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Economist-Forest Restoration and Utilization

Employer
New Mexico Highlands University
Location
New Mexico, United States
Salary
Salary Not Specified
Date posted
Mar 1, 2021

Position Details

Position Economist-Forest Restoration and Utilization Full Time/Part Time Full Time Job Type Regular Position Summary

The New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute ( FWRI ) seeks an Economist with a specialty in forest products, restoration, utilization and marketing for a full-time position as Marketing and Utilization Program Manager. The position requires a post-graduate degree in Forest Economics, Agricultural Economics, Business or a related field, preferably a Ph.D. but M.S., M.B.A., M.F. or ABDs with appropriate experience will be considered. The job focuses on outreach, teaching and research related to developing markets and promoting uses for small diameter trees, and the incumbent will catalyze the transition of the Southwest’s renewable natural resource economy. The program manager will collaborate with colleagues in public agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and the New Mexico State Forestry Division, with forest economists and others at sister institutes in Arizona and Colorado, and with forest industry and landowners around New Mexico. The incumbent will also teach one course per semester in the Forestry Department at New Mexico Highlands University, the only SAF -accredited forestry program in New Mexico.

The mission of the FWRI is to promote practices that advance adaptive management, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and improve ecosystem function. The Marketing and Utilization Program complements FWRI expertise in monitoring, geospatial information systems, collaboration, outreach, and ecological restoration. The FWRI is one of three Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes ( SWERI ), with partner institutes in Arizona and Colorado.

The FWRI is located on the campus of Highlands University in historic Las Vegas, NM. Highlands University, a Hispanic Serving Institution, offers a comprehensive education to a diverse student body, and Highlands faculty are actively involved in research, service and outreach. Las Vegas is located at the foot of the picturesque Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and offers small-town charm, a healthy environment and abundant year-round outdoor recreational opportunities in nearby national forests, state parks, and wildlife refuges. Santa Fe, New Mexico’s capital, is an easy 60-minute drive to the west, and Taos and Albuquerque can be reached in less than two hours.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as the FWRI’s specialist in forest economics, marketing and utilization by industry of forest products, especially new and non-traditional uses of small-diameter material;
• Help forestry professionals to better understand the economics of the forest industry in New Mexico;
• Work with forest industry and federal, state, tribal, and local land management agencies to develop and promote markets for woody material that is removed from landscape-scale, restoration-based fuel-reduction treatments in woodlands and forests;
• Develop public awareness of the necessity and role of a forest industry in forest ecosystem restoration;
• Coordinate with the utilization specialists at the other SWERI institutes, the Ecological Restoration Institute in Flagstaff, AZ, and the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute in Fort Collins, CO;
• Represent FWRI in local, regional, or statewide industry groups;
• Engage in outreach and applied research in the area of forest economics that focuses on the contribution of the forest products industry to the NM and regional economy, especially as it relates to watershed restoration;
• Analyze marketing and economic data and prepare project reports and assessments;
• Provide field supervision of students or other staff;
• Teach one economics course per semester in the Highlands University Forestry Department;
• Acquire other funding for FWRI activities from federal, state, and private sources;
• Maintain regular attendance and punctuality;
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the FWRI Director.

Minimum Job Requirements

• Education: A Master’s degree specializing in forest economics, marketing and utilization, or a closely related field. At least one degree in forestry, natural resources management or a related field, or comparable professional experience, is required.
• Experience: A proven record of at least two (2) years’ experience directly related to forest economics and utilization and the other duties and responsibilities indicated above.

Preferred Qualifications

A Ph.D. with a specialization in forest resource management and economics, utilization, marketing, or closely related fields. All But Dissertation ( ABD ) applicants will be considered.

Special Conditions for Eligibility

• Must possess and maintain a valid NM driver’s license. Selection of an out-of-state candidate will require possession of a valid New Mexico Driver’s license within sixty (60) days of employment.
• Must be willing to work weekends, evenings and odd hours as required.
• Must be willing to travel.
• Must be able to pass a criminal background check.
• Continued employment is contingent upon grant funding.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to work collaboratively with people of diverse backgrounds on natural resources issues;
• Ability to communicate effectively to diverse professional and public audiences;
• Ability to acquire federal and state grants, contracts, and other forms of funding;
• Ability to plan and conduct applied research in the broad areas of marketing of forest products and economics of renewable natural resources;
• Demonstrated understanding of micro- and macro-economic conditions impacting domestic and international markets for forest products;
• An extensive background in forest products marketing as well as utilization, economics, forest growth and yield modeling, and risk and financial decision making;
• Knowledge of issues related to marketing of forest products derived from small-diameter material;
• Demonstrated understanding of forest management and forest products in the Southwest or Interior West;
• Knowledge and experience in facilitation of collaborative land management;
• Knowledge, familiarity, and experience in New Mexico;
• Ability to write technical reports for internal and external publication;
• Ability to teach graduate and undergraduate students;
• Ability to work productively, professionally and collegially with colleagues and diverse external stakeholders, as attested to by professional references;
• Knowledge and experience preparing information and findings and presenting information orally, in formal and informal settings, as demonstrated by documented products of these efforts.
• Develop ways to address additional issues, possibly including:

o Costs associated with start-up or expansion of logging or thinning businesses
o Local and long-distance transportation costs
o Use of larger diameter timber to subsidize small diameter removal
o Prescribed fire use vs mechanical thinning
o Pre-fire fuels management vs active fire management
o Economies of scale related to forest management

Physical Demands

• Sitting ………………………………………………….…….. Frequently
• Standing……………………………………………………… Occasionally
• Walking.……………………………………………………… Occasionally
• Bending………………………………………………………. Occasionally
• Squatting……………………………………………………… Occasionally
• Climbing ……………………………………………………… Occasionally
• Kneeling ……………………………………………………… Occasionally
• Lifting up to 20 pounds……………………………………….Occasionally
• Lifting greater than 20 pounds ……………….….………… Seldom

Working Environment

The FWRI has offices and lab space at Highlands University. The Institute staff work collegially and collaborate frequently with partners throughout New Mexico and beyond. Field work is performed in rural and peri-urban environments with community groups that are often resource-limited.

Pay Rate $58,080 Work Location/Campus Center Las Vegas, NM Campus EEO Statement

New Mexico Highlands University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. We are committed to the University values of diversity, accessibility, excellence, and responsiveness.

For disabled access or services call 505-454-3242 or email hr@nmhu.edu

Visit the link below for more information regarding affirmative action and equal opportunity:
Equal Employment Opportunity is THE LAW


Posting Number AS460P Open Date 03/01/2021 Close Date Open Until Filled Yes Special Instructions to Applicant

A complete online application must include: 1) Letter of interest/cover letter; 2) Resume; 3) Names, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of three (3) Professional references in application, and 4) Unofficial copies of transcripts. Candidates who are invited for on-campus interviews will be required to submit official transcripts. References will be contacted in conjunction with on-campus interview. Upload required materials with online application. For disabled access or services call (505) 454-3242 or contact Human Resources at hr@nmhu.edu. NMHU IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER .

Quick Link https://nmhu.peopleadmin.com/postings/6436 Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

  1. * How did you hear about this employment opportunity?
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  2. * What is the highest level of education attained?
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Documents Needed to Apply
Required Documents
  1. Cover Letter/ Letter of Interest
  2. Resume
  3. Unofficial Transcripts Conferring Required Degree
Optional Documents

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