River Project Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

JOB TITLE: Project Manager

OFFICE LOCATION: Mt. Shasta, California with remote work options for the surrounding areas;

FUNCTIONAL AREA: Conservation

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Full-time, Exempt

REPORTS TO: Damon Goodman

COMPENSATION: $70,000 – 75,000 / Annually

Position Summary: The Scott and Shasta rivers are critical tributaries to the Klamath River and priority watersheds for salmon, steelhead, and coldwater conservation. Following the removal of four Klamath River dams, recovery of anadromous fish will depend in large part on the restoration of tributary habitat, streamflow, floodplain function, riparian corridors, groundwater-surface water connectivity, and cold-water resilience in working landscapes.

California Trout seeks a motivated and highly organized Project Manager to lead and support restoration, planning, monitoring, and partnership projects in the Scott and Shasta River watersheds. The Project Manager will manage projects from concept development through feasibility, design, permitting, funding, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.

The successful candidate will work closely with Tribes, private landowners, agricultural partners, irrigation districts, state and federal agencies, consultants, contractors, funders, and community organizations. This position requires strong project management skills, excellent written and oral communication, sound field judgment, grant and contract administration experience, and the ability to advance durable, partnership-driven solutions that benefit fish, farms, and communities.

Roles & Responsibilities:

This position will manage a portfolio of restoration and watershed projects designed to improve ecological conditions, fish passage, streamflow, and habitat quality in the Scott and Shasta River watersheds. Primary responsibilities include the following:

Project Leadership: Provide overall leadership and direction for Scott and Shasta River projects, ensuring that project objectives are clearly defined and successfully achieved within established timelines, budgets, grant requirements, and partner commitments.

Project Development and Planning: Identify, evaluate, and advance high-priority restoration opportunities, including development of project concepts, scopes of work, budgets, schedules, feasibility assessments, technical workplans, and funding proposals.

Restoration Implementation: Manage a team of experts in design, permitting, construction, and post-project follow-up for projects that may include fish passage, diversion improvements, fish screens, streamflow enhancement, riparian restoration, channel and floodplain reconnection, cold-water habitat protection, wet meadow and spring-fed system restoration, and water quality improvements.

Partner and Landowner Engagement: Build and maintain effective working relationships with Tribes, landowners, agricultural producers, irrigation districts, resource agencies, watershed groups, funders, consultants, contractors, and community partners. Facilitate meetings, site visits, project updates, and collaborative decision-making.

Grant and Contract Management: Support grant writing and manage grant deliverables, budgets, invoicing, reimbursement requests, progress reports, consultant agreements, contractor agreements, and project documentation in coordination with CalTrout finance, grants, legal, and operations staff.

Technical Coordination: Coordinate with engineers, geomorphologists, hydrologists, fisheries biologists, botanists, restoration practitioners, and other technical experts to ensure that project designs and implementation strategies are scientifically sound, feasible, permit-ready, and aligned with recovery priorities.

Field Work and Monitoring: Conduct site visits and assist with field assessments, construction oversight, photo documentation, habitat monitoring, water quality or flow observations, and other data collection needed to support project planning, implementation, reporting, and adaptive management.

Regulatory Compliance: Help ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, permits, landowner agreements, grant requirements, safety protocols, and environmental review processes. Coordinate with permitting agencies and technical consultants to keep projects moving efficiently.

Reporting and Communications: Prepare clear written materials, progress reports, funder updates, presentations, maps, figures, meeting summaries, and public-facing project descriptions. Communicate the importance of Scott and Shasta River restoration within the broader Klamath recovery story.

Budget, Risk, and Quality Management: Track project budgets, schedules, deliverables, risks, and resource needs. Identify issues early, develop practical solutions, maintain high-quality project records, and ensure that work products meet CalTrout standards and partner expectations.

Requirements & Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 3 years of related experience, or a master’s degree, in natural resource management, conservation, biology, aquatic ecology, fisheries biology, geomorphology, hydrology, environmental science, environmental engineering, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience managing environmental restoration, watershed planning, natural resource, water management, or conservation projects from concept through implementation and reporting.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities, budgets, contractors, deadlines, and deliverables effectively.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to write grants and reports, prepare partner updates, develop clear scopes of work, and communicate complex conservation issues to a wide range of audiences.
• Experience working with private landowners, Tribes, agricultural partners, irrigation districts, consultants, contractors, state and federal agencies, funders, or community-based organizations.
• Familiarity with salmonid ecology, watershed restoration, fish passage, streamflow enhancement, hydrology, geomorphology, riparian restoration, or working lands conservation. Experience in the Klamath Basin, Scott River, or Shasta River watersheds is preferred.
• Knowledge of California environmental permitting, grant compliance, contracting, construction oversight, or restoration implementation is preferred.
• Ability to work independently in an office and field setting while contributing to a collaborative regional team.
• GIS, field data collection, monitoring, budget tracking, construction inspection, or data management experience is a plus.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel regularly to field sites, partner meetings, and project locations throughout Siskiyou County and the broader Shasta-Klamath Region.

This position offers an exciting opportunity to help accelerate restoration in two of the Klamath River Basin’s most important tributaries and contribute to the recovery of salmon, steelhead, and coldwater ecosystems after dam removal.

Physical Demands

1. Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
2. Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds at times.
3. Ability to operate a motor vehicle to commute to/from remote work sites.
4. Ability to occasionally tolerate uncomfortable outdoor working conditions (rain, cold temperatures, hot sun) and navigate uneven terrain.

Benefits: California Trout offers competitive compensation commensurate with experience; health benefits (medical, dental, and vision), retirement plan with matching, generous holidays, PTO benefits, and sabbatical leave.

California Trout (CalTrout) is a highly recognized and effective 501(c)3 conservation organization headquartered in San Francisco. For over 50 years, CalTrout has championed a remarkable number of initiatives focused on solving complex resource issues that balance the needs of fish and people. CalTrout has six regionally based offices located in key geographies where wild fish influence local communities. Our professional staff drives innovative, science-based solutions that work for the diverse interests of fish, farms, commerce and the community. CalTrout is backed by a passionate Board of Directors, along with highly committed donors and a strong membership base.

Diversity:  CalTrout does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or any other applicable legally protected characteristics.

We’re passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Companies that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, and perspective are proven to be better companies. More importantly, creating an environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best work is the right thing to do.