Employer: The Nature Conservancy

Location: Asheville, North Carolina, hybrid work options available

Application deadline: February 1, 2026

Full position description and application instructions

Position Summary 

The NC Mountains Forest Recovery Director will build and oversee a large team and a budget of over $3 million/year to deliver forest restoration projects in collaboration with the US Forest Service. Their work will be focused on delivering on a forest restoration scope of work under a 10-year Disaster Recovery award.  They will build and lead a team of ten professional fire and forest restoration specialists and thirteen seasonal crew members. They will manage with excellence three direct reports and will be responsible for performance management, training, and career development.  The Forest Recovery Director will work closely with the US Forest Service to prioritize silvicultural and fire projects, troubleshoot implementation challenges, and deliver results while maintaining relationships with local partners. In this 10-year term position they will sequence implementation projects across the North Carolina mountains to create a steady pipeline of work.

Desired Qualifications

• 5-7 years’ experience in Southern Appalachian Forest systems or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proven track record of project management and organization of large scale, multi-year projects, including collaborative project sequencing and meeting deliverables on deadline.
• Demonstrated experience influencing and developing collaborative priorities, for example between US Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy.
• Significant, demonstrated partnership building with non-profits, government agencies, and other stakeholders to achieve outcomes.
• Experienced team leader of groups of 10-20.
• And more!