Program Supervisor

Job Overview:

The Libby Unit represents the DNRC in the geographic area of Lincoln County and the primary communities of Libby, Eureka, and Troy. The Unit Office, located 13 miles of Libby at the mouth of the Fisher River, is responsible for implementing the field activities of the programs and laws administered by the Forestry Division and Trust Land Management Division of DNRC. The Unit is managed by a Unit Manager who reports directly to the NWLO Area Manager.

The Unit’s missions are to manage 30,849 acres of state trust lands to produce income for various trust beneficiaries; to implement, promote, and enforce agency programs, State laws, rules, and policies; protect property, resources, and land from destruction by wildland fires; and provide needed services to the public. The Libby Unit is responsible for directly providing wildland fire protection to approximately 353,859 acres of Federal, State and private land. A portion of the land area is residential urban interface, which presents a complex fire situation with high values at risk. The Unit provides training and assistance to the rural fire departments as needed. The Unit is responsible for providing technical assistance to private forest landowners and administering the logging slash fire hazard reduction law (approximately 12% of the States total workload). The Unit administers the Best Management Practices and the Streamside Management Zone protection laws regulating commercial timber practices on all State and private lands within Lincoln County. The Unit Manager and staff are responsible for directly applying and administering the forest management program to generate monies for the various trusts on those state lands that comprise the Libby Unit. The forest and land management programs are regularly involved in the resolution of difficult issues associated with a large forest products program (three to four million board feet annually), including multiple concurrent timber sales; difficult access issues; management responsibilities for navigable rivers; and special use leasing and licensing. The Unit manages special use authorizations, which involves rights-of-way for private individuals, road maintenance, rock, sand, gravel and other mineral leasing/licensing uses. The Unit administers the Recreational Use program on all school trust lands within their boundary.

The Unit’s area of jurisdiction contains politically sensitive recreation and aesthetic values, complex and diverse forest habitat types, and sensitive riparian features. Management of the lands assigned to the Unit involves dealing with unique land management problems, complex and critical watersheds, wildlife management cumulative effects, and special management considerations due to the habitat of sensitive, threatened and endangered wildlife species such as grizzly bears, bald eagles, Canada lynx and bull trout.

Essential Functions (Major Duties or Responsibilities): 

A. Operational Leadership (60% of time)

The incumbent oversees the Unit’s operations and is responsible for accomplishing essential multiple division goals and objectives using limited and at times previously unidentified resources.

The incumbent applies in-depth knowledge and utilizes developmental theories, concepts, principles, and practices of a wide variety of natural resource disciplines as well as the DNRC’s mission, programs, subprograms, and a variety of State and Federal laws and DNRC policies and rules related to natural resource management. The incumbent employs professional-level administrative, operational, budgeting, and communication expertise. Directs the efforts of both professional and technical personnel working on concurrent projects in multiple programs within a large complex Division to maintain a delicate balance between resource protection and resource use.

Formulates and provides vision, leadership, and structure to Unit personnel. Devises ways to improve the Unit’s operation; provides timely and accurate information and direction to Unit personnel; establishes Unit activities and priorities to meet DNRC’s needs applying professional judgment obtained through years of education and experience. Conducts Unit personnel performance appraisals and provides situational guidance to meet the essential goals and objectives of the DNRC, and the career aspirations of employees. Uses DNRC performance guidelines and career development plans. Participates on NWLO Leadership Team developing short- and long-range planning, policy and procedures, organizational direction, budgeting, and team/leadership modeling to all NWLO personnel. Actively participates at monthly meetings and on regularly scheduled working groups to achieve results that could not be achieved individually by the Units or NWLO. Assists other resource managers in developing regional and statewide policies and procedures, DNRC regulations, and State rules relating to resource management. Develops Unit-level administrative, operational, and budget objectives and work plans to meet DNRC goals and objectives for multiple divisions. Anticipates changes; researches and modifies appropriate concepts and methods to fit natural resource management; integrates changing technology; and implements through Unit personnel. Engages in problem solving facilitation and conflict resolution at both the NWLO and Unit level. Identifies and articulates issues, defines process, and works cooperatively with affected parties to develop creative solutions. Serves as decision maker for complex and occasionally controversial projects to effectively maintain a balance between protecting valuable natural resources and generating trust revenue. Examines issues from various angles; facilitates difficult land-use conflicts; addresses public meetings; and makes timely appropriate decisions recognizing and integrating political, social, and economic ramifications, even when full information is lacking. Represents management with DNRC personnel, other resource professionals, cooperators, the media, other State agency decision making personnel, and the general public to develop mutual goals, objectives, strategies, and policies; coordinates activities; explains Agency operations; and exchanges information. Employs verbal and written communication, and conflict and conciliation techniques. Applies independent professional judgment gained through years of education and experience. Responsible for personnel management of unit staff including plans, initiating and/or conducting disciplinary actions, coaching and recognizing meritorious service. Initiates and administers various program budgets to effectively implement planned projects, provide for personal services contracts, equipment, and building and grounds maintenance. Integrates industry budgeting and accounting methods with state funding criterion.

B. Administrative (20% of time)

The incumbent administers a variety of land-use leases and licenses, permits, agreements, and memorandums of understanding. Applies concepts, principles, and practices of a wide variety of natural resource disciplines as well as the DNRC’s missions, programs, and a variety of State and Federal laws and DNRC policies and rules related to natural resource management. The incumbent employs tact, and advanced communication and negotiation expertise in working with diverse, and often contentious group of people.

Makes final decisions on numerous unrelated requests to use State lands, as authorized by statute, the State Land Board, and DNRC policy to generate school trust revenue and protect natural resources. Examines requests; facilitates process completion; and makes timely appropriate decisions. Reviews and/or prepares a variety of land-use leases and licenses, permits, agreements, and memorandums of understanding. Provides services to the public and effectively manages natural resources to generate trust revenue using professional judgment and department goals and objectives. Initiates enforcement actions for law or rule violations enforced by DNRC, or for violations occurring on State lands. Identifies enforcement action needs; determines appropriate enforcement action; and initiates action through the appropriate agency or office. 

C. Program Management (15% of time)
Manages Libby Unit’s general operations and fire suppression objectives. Employs knowledge of various natural resource laws, rules, regulations, and DNRC standards, guidelines and procedures. Develops personnel using standard communication, coaching, and training practices. Employs various budgeting practices.

Monitors Unit compliance with various natural resource laws, rules, regulations, standards, and guidelines, such as water and air quality, hazard reduction, Endangered Species Act, etc. Periodically inspects project sites, reviews reports, and solicits feedback to determine compliance. Initiates corrective measures as necessary. Authors and administers various program budgets to effectively implement planned projects, provide for personnel services contracts, equipment, and building and grounds maintenance. Integrates standard budgeting and accounting methods with state funding criterion. As the Unit Line Officer, manages large, complex wildland fires burning within the Unit's jurisdiction to provide for safe, responsible operations, and limit natural resource and property damage. Uses Interagency Fire Incident Management Teams. Briefs the Incident Commander, County Commissioners, and other elected officials, as necessary. Provides situational supervision and evaluation of the Incident Commander. Uses interagency guidelines and forms.

APPLICATION MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION ARE: 

State Application Cover Letter Resume

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.

Physical and Environmental Demands: 
Predominant work is periodically performed in an office setting. Review of field projects and problem sites require exposure to varying weather conditions, terrain, and road conditions. Travel in mountainous terrain by vehicle or on foot can occur in any month. Moderate amounts of walking up and down hills may be expected. Periodic review of wildland-fire-suppression activities can cause exposure to smoke, dust, and related fire hazards. Safety concerns include driving unimproved mountainous roads in all weather conditions and walking across mountainous terrain. Limited amounts of low-level flight in light airplanes or helicopters over mountainous terrain can be expected.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 
 Developmental knowledge of the theories, concepts, principles, and practices of a wide variety of natural resource disciplines. In-depth knowledge of the DNRC’s missions and programs; a variety of State and Federal laws, rules, and Department policies and procedures related to natural resource management; personnel management; budgeting; operations; advanced verbal and written communication techniques, including facilitation, problem solving, and group presentation. Knowledge of fire control strategies and tactics and Agency suppression objectives.
 Skilled at professional level administration, technical writing, budget management; communication and negotiation in working with diverse and often contentious people; facilitation, mediation, and conflict management; using a personal computer and management related software.

 Able to employ professional level administrative, operational, leadership, decision making, budgeting, and communication expertise; direct the efforts of both professional and technical personnel working on concurrent projects in multiple programs; maintain a delicate balance between resource protection and resource use.
 
 The above KSA's are typically acquired through a combination of education and experience equivalent to a 4 yr. bachelor’s degree in a field of natural resource management (forestry, wildlife biology, fire management, recreation management, range science, etc.) with 3-4 years of related natural resource management experience and 3-4 years of progressively responsible professional supervisory or management experience, preferably as a field or staff program supervisor within the DNRC. 

Alternate combinations of education and experience that have resulted in the acquisition of the above-listed KSA's may also be considered.

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