Conservation Awards Coordinator

National Forest Foundation (NFF) is pleased to offer a full-time, exempt, 2-year term position that will help coordinate the NFF’s outgoing grantmaking to advance the organization’s conservation grantmaking efforts nationwide.

About the NFF: As the official national partner to the US Forest Service (USFS), the National Forest Foundation was chartered by Congress in 1993. Today, the NFF advances forest resiliency, healthy watersheds and wildlife habitat, and recreation for all by working with communities and organizations across the country. The Foundation has grown significantly in the last few years in programmatic impact, revenue and support, and organizational capacity. NFF leads with impact, deploying roughly 90% of its expenses towards projects and programs across the country’s 193-million-acre National Forest System. NFF is forward-thinking and innovative, with ambitious strategies and goals to advance and prepare forests for a new economy. 

Position Function: The Conservation Awards Coordinator reports to the Conservation Awards Manager and works closely with Conservation Awards and other Conservation Program staff to support the mission and strategic conservation and engagement goals of the NFF and its local, regional, and national partners. The incumbent is responsible for the implementation and coordination of grantmaking and grant management processes for outgoing awards.

The initially assigned grantmaking portfolio for this position will focus on coordinating outgoing competitive grants that support community engagement, stewardship activities that benefit National Forests and Grasslands, and capacity building of communities. Key portions of this position will seek to center the broad scope of needs and unique perspectives of Tribes and community stakeholders and include a robust focus on expanding access to the benefits of public lands.

Position Duties and Responsibilities: The Conservation Awards Coordinator will:

• Coordinating development and pre- and post-award administration of assigned grantmaking docket:
• Collaborating with the Conservation Awards Manager to develop and refine assigned grantmaking programs.
• Coordinating with assigned staff to plan grantmaking strategy, manage timelines, and complete project review.
• Coordinating with external grantee partners to answer questions, support development of grant proposals, and follow up on submissions.
• Managing an online proposal submission and review system and supporting proposal review committees.
• Conducting proposal review and due diligence, including risk assessments.
• Developing grant agreements and coordinating implementation of signature and filing processes.
• Managing active grants, including maintaining accurate project records, ongoing grantee communication, review of payments, review of reports, and other subrecipient monitoring.
• Planning and executing communications with external conservation partners, including promoting grant programs, writing project summaries, and other conservation-related content for external communication.
• Helping to advance the NFF’s organizational priority of expanding its grantee base and engaging more communities in public lands management.
• Providing information and technical assistance to potential grant applicants.
• Helping to ensure compliance with applicable policies and processes, including internal NFF policies as well as federal requirements.
• Coordinating with other departments within the organization to ensure that grantmaking processes are effective and making recommendations for improvement.

Education and Qualifications: NFF expects the Conservation Awards Coordinator to possess the following educational and experiential qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or a minimum of three years of experience in grant or award administration and compliance, contract management, or related fields.
• Experience working with tribal or other stakeholder communities is a plus.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, and administrative skills.
• Commitment to the mission of the NFF.
• A general understanding of National Forest management, and/or other natural resource issues.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Abilities and Skills: NFF expects the Conservation Awards Coordinator to possess the following proven abilities and skills:

• A growth mindset, rampant curiosity, and love of problem-solving.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to process.
• Highly organized approach to daily work.
• Experience with federal funds management, including under 2 CFR 200 Uniform Grant Guidance, is a plus.
• Ability to communicate in a clear and professional manner through excellent written and oral communication skills, as well as excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to balance multiple competing priorities and prioritize effectively.
• Ability to work well and remain flexible in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
• Strong customer service and solutions orientation.
• An ability to represent the NFF in a clear and professional manner.
• Excellent research and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated proficiency in common office procedures and software, including Microsoft 365 and Office Suite, including PowerPoint, Word, & Excel.

Location: The location for this position is flexible throughout the lower 48 states. This position is a remote/work-from-home position and requires reliable internet access and a dedicated workspace.

Compensation: The NFF offers competitive compensation and benefits. The starting salary range for this position is $61,000 to $62,700, with the ability to grow to $70,200 and above.

Benefits: NFF is proud to offer our staff: 

Health and Wellness:

• Medical and dental insurance paid at 75% by the organization for you and any dependents. 
• Vision insurance paid 50% by the organization for you and any dependents. 
• Health savings account (HSA) with employer contributions between $1,878-$3,750 per year, predicated on coverage type. 
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSA). 
• Employee assistance program (EAP) at no cost. 

Financial Wellbeing:

• 403(b) retirement plan with a 5% employer match after one (1) year of service. 
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance at no cost. 
• Basic life and AD&D insurance at no cost, with voluntary life insurance options. 
• Whole life insurance at a discounted rate

Flexibility and time off:

• Employees start with 35 days of annual leave, sick leave, personal leave and holidays (annual leave accrual rates increase with years of service) 
• Family & medical leave for up to sixteen (16) weeks with up to four (4) weeks paid. 

Personal Development:

• Training & Development Programs  
• Professional development reimbursement for up to $1,000 per year. 

Journey of a Lifetime:

• The opportunity to support an incredible mission and travel to / work in spectacular locations.

To Apply: Applications must include both a cover letter and resume. Incomplete packages will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. This posting will close on September 6th, 2025, or earlier if filled. Please visit our careers site to apply online.

The National Forest Foundation is an equal opportunity employer – meaning we provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law. Further, we prohibit discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, benefits, training, and termination. We strive to foster a work environment where every individual is respected, valued, and treated fairly. This statement reflects our unwavering dedication to fairness, respect, and equality in employment practices and sets the foundation for a positive work environment.