Project Manager – Chesapeake Conservancy

Position Description:

Project and Portfolio Management and Program Support: This position is responsible for developing and implementing collaborative projects that support the Conservancy’s water quality and habitat restoration programming in Pennsylvania and supervising two 30-40 hour/week staff members. Working within an existing network of environmental restoration professionals and the Conservancy’s Restoration Project Advisors, the primary role of this position is to ensure restoration project deliverables are completed on-time, within scope, and within budget across an extensive portfolio of projects. This position assists in the definition of project scope and objectives involving all relevant stakeholders and develops detailed project plans to monitor and track progress. This position is responsible for managing changes to the project scope, schedule, and costs and escalating to management as needed. This position with assistance from management and administrative staff ensures compliance of subawards and contracts with federal, state, and private funding sources.

Facilitation & Partner Coordination:  The Project Manager coordinates the growing Central Pennsylvania Precision Conservation Partnership by providing facilitation and administrative support. This position manages the network of partners by coordinating meetings, securing partnership on new projects, and maintains excellent professional, timely communication with partners and works alongside them to develop restoration project budgets and deliverables. The Project Manager is required to identify and solve complex problems to deliver project results which may involve navigating nuanced regulatory, budgetary, and political challenges.

Background: Chesapeake Conservancy is a non-profit organization based in Annapolis, Maryland. We are a team of conservation entrepreneurs. We believe that the Chesapeake is a national treasure that should be accessible for everyone and a place where wildlife can thrive. We use technology to enhance the pace and quality of conservation, and we help build parks, trails and public access sites. In Pennsylvania, Chesapeake Conservancy provides backbone support & builds capacity for a partnership of over 40 restoration organizations as part of a coordinated effort to accelerate water quality and habitat improvements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Project management

• Provide day-to-day administrative and managerial support to two restoration project advisors.
• Prioritize and delegate project tasks to team members and track progress in project management software to ensure best utilization of resources. Approximately 20-25 farm projects per year.
• Oversee the submission and tracking of invoices and requests for payment in a timely manner and ensure that payments processed are consistent with Chesapeake Conservancy’s internal policies and grant requirements.

Partnership management

• Provide coordination and meeting facilitation support for central PA rapid stream delisting program.
• Schedule and lead regular check-ins with project partners to develop a project slate with deliverables and associated budgets that meet funder criteria.
• Demonstrates flexibility and innovation to navigate nuanced regulatory, budgetary, and political challenges.

Financial planning and administration

• Conduct day-to-day management of restoration project budgets, including monitoring expenses and maintaining records in budgeting software. Total estimated project budget per year ~$2,000,000-3,000,000.
• Support Chesapeake Tributaries Initiative Management Team by performing monthly review of project finances and making adjustments to project plans as needed.
• Assist with the preparation of budgets and narratives for new proposals and grants.
• Lead project reporting as required by state and private foundation funders. Update internal grant deliverable tracking system and timelines and fulfill reporting requirements.

Compliance review

• Manage sub-awards and partner contracts to ensure grant deliverables, budgets, and timelines, with a focus on agricultural best management practice (BMP) implementation projects.
• Assist program managers in ensuring compliance with all grants (~5-7 awards per year) and contracts, particularly detailed government grant requirements, including quality assurance project plans and quality management plans.
• Frequently checks sub-awards to ensure language is reflective of grantor and organization requirements in coordination with supervisory administrative staff.

Knowledge:

Required:

• Experience supervising staff or equivalent supervisory training attendance.
• Understanding of agricultural restoration practices and best management practices design.
• Minimum 3 years experience managing restoration project budgets.
• Ability to communicate effectively to a wide variety of audiences including landowners, contractors, partner organizations, and the Conservancy’s financial team.
• Experience coordinating with multiple conservation organizations and maintaining continued communication.
• The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage and track workflows integrating programmatic, technical, and financial colleagues who serve as essential partners in delivering high-quality tracking and reporting.
• Chesapeake Conservancy is a fast-paced environment where self-initiative, epic collaboration, and teamwork are both valued and expected.
• Strong computer skills, in particular, working knowledge of Microsoft Office is required.
• Authorization to work in the United States is required.

Preferred:

• Knowledge of accounting and financial software, Google Drive, and Esri’s ArcGIS suite of programs a plus.
• Experience with the full grant-cycle of state and/or federal grant funding.
• Experience with Pennsylvania  and/or federal prevailing wage processes.

Location: This is a hybrid position. The successful candidate will report 1-2 days per week to the Freshwater Research Institute at Chesapeake Conservancy’s partner organization, Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. This position requires site visits throughout central Pennsylvania, primarily in the counties of Centre, Clinton, Huntingdon, Union, Snyder, and Lycoming with the potential to expand throughout the region. Anticipated travel 1 day per week. Travel expenses will be reimbursed. The applicant must possess a valid driver’s license in good standing and have access to reliable transportation. Remaining days of the week, the successful candidate can choose to work from home or report to the office.

Benefits: The Conservancy offers a competitive employee benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, paid vacation and sick leave, participation in a retirement savings plan with an employer match, and an alternate work week. Opportunities for advancement and professional development are available. This position will not support relocation assistance.

Chesapeake Conservancy is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, color, age, sex, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, refusal to submit to a genetic test or to make available genetic test results, or any other legally protected characteristic. 

Chesapeake Conservancy understands that protecting and restoring the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed requires intentional commitment to inclusive practices and narratives within the conservation movement. Through our work we celebrate and elevate the people, places, and cultures of the region, especially by engaging underrepresented communities. Committing to the values of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice is critical to achieve our vision of a Chesapeake that is healthy, accessible to everyone, and a place where people and wildlife thrive. To that end, we commit ourselves to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice both in our programmatic priorities and our internal organizational development through inclusive recruitment of staff and board members, and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture.