Senior Scientific Specialist, Land-Stream Conservation - INHS/PRI

Duties & Responsibilities Research Perform data collection, planning, monitoring, and research. Assist, compile, peer review, edit, collaborate, and analyze conservation management plans and conservation monitoring reports that impact water quality, wildlife, forestry, fish, and natural heritage resources. Coordinate with INHS CREP staff, IDNR staff, CREP partners, and CREP stakeholders to provide administrative and technical assistance for: CREP easement enrollments, easement re-enrollments, easement transfers, easement management, easement alterations/violations, easement subordinations/releases, natural resource planning, and conservation practices. Coordinates technical assistance for the inter-departmental CREP Technical Review Team. Coordinate with INHS CREP staff, IDNR staff, CREP partners, and CREP stakeholders to implement, monitor, manage, document, and enforce CREP easement compliance. Assists INHS CREP staff, IDNR staff, CREP partners, and CREP stakeholders on the compilation of best management practice data and landowners’ perceptions on conservation, freshwater species, and stream health. Assist, coordinate, prepare, and conduct reviews of enrollment documents, easement documents, title commitments, ownership documents (deed, title, LLC, etc.), boundary surveys, legal descriptions, maps, data surveys, and financial estimates/documents. Conduct other research duties as assigned. Research - Data Management and Reporting Assist and facilitate the collection, analysis, and reporting of adaptive CREP data. Utilizes spreadsheets and supplemental databases for workflow data, easement enrollment data, easement management data, easement monitoring data, and natural resource planning data. Report on CREP monitoring and management progress/status and make recommendations to IDNR staff. Compile, analyze, and collaborate with INHS CREP staff, IDNR staff, CREP partners, and CREP stakeholders to generate reports and summaries regarding mandated CREP goals. Respond to requests for scientific/technical information from CREP stakeholders and research partners. Compile, analyze, and report CREP monitoring data for conferences and professional meetings/trainings/presentations. Conduct other data management and reporting duties as assigned. Administration Acts as CREP liaison between INHS, IDNR, CREP partners, and CREP stakeholders. Supervise and lead staff to achieve success and foster a culture of innovation and high-level performance at both individual and organizational levels. This includes task assignment, scheduling, ongoing performance management with coaching and feedback, career development planning, lease/travel approval, conducting annual performance reviews, and ensuring completion of compliance-related tasks. Provide administrative and technical training to INHS CREP staff. Provide and conduct training and outreach for INHS Staff, IDNR staff, CREP partners, CREP stakeholders, and private landowners. Manage CREP Field Staff travel and vehicles, including maintenance and annual inspections. Assist PI with the development of new IDNR/CREP contract proposals. Manage and track INHS CREP financial responsibilities and budgetary expenses as directed by the INHS/IDNR contract. Assist IDNR with comprehensive administrative duties and central coordination for the monitoring, inventory, analysis, planning, and implementation of CREP natural resource management. Assist IDNR with CREP natural resource conservation procedures and guidelines. Conduct other administrative duties as assigned. Other Perform other duties as directed to further the mission and goals of the Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, and the University of Illinois. Keep abreast of developments in this discipline.