Policy Associate

Job Overview:
Wood, water, wildlife, and wonder.  Pacific Forest Trust (PFT) delivers landscape-scale private forest conservation in the West and develops innovative incentives for forest conservation at the national level. PFT works to conserve irreplaceable private forest landscapes and secure the vital forest resources on which we all depend. We do so in ways that reward private landowners, boost local economies, and restore resilient forest ecosystems. PFT has pioneered payments for ecosystem services in multiple ways, from climate, water, and energy policy, to carbon markets, to working forest conservation easements and regulatory efficiencies.

PFT has conserved 375,000 acres regionally, and developed, acquired, and stewarded conservation easements on more than 115,000 acres of forestland in California and Oregon. PFT owns 2,100 acres and manages 14,000 acres for sustained timber, water, climate, and habitat values. Our projects are outstanding not only for their scale, but for their landscape impacts and high standards for delivering multiple public benefits.

Headquartered in the verdant Presidio of San Francisco, PFT also has staff in Sacramento, Portland and Ashland, Oregon. PFT has a collegial environment filled with bright minds that generate groundbreaking ideas and work hard to implement them. PFT is accredited by the National Land Trust Accreditation Commission. Learn more at http://www.PacificForest.org

THE OPPORTUNITY:

PFT’s small-yet-mighty, collaborative, creative, and product-oriented policy team requires a nimble staff member who can manage multiple and frequently competing priorities, and produce creatively under pressure—with grace and humor. This position supports PFT’s policy programs to develop and implement practical incentives for private forest conservation and sustainable management. The Policy Associate role is crucial to helping understand simply and tangibly the complex, often technical issues that confront forest landowners and stakeholders alike in our rapidly changing world. In particular, the Associate will play a key role in furthering PFT’s goals and objectives to expand the role of forests in meeting state, regional and national targets for reductions of CO2 emissions, both at the compliance offset and the sector level. This is a diverse, hands-on position that requires initiative, critical thinking, and playing well with others. The Associate must balance research, analysis, advocacy, communication and organizational tasks with complex, deadline-driven projects. The overarching goals of this position are to:

• Research and analyze key issues affecting PFT’s priority policy initiatives,
• Communicate these simply and effectively,
• Help formulate positions, and
• Advocate PFT’s solutions-oriented approach to advancing them.

The right candidate will be a team player in advancing and helping shape PFT ‘s policy initiatives for private forestland conservation California, Oregon, and Washington, with a secondary focus on federal policies.

REPORTS TO the President and is based in our San Francisco office.

TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Research, analyze and report on state and federal legislation and regulations regarding forests, land use, climate change initiatives, tax incentives, and other policy issues related to private forestland management and conservation (e.g., watershed, fish and wildlife, habitat, etc.). Within this, there is a specific focus on forest and climate policy initiatives at the state level for California, Oregon and Washington.
• Summarize and report on scientific studies and literature regarding climate change, adaptation, ecosystem services and conservation issues related to PFT’s initiatives.
• Represent PFT in collaborative efforts to initiate new incentives, maintain and improve key state and federal conservation funding and support PFT coalitions in such efforts.
• Facilitate state and federal legislative and agency engagement with PFT conservation projects.
• Develop clear, compelling information materials such as white papers, fact sheets, web content, and other educational materials.
• Participate as part of the PFT policy team, and collaborate with the Conservation, Development and Communication departments on various projects.
• Assist in other policy initiatives as needed and directed.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is required. Master’s degree in relevant field of forest ecology, climate policy with a forest focus, conservation biology, policy or economics preferred
• 2-5 years relevant employment experience.
• Excellent research, writing and analytical skills required, GIS a plus..
• Ability to understand and assimilate complex environmental issues and policies effectively and quickly, convey them simply, and advocate effectively are desired attributes.
• Proficiency with Office 365, GIS a plus.
• A commitment to creative conservation and the mission of The Pacific Forest Trust, along with humor and a positive, enthusiastic attitude, will distinguish the successful candidate.
• Valid drivers license and ability to lift 25 pounds are required.

LOCATION: PFT’s main office in San Francisco, CA. Travel of up to 10% within California likely, with occasional additional travel.

SALARY: $65,000 - $75,000. Salary is determined by a number of factors including education, experience, skills, and training.

TO APPLY

Please send a resume and thoughtful cover letter in a PDF format, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position, including how you heard about this opportunity, to jobs@pacificforest.org.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid sick time
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Travel requirement:

• No travel

Work setting:

• In-person
• Office

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Education:

• Master's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Research: 2 years (Required)
• envi: 1 year (Required)

Language:

• English (Required)

Security clearance:

• Confidential (Preferred)

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• San Francisco, CA 94129 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• San Francisco, CA 94129: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Willingness to travel:

• 25% (Preferred)

Work Location: In person