Associate Director, Special Programs

Great River Greening (Greening) is a leading environmental restoration nonprofit with a mission to inspire, engage, and lead local communities in conserving and caring for the land and water that enrich our lives. Since our start, our small but mighty team has restored more than 50,000 acres of lands across Minnesota and aims to restore another 50,000 in the next five years. At Great River Greening we offer flexibility, a friendly work culture, supportive Board of Directors, and opportunities to grow.

Great River Greening values Science, Community-Centered Conservation, Partnership, and Education. Great River Greening is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to the principles of equal opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability, and to cultural engagement, within our organization, within our environmental sector, and in the communities where we live and work.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Associate Director, Special Programs reports to the Conservation Director and manages Great River Greening’s programs that operate outside the regional restoration model: Urban & Community forestry and Greening Solutions (fee-for-service). These programs share common characteristics — they are crew-intensive, operationally complex, and require close coordination of field staff, equipment, and scheduling.

This role is responsible for ensuring these programs run efficiently, that crews are well-managed and safely deployed, and that the fee-for-service arm operates on a sustainable business model. This position also serves as a bridge between field operations and the broader conservation team, coordinating with regional Program Managers on shared resources and with the Environmental Stewardship department on community-facing programming.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, natural resources, forestry, urban planning, or related field required. Advanced degree preferred.
Minimum 3 years of experience managing field operations, crews, or outdoor programs.
At least 2 years of direct staff supervision experience.
Experience with fee-for-service or contract-based environmental services strongly preferred.

This position has an annual salary range of $80,000-$85,000. In addition, Great River Greening offers a generous benefits plan that includes health, dental, 401k, LTD, Dependent Care and Health Care FSA, life insurance, 14 paid holidays, and a PTO plan. Emphasizing our flexible workplace, staff are currently working hybrid-remotely.

Tagged as: Science/Engineering