Job Announcement: 

Traditional Ecological Inquiry Program (TEIP) Program Manager

Posted: May 9th, 2025

Position open until filled, applications will be reviewed starting June 6, 2025

Desired Start Date: Flexible, July – early August, 2025

Status: Exempt, Full-time (40 hours per week but will consider 32-36 hours per week at a prorated salary)

Reports To: LTWC Executive Director and TEIP Program Director

Compensation: $65,000-$75,000 starting salary (depending on experience) + benefits:

  • Health insurance (LTWC currently pays 75% of employee premium + 20% of dependents paid)
  • 401(k) contribution – 8% of salary plus optional employee contribution
  • 10 paid holidays plus 15 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) to start (sick and vacation days are lumped together as PTO) 
  • Continuing education and training are financially supported in alignment with organizational priorities
  • $40/month stipend for use of personal cell phone

To Apply:

    • Please submit your application materials via email to apply@longtom.org.  Applications will be reviewed starting on June 6, 2025. 
    • Applications submitted on and after June 6 may or may not be accepted, depending on whether the position has been filled. 
    • Please email questions about the position or hiring process to apply@longtom.org. 
  • All emails – both application submittals and questions regarding the position – must have “TEIP Program Manager” in the subject line.

Application Materials:

    • Resume – include your phone & email address.
    • Cover letter of 2 pages or less, and 12-point font, that includes:
      1. A description of how your knowledge, skills, abilities, and past experiences relate to the position responsibilities.
      2. A description of what approaches and insights help in working with a diverse watershed community, including rural residents, agricultural and forestry landowners, tribal community members, and restoration contractors.
    • Three professional references will be required for finalists – you can provide them now or later on in the process. Please provide contact information, including phone number, and describe your relationship with them.

Background

The Long Tom Watershed Council (LTWC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration and stewardship of the Long Tom and Upper Willamette River Watersheds in Lane and Benton Counties. The Traditional Ecological Inquiry Program (TEIP) is a program hosted and supported by LTWC.

TEIP is a holistic, place-based education internship for Tribal youth ages 13 – 23, taught by Native educators, that facilitates academic, community, and personal success through the exploration of Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge. This intertribal community program’s foundational principle is to recognize and support the truth that Traditional Ways of Knowing can serve as a pathway to learner-driven inquiry and curiosity among Native people.

TEIP observes the natural ways of all living beings in support of healthy connections among people, landscapes, ideas, and inquiry. Learning is centered on the Kalapuya seasonal rounds – the tradition of maintaining seasonal tending and gathering cycles marked by solstices and equinoxes. Further, the program supports the restoration of healthy working relationships with the natural elements of fire, earth, water, and air.

TEIP works with Tribal experts in history, language, and culture as resources for the intergenerational transmission of knowledge among Native people, and embraces the value of family, community involvement, ideation, and the sovereign right of humans to pursue health, happiness, and wisdom. TEIP supports student-driven curiosity, which evolves into an inquiry exploration project, weaving universals of cultures and societies throughout the world as a thread connecting people to their ways of knowing and the ways of other Tribal people.

For more about LTWC and TEIP, visit: www.longtom.org/community/teip/.

General Description 

The TEIP Program Manager will oversee and ensure the financial sustainability of the program, including grant writing, management, and fundraising. This position will also focus on diversifying funding sources through donor engagement and developing relationships with Tribal, community, and agency partners. The Program Manager will collaborate closely with LTWC staff, the TEIP team, and the Upper Willamette Stewardship Network.

Success in this position would entail a collaborative program manager who is direct, thoughtful, adaptable, and takes initiative—someone who can work effectively across diverse communication styles while meeting the dynamic needs of our fast-paced team. The ideal candidate will be able to work independently while being team-oriented, be self-directed, and have the ability to balance and manage multiple competing priorities with precision.

Summary of Position Responsibilities 

Financial Management, Grant Writing & Fundraising (70%)

      • Grant Writing & Management
        • Lead the submission of grant proposals for public and private foundations.
        • Manage and track grant deliverables and reporting, maintaining relationships with funders.
        • Develop and research new funding opportunities.
        • Track grant specific expenses, maintaining budget oversight and communicate current funding status to TEIP team.
        • Work with TEIP team and LTWC administrative team to create a long-term financial stability plan for TEIP.
      • Program Budget
        • Manage program budget, provide updates to TEIP team and LTWC administrative team.
      • Fundraising & Donor Relations
        • Develop and implement fundraising strategies.
        • Maintain relationships with donors and track engagement.
        • Manage donor appreciation and communication.
      • Contractor & Program Oversight:
        • Oversee contractor activities, ensuring timely invoicing and program alignment.
        • Work with TEIP Curriculum Director to maintain a living record of TEIP activities for reporting.

Communications, Operations, and Team Leadership (30%)

      • Communication & Coordination
        • Share updates on TEIP with partners, community, and donors, and maintain communication channels.
        • Coordinate logistics for the TEIP seasonal internship, including transportation, food, and safety procedures.
        • Support communication efforts via phone, email, and in-person interactions with interns, families, and mentors.
      • Operations
        • Collaborate with LTWC’s operations team to ensure compliance with organizational policies.
        • Attend team meetings, facilitate regular check-ins, and create meeting agendas.
        • Track action items, ensuring team coordination and support.
      • Community Engagement & Office Administration
        • Engage in TEIP gatherings and maintain program files, supplies, and intern resources.

Other Duties as Assigned

      • The Program Manager may be assigned additional responsibilities as necessary to support the evolving needs of the program.

Required

      • 3–5 years of relevant experience in nonprofit program management or a similar role.
      • Experience working with Native communities
        • Knowledge of Oregon and Pacific Northwest Native American history, an understanding of the diversity of the local American Indian/Alaskan Native communities.
        • Knowledge of and/or familiarity with the historical and contemporary legal development and workings/status of Tribal Nations.
        • Familiarity with how to best engage with Tribal Nations.
      • Experience managing program budgets (at least $300K).
      • Experience securing and managing small-large private and public grants.
      • Demonstrated ability in fundraising and donor cultivation
      • Excellent project management, organizational, and communication skills.
      • Ability to work effectively with a diverse range of partners and teams.
      • Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and social media management.

Youth Safety Requirements

      • Criminal background check is required due to interaction with youth.
      • Must review and sign LTWC’s Abuse & Neglect policy.

Team & Support Structure

      • The Program Manager will work closely with the TEIP Director and TEIP Teaching & Learning Designer. LTWC’s Executive Director will provide supervision.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

      • Office space at Long Tom Watershed Council in Eugene, OR. Flexible and hybrid work environment.
      • In-field work may require walking on uneven terrain, being outdoors in various weather conditions, and lifting up to 25 lbs.

Equal Opportunity Employer

LTWC prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, income status, marital status, or familial or parental status in employment in any program or activity conducted by the council. The Long Tom Watershed Council is an equal opportunity employer.

Statement on Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At LTWC, we believe the health of the watershed is dependent upon the contributions of all people. LTWC recognizes the disproportionate impacts systems of oppression have on People of Color and Indigenous People. We believe the organization’s strength depends on breaking down implicit, systemic inequities. We strive to create an inclusive and welcoming environment that grows our collective wisdom.

Hiring Equity and Justice

Since 2018, LTWC has invested significantly in exploring what diversity, equity and inclusion mean for the soul of our community and the core of our work.  We believe that the health of the watershed is dependent upon the contributions of all people. LTWC recognizes the disproportionate impacts that systems of oppression have on People of Color and Indigenous People. We believe the organization’s strength depends on breaking down implicit, systemic inequities. We strive to create an inclusive and welcoming environment that grows our collective wisdom. 

It is well-documented that Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), queer and transgender folks, women, and other marginalized groups often do not apply for jobs unless they feel they meet every qualification listed in the job description. Conversely, it is well documented that people with identities overrepresented in our field (white people, men, etc.) do not hesitate to apply even if they do not meet all the stated qualifications and are often still hired into those positions. We are most interested in finding the right candidate for the job and our team, and we encourage all passionate and interested candidates to apply and not discount experience that could be transferable, even if it is outside what we have described. We are committed to working against the structural biases that continue to keep marginalized people excluded from the conservation, restoration and natural resource fields, and to making sure our hiring practices are not reproducing those biases.