and respect each other. 
• We create collaborative work environments. 
• We build and maintain strong relationships. 
• We practice accountability. 
• We celebrate our successes and take pride in our work.

Work Unit Overview:

The Northwestern Land Office (NWLO) of Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) is one of six land offices that administers Forestry & Trust Lands Division (FTLD) programs within the state. The land office together with five unit offices locations represents the DNRC in the geographical areas of Flathead, Sanders, Lincoln, Lake and a portion of Missoula counties.

The FTLD plays a crucial role in managing the states natural resources and protecting lands from wildfire. The division oversees nearly 5.2 million surface acres and 6.2 million mineral acres of state trust lands generating revenue for K-12 public schools, universities, and other public institutions in Montana. The division also provides wildland fire protection on approximately 60 million acres of state, private and federal lands to protect property and communities. By actively addressing forest health through projects and programs throughout the state, DNRC helps mitigate wildfire risks and promotes healthier forest ecosystems.

Job Overview: 

The Area Manager is principally responsible for the administration of the FTLD within the NWLO. Specifically, this position is responsible for oversight and effective implementation of Trust lands programs such as agriculture and grazing, forest management, real estate, and minerals as well as the Forestry programs fire protection, forestry assistance, and good neighbor authority programs. The NWLO Area Manager is responsible for the fiscal management and daily operations required to implement the FTLD programs; the recruitment, hiring and performance management of NWLO staff; the training and safety of personnel; and the sound maintenance, inventory and operation of equipment and facilities necessary to carry out the work of the land office. The Area Manager is expected to coordinate directly with FTLD Bureaus and Division Administrators to ensure effective implementation of the various programs and to ensure consistent delivery and application of policies, rules, statute and guidelines that govern those programs.  The Area Manager is expected to establish and maintain a positive employee working environment that fosters cooperation, trust, pride, motivation, job growth; and maintains effective working relationships with staff, the public, and DNRC cooperators. The NWLO is also an integral part of a statewide team, and it is the responsibility and the expectation that the Area Manager manage the NWLO staff and programs to promote partnership with Division staff, Bureaus, and other land offices.  The Area Manager is also expected to spend roughly equal amount of time administering programs between the Forestry and Trust Lands bureaus with the understanding that the emphasis may shift year to year given priorities mutually identified with Division Administrators and Bureau staff. 

Essential Functions (Major Duties or Responsibilities):  These job functions are the essential duties of the position and are not all-inclusive of all the duties that may be assigned to the incumbent.

Program Mission Implementation:

• Directs, manages, administers and supervises Department programs and activities for the FTLD within assigned geographical region, using knowledge of multiple areas of resource management, budgeting and fiscal systems, numerous federal and state laws, regulations and policies, and personnel and organizational management to achieve desired outcomes.
• Resolves problems associated with changing land management policies, legislation, and interpretations of many state and federal policies, some of which occasionally conflict with each other. The incumbent needs to be able to know when to seek clarification and guidance from the affected bureau(s), Division Administrators, or other partners, and be comfortable directing, and operating with sometimes less than perfect clarity.
• Incumbent must manage through sensitive environmental issues, and political and public concerns using knowledge of resource management, state and federal laws relating to land management, and the management direction, policies and substance of all Department programs.
• Makes recommendations to the Division Administrators relating to land use, enforcement, access, and leasing issues that are the subject of controversial, contentious and litigious actions.
• Participates with inter-agency groups, task groups, committees and advisory councils to provide Department representation in resolving problems of mutual concern related to the administration of land management and fire protection programs within the region. Directions agreed to in the meetings may have statewide implications or impacts to DNRC programs. Therefore, the Area Manager must communicate closely with the Division Administrators and Bureaus when engaging in such venues. Participates in regularly scheduled meetings with managers of state and federal partners.
• Makes a variety of land use decisions, almost all of which have economic, social and environmental impact. Decisions require extensive data gathering where data is often in conflict and consequences are unclear. Decisions involve professional resource knowledge and value judgments and risk in determining significance of impacts.
• Directs and assists in the implementation of the FTLD forest, range, minerals, real estate, and ag & grazing management programs on state land to secure the maximum value to the trust beneficiaries. Additionally, this position is expected to work with staff with the goal of gaining permanent access to all state trust land parcels or to exhaust all options to gain permanent access if ultimately it cannot be attained.
• Directs the fire protection, forestry assistance, and Good Neighbor Authority programs within the NWLO. Partners with other state and federal agencies, local government, fire services, tribal governments, municipalities and private landowners to carry out the mission, intent, and objectives of these three programs consistent with local, state and federal policies and regulations and primarily consistent with the Montana Forest Action Plan, the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, and the Strategic Plans. Coordinates with other agencies, private landowners, and other partners in coordinating activities across jurisdictional boundaries to address wildland fire risk and forest health in the highest priority areas.
• Directs fire preparedness, prevention, and suppression programs in NWLO. 
• Administers the County Cooperative Fire Program in close partnership with local government and fire services to adequately prepare for, respond to, and suppress wildland fire within NWLO. Works with interagency partners to coordinate wildland fire suppression activities across protection boundaries. Administers land office and County Coop fire equipment inspection, maintenance and inventory. Ensures completion of proper training of land office staff engaging in wildland fire suppression and promotes firefighter and public safety through conduct surrounding suppression activities. Serves as Agency Line Officer in fire suppression actions.  Directs cost-share negotiations and billing for wildfire suppression and ensures all related fire suppression expenditures ranging from several thousand to several million dollars are adequately documented and accounted for.
• Directs land office efforts to engage with local and tribal governments, state and federal agencies, private landowners, and local communities to adopt fire prevention practices and messaging and fire-adapted communities measures. 
• Directs the land office Forestry Assistance Programs including stewardship, fuels reduction, forest practices, forest health, and urban and community forestry. Work with Forestry Assistance Bureau to adequately resource NWLO responsibilities in programs.
• Directs the land office Good Neighbor Authority Program. Engages USDA Forest Service Forest Supervisor and staff and Bureau of Land Management Field Office Manager and staff to conduct GNA on federal lands. Works with GNA Bureau to adequately plan for and resource GNA projects on the land office.
• Responsible for review of and completion of environmental analysis of all activities required under the Montana Environmental Policy Act and determining significance of actions.
• Responds to public inquiries and complaints regarding agency activities.
• Reviews or prepares a variety of land use authorizations, permits, and agreements that require considerable knowledge of the interrelated nature of conflicting land uses, interpretation of state laws, development of regulations and policies and increasing public involvement in adversarial situations.
• Directs and implements investigation, preparation and enforcement of special land use authorizations such as easements, special recreational use licenses, etc. on state-owned lands.
• Coordinates administration of Department program activities with other Department managers; state, federal and local government agencies; and public interest groups. 

Administrative Management:

• Directs administrative, supervisory, fiscal, personnel and program management responsibilities within the region.
• Directs the activities of all assigned programs of FTLD. Works with seven Bureaus and Division Administrators to develop annual work objectives for NWLO personnel. 
• Assists in development of statewide policies and procedures, Department regulations, and state laws relating to resource management. 
• In close coordination with the divisions business practices staff, formulates, prepares and defends budget proposals and manages land office expenditures to achieve the best investment of available dollars to meet changing program needs using statewide budgeting and accounting systems.  Annually develops a comprehensive budget analysis for personal services, operations, and capital dollars.  Monthly analysis occurs toward the end of the fiscal year.
• Conducts long- and short-range planning to determine most efficient and effective mix of people and resources to effectively implement the divisions programs within NWLO. Planning should account for changing land and resource needs; adjustments within programs stemming from policies, legislation, or statewide emphasis; and/or changes within the communities served. Planning must be done in coordination with the divisions Bureaus and Division Administrators and must be right-sized given the availability of statewide budget and resources. 
• Implements recruitment and selection activities to screen, interview, select and train permanent employees assigned to regional positions using knowledge of affirmative action plan, EEO, and departmental personnel recruitment and selection policies.  Ensures the employee comprehends the work objective and program responsibilities and establishes the communication necessary for the office team.  Ensures the completion of annual performance appraisals for all staff at NWLO and works with reports to design and carry out career development and training plans.
• Evaluates effectiveness of programs implemented within region to determine needed changes.  Involves traveling on highways and use of 4-wheel drive vehicles on isolated roads to review projects and activities, conducting surveys of affected publics and service providers.  Field reviews require foot travel in difficult terrain under a wide variety of climatic conditions supplemented by use of an all -terrain vehicle.
•  Implements regional purchasing, procurement and contracting policies to acquire needed services, supplies, equipment, and facilities to accomplish program activities using knowledge of purchasing, procurement, and contracting regulations and policies and fiscal controls.

APPLICATION MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION ARE: 

• Online State of Montana application
• Resume 
• Cover Letter

HELPFUL HINT: You must check the “relevant document” box to ensure your attachments are uploading correctly to the specific application.

Benefits:

• Paid Vacation, Sick Leave and Holidays
• Health, Dental, Prescription, and Vision Coverage
• Retirement Plans
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) – Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive student loan forgiveness under the PSLF.  Look here, https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service to learn more and see if you may qualify!