Do you have a passion for the outdoors, trails, and preserving open space? Are you a motivated and experienced resource management professional? If so, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) has an excellent opportunity for a skilled Senior Resource Management Specialist to lead the wildlife program in the Natural Resources Department. This position will oversee program staff and consultants to assess biological resources and natural habitats to identify sensitive resources and make management recommendations to improve and restore habitat and/or to avoid and minimize impacts as well as to address human wildlife conflict, implement wildlife and habitat management projects and provide regulatory permitting oversight. The anticipated start date for this position is in late-August 2025.
About Midpen: Midpen helps plants, animals and people thrive throughout the greater Santa Cruz Mountains region by preserving a greenbelt of more than 70,000 acres of public open space with 250 miles of trails in 27 extraordinary preserves, permanently protected for natural resource conservation and ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education. Midpen is a public agency with a focused mission that guides our work, and where every employee makes an impact. If you are looking for an outstanding opportunity to contribute to the legacy of open space protection, natural resource restoration and outdoor recreation, working with an incredible team of like-minded colleagues, we invite you to apply for this position! Check out the Working for Midpen video on our Employment Opportunities page.
About the Position: The incumbent will be a part of a cohesive team of 15 in the Natural Resources Department, which is part of the Visitor and Field Services service line. The Wildlife Program is comprised of four fulltime program staff, including this position, and an intern. Midpen aims to recruit and retain employees who embody professionalism, accountability, and respect, and who value working in an environment focused on inclusivity, diversity, and equity. For additional information about the position, see the Job Description on Midpen’s website.
The position is a working supervisor meaning that time is divided between program administration, oversight, and staff development while also managing and advancing District projects. Strong supervisory and project management skills are required, as well as an ability to shift seamlessly between program and personnel management. This position works not only within the Natural Resources Department but is often a liaison with other departments and external agencies to advance larger District programs and projects. Wildlife program staff currently specialize in different subject matter expertise, but cross training is provided and providing back up to one another in differing area is expected. The supervisor manages and assigns program staff to oversee and assist with different projects primarily based on their areas of expertise, but also based on available staffing. The wildlife program covers a broad range of topics including but not limited to: permit administration, wildlife conflict management, special status species monitoring and research.
The Ideal Candidate:
- Possesses a broad breadth of understanding of wildlife management for wide ranging taxa from large megafauna to micro invertebrates
- Experience in negotiating and securing permits (ideally programmatic permits) from regulatory agencies primarily California Department of Fish and Wildlife and US Fish and Wildlife Service but may include US Army Corps of Engineers or Regional Water Quality Control Board.
- Experience overseeing sensitive status species monitoring, reporting and recovery efforts
- Supervisory experience for multiple staff and consultant biologists, strong leadership skills, and the ability to mentor and grow junior staff
- Is a creative thinker, problem solver and able to juggle competing priorities
- Strong background in project management, from developing project scopes, schedules and budgets to consultant and contract oversight
- Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team to deliver capital projects while avoiding and minimizing impacts to sensitive natural resources
- Assists staff in designing projects to reduce the need for mitigation, understands mitigation monitoring and reporting, and works creatively to secure mitigation when needed
- Ability to develop and maintain relationships with partner agencies, environmental advocacy groups, scientists and researchers, as well as other staff, boards, volunteers, vendors and the general public
- Strong public speaking skills
- Report writing skills
A Few Reasons Why You May Love This Job
- Collaborative work that directly supports Midpen’s mission to protect and restore the natural environment
- You’ll be part of a talented and dynamic team whose work contributes to providing nature’s benefits to everyone
Work Environment: This position will report to Midpen’s Administrative Office in Los Altos, CA. Midpen offers a hybrid office/telecommute work schedule for this position following successful onboarding. A minimum of three days in the office is required per week. In addition to working in an office setting to complete project tasks and at various venues across the San Francisco Peninsula to present information at public meetings, the Senior Resource Management Specialist may sometimes work in the field and hike steep terrain and wildland areas with poison oak and wildlife.
Field Work: Fieldwork is integral to this position and dependent on the season and current projects. Fieldwork will require driving District vehicles in remote areas on dirt roads, working in all weather conditions, and hiking through steep terrain and wildland areas. Ideal candidates will be comfortable working in these types of field conditions, as well as in an office environment.
Midpen reserves the right to limit or deny off-duty employment or business ownership which creates a conflict of interest or an incompatibility with District employment. Information can be found in the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual Section 4.13 Off-Duty Employment and Business Ownership.
Education and Experience:
Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:
Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in environmental design, natural resource management, ecology, biology, or a related field, and five (5) years of increasingly responsible experience in natural resource management preferably in parks, open space, or related field, including at least three (3) years of experience supervising staff, consultants, or contractors. A Master’s Degree is desirable. Professional work experience with parks and open space is highly desired.
Licenses & Certifications Required: Possession of a valid California Driver’s License.
Benefits: Midpen provides an excellent benefits package including health, life & disability insurance as well as CalPERS pension.
How to Apply: apply online at CalOpps.org.
(To avoid missing email communication regarding your status in this recruitment, add mpropenspace@calopps.org to your contacts or list of safe senders)
First Application Review is Monday, June 16, 2025. Applicants with the most relevant experience and qualifications suitable for the position will be contacted for an interview.
The following application items are required to be considered*:
1. Fully completed CalOpps employment application
2. Cover letter
3. Resume
4. Supplemental question responses
*Incomplete CalOpps employment applications, or applications without the required application items listed here, will not be considered for the position.
Interview Schedule (we are unable to accommodate individual schedules):
First Interview (virtual): Thursday, July 10, 2025
Written Exercise and Final Interview (in-person): Wednesday, July 23, 2025
A note to applicants who currently live outside of the San Francisco Bay Area: before committing to the application process, and if you haven’t done so already, we suggest evaluating the feasibility of relocation. We recommend researching the cost of living in the San Francisco Bay Area, the cost to relocate, and typical commute times to Los Altos from outlying areas.
At Midpen, we believe open space is for all. Our public lands are shared spaces provided for the community by the community. All people, regardless of background, deserve respect, dignity, safety, and a sense of belonging. Midpen welcomes all people to enjoy the public open space preserves we hold in trust, supporting the mental, physical, and social well-being of our region.
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is an Equal Opportunity Employer
