Caring for Our Relatives Field Coordinator

NAU aims to be the nation’s preeminent engine of opportunity, vehicle of economic mobility, and driver of social impact by delivering equitable postsecondary value in Arizona and beyond.

• This position is open to hybrid (in-person and virtual) or fully remote work within or outside the state of Arizona.
• This position is posted as Caring for Our Relatives Field Coordinator which is a working title. The NAU system title for this position is Community Program Coordinator Senior.
• This position is subject to the availability of funding. The incumbent is not eligible for Classified Staff layoff or recall status.

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) mission is to strengthen Tribal capacity and sovereignty in environmental and natural resource management through culturally relevant education, research, partnerships and policy-based services. This mission is achieved through a number of programs that are supported by cooperative agreements and grants from federal agencies and other partners.

This position will work with ITEP’s Tribes & Climate Change Program (TCCP) team and other ITEP programs on TCCP’s Caring for Our Relatives Project. The Caring for Our Relatives Project supports Tribes in promoting species and ecosystem resilience and climate change adaptation. This position will work 100% of the time on the Caring for Our Relatives Project.

This project provides sustained, accessible, and inclusive technical assistance and capacity building to Tribes and Tribal organizations in the United States on Indigenous conservation and climate change adaptation efforts, as well as in-the-field trainings for Tribes. This position will be responsible for overseeing and completing related tasks to provide technical assistance and trainings as discussed below. Potential technical assistance and training topics include:

Ecological Resilience Projects

• Co-developing potential strategies and implementation steps with Tribes
• Building peer-to-peer learning & knowledge exchanges with Tribes and Tribal orgs
• Ongoing pre- and post-training support for ecological resilience efforts
• E.g.: Indigenous fire practices, plant propagation, instream habitat improvement, riparian planting, marsh restorations, clam gardens, etc.

Climate Change Adaptation

• Gathering and understanding community concerns
• Developing climate change adaptation projects & plans
• Engaging community members in developing solutions

Grant Proposals and Management

• Identifying relevant grants
• Determining achievable and relevant project scopes
• Engaging Tribal leadership
• Developing proposal concepts and project planning
• Training on writing progress reports for funders

This position will report and work with a co-director and climate program managers and may entail working with consultants as needed including helping to recruit and onboard consultants. This position will involve considerable travel, possibly 25%-30% time. There will be an option for hybrid (in-person and virtual) or fully remote work. This position is entirely grant funded. Funding has been secured for two years and position continuation will depend on securing additional funds, which is one of the tasks for this position.

Technical Assistance & Workshops/Trainings - 80%

In collaboration with partner organizations:

• Deliver one-on-one technical assistance related to the topics outlined above and other topics that may arise for Tribal communities and organizations.
• Develop and deliver relevant onsite/in-the-field workshops and trainings in collaboration with Tribes and Tribal organizations to build the capacity of Tribes to address ecological resilience & climate change challenges. The topics of such trainings will be developed with input from Tribes.
• Other technical assistance tasks as related to the project (i.e.: hosting webinars on relevant topics, agenda & curriculum development, etc.)

Outreach & Communication - 15%

• Establish and maintain regional and national working relationships with Tribes and partner organizations
• Conduct outreach to individual Tribes and Tribal organizations about technical assistance and training offerings. This will include traveling to Tribal communities and attending conferences and gatherings.
• Create outreach materials about support provided by the Caring for Our Relatives program.
• Develop pre- and post-training Tribal evaluations.

Other Duties & Responsibilities - 5%

• Attend weekly meetings and provide updates, as needed, for TCCP managers and staff. Attend and participate in the annual ITEP staff retreat.
• Represent NAU by promoting ITEP's purpose and mission with a diversity of audiences including Tribal, federal, state, public, non-profit, and private sectors.
• May direct the work of and/or mentor students and interns.
• Assist in developing and contributing to quarterly or annual reports.
• Track metrics for use in reports, marketing and strategic planning for the project.
• Perform other duties to support the TCC program and ITEP as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in environmental science, policy, and/or management, a natural science, or related field.
• 3-5 years of relevant experience.
• Any combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis.

• Experience working with Tribes & Indigenous communities; or diverse communities.
• Understanding of climate change and environmental issues facing diverse Tribal and Indigenous communities.
• Understanding of Indigenous Knowledges in environmental conservation, restoration, ecological resilience, and climate change adaptation effort.
• Experience in the development and delivery of workshops related to environmental conservation, restoration, ecological resilience, and climate change adaptation efforts.
• Experience building community capacity, preferably for Tribal and Indigenous communities and professionals.
• Strong interpersonal and public speaking skills for presentations, outreach, meetings, field work, and other gatherings.
• Master's degree in environmental management, natural science, or related field of study.

• Knowledge of climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as Western and Indigenous environmental conservation practices.
• Demonstrated skills and ability to promote a spirit of cooperation and teamwork under demanding circumstances, which may include meeting workshop deadlines, highly variable workloads, and working with staff from multiple organizations including those with greatly different educational and cultural backgrounds.
• Excellent skill in both oral and written communication and presentation.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Skill in program development and execution.
• Skill in coordinating activities, evaluating data and establishing priorities.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment whether in-person or in a virtual format.
• Skill in using personal computers (PCs, Apple), email, different Internet browsers, Microsoft Office 365 software, Canva, Peoplesoft, Adobe Suite and Stock, online data cloud storage, and virtual meeting platforms (e.g. Go-to-Webinar/Meeting, Zoom, Teams, etc.)

Driving a vehicle on behalf of the university is anticipated to be a regular part of this position. Arizona Administrative Code Fleet Safety Policy requires all employees who drive on university business become authorized by submitting Driver’s license information for driving record monitoring, and completion of training appropriate to the level of driving performed. The law applies to all faculty, staff, and students who drive personal or university-owned motorized vehicles for any business purpose. More information on the NAU Authorized Driver Policy can be found on the NAU website.

Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, an employment history verification and a degree verification (in some cases) prior to employment. You may also be required to complete a fingerprint background check. Additionally, as an employer in the state of Arizona, NAU is required to participate in the federal E-Verify program that assists employers with verifying new employees' right to work in the United States. Finally, each year Northern Arizona University releases an Annual Security Report. The report is a result of a federal law known as the Clery Act. The report includes Clery reportable crime statistics for the three most recent completed calendar years and discloses procedures, practices and programs NAU uses to keep students and employees safe including how to report crimes or other emergencies occurring on campus. In addition, the Fire Safety Report is combined with the Annual Security Report for the NAU Flagstaff Mountain Campus as this campus has on-campus student housing. This report discloses fire safety policies and procedures related to on-campus student housing and statistics for fires that occurred in those facilities. If you would like a free paper copy of the report, please contact the NAUPD Records Department at (928) 523-8884 or by visiting the department at 525 E. Pine Knoll Drive in Flagstaff.

Anticipated salary range is $51,085 - $63,000. Annual salary commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.

This position is exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and therefore will not earn overtime or compensatory time for additional time worked.

This is a Classified Staff (CLS) position. NAU offers an excellent benefit package including generous health, dental and vision insurance; participation in the Arizona State Retirement System; paid vacation and 10 holidays per year; and tuition reduction for employees and qualified dependents. More information on benefits at NAU is available on the Human Resources benefits website. Classified Staff employees are in a probationary status for their first six months at NAU. NAU is a tobacco and smoke-free campus. Employees offered a position will be eligible for state health plans (including NAU's BCBS Plan). New employees are eligible for benefits on the first day of the pay period following their enrollment, after their employment date. Employees will have 31 days from their start date to enroll in benefits. Additionally, new employees will begin participating in the Arizona State Retirement System, and the long-term disability coverage that accompanies it, on the first of the pay period following 6 months after the new employee's start date.

Your career at Northern Arizona University includes the opportunity for professional development. New employee on-boarding training includes courses to be completed within the first 30 days.

NAU will not provide any U.S. immigration support or sponsorship for this position.

February 17, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.

To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply" button on this page. You must submit your application by clicking on the "Submit" button by midnight of the application deadline. If you need assistance completing your application there are instructions available on the Human Resources website or in person in the Human Resources Department located in Building 91 on the NAU Campus - on the corner of Beaver and DuPont Streets.

If you are an individual with a disability and need reasonable accommodation to participate in the hiring process, please contact the Disability Resources Office at 928-523-8773, DR@nau.edu, or PO Box 5633, Flagstaff AZ 86011.

Northern Arizona University is a committed Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. NAU is responsive to the needs of dual career couples.

Know Your Rights Poster

NAU is an Employer of National Service. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other National Service alumni are encouraged to apply.