NRDP Administrator

at  State of Montana

DIVISION OVERVIEW:

The Natural Resource Damage Program (NRDP) is seeking an Administrator to join our hardworking and innovative team of scientists and attorneys in restoring Montana’s natural resources.
The ideal candidate can work independently and contribute to our mission “To recover damages for natural resources injured by the release of hazardous substances and to restore, rehabilitate, replace or acquire the equivalent of the injured natural resources.”
NRDP has been pursuing natural resource damage claims at sites across Montana where a release of hazardous or deleterious substances has injured state resources since 1990. Originally created to prepare and litigate the State’s natural resource damage lawsuit against the Atlantic Richfield Company for injury to natural resources in the Upper Clark Fork River Basin, NRDP is responsible for over $256 million in settlements and has implemented hundreds of miles of stream restoration projects and upland restoration actions throughout Montana.
NRDP is administratively attached to the State’s Attorney’s Office of the Montana Department of Justice and is responsible for pursuing natural resource damage claims and implementing restoration actions on behalf of the Governor as the trustee for Montana’s natural resources.
NRDP has 13 full-time employees (one administrator, two attorneys, seven scientists, and three administrative/fiscal/contract staff). In addition to extensive work in the Upper Clark Fork River Basin, NRDP has also initiated and settled natural resource damage claims that have resulted in the State receiving additional settlement funds for restoration activities at other sites, including the Upper Blackfoot Mining Complex, the East Helena Smelter Site, the 2011 Yellowstone River Oil Spill, the 2015 Yellowstone Oil Spill, and Libby Asbestos.
Job Overview:

The NRDP Administrator is responsible for:

• Directing, coordinating, and managing NRDP strategies for all NRD restoration plans, NRD claims, personnel, and program operations and resources in alignment with Governor’s direction.
• Directing, formulating, administering, and revising NRDP policies, processes, and procedures to improve business operations and ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
• Allocating, reviewing, approving NRDP budgets, and resources for NRD restoration plans, investigation/settlement of new NRD claims, program operations, and activities as authorized by the Governor.
• Managing, directing, reviewing, approving NRDP financial statements, budgets, activity reports, or other performance data to measure NRDP goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction and improvement within authorized thresholds established by executives, the legislature and restoration plans.
• Directing, reviewing, and approving NRDP business proposals and operations, investigation/settlement of new NRD claims, NRD restoration plans, contracts, and program operations and resources.
• Managing the preparation of reporting to entities such as federal and state government, boards, stakeholders, or other interested parties.
• Coordinating significant NRDP restoration projects and building relationships with external entities such as counties, tribal and local governments, contractors, and others.
• Providing operational management functions authorized by executives, including allocating staffing resources; planning for and managing the office, IT, and other approved resources; and providing oversight for program resources.
• Office Supervision/management of NRDP employees, ensure strategies align with Governor’s direction.
• Determining program goals and priorities within broad outlines provided by the Governor and making detailed plans to accomplish these goals
• Developing and implementing policies, standards, and procedures for the program and its activities.
• New Claims: Supervising the investigation and preparation of NRD assessments and claims throughout MT as requested by the Governor.
• Working closely with the Chief Legal Counsel and Environmental Program Manager to ensure that the strategy aligns with priorities of the Governor.
• Restoration Plan Development: Supervise the development of Restoration Plans following settlement of NRD claims per DOI regulations and the Governor’s direction.
• Act as liaison to citizen advisory councils: UCFRB Advisory Council and Butte Natural Resource Council and to Governor’s Office.
• Participating in interagency collaboration and community engagement. – Federal agencies/State Departments/NGOs/Counties/Cities/etc.
• Represent the program as directed by the Governor during meetings and public forums, contract negotiations, to external constituencies, and with other agencies.
• Supervising Program Communications.
• Seeking and soliciting funding from legislature and other sources for program and its projects, such as grants, donations, or other funding sources.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

Knowledge:

• This position requires familiarity with the state and federal laws, rules, regulations, guidelines, policies, DOI NRDA regulations and restoration in a way that allows for meaningful engagement with program staff. Requires deep understanding of leadership principles and managerial/supervisory practices and techniques. This position requires working knowledge of accounting, budgeting, auditing, and procurement principles.
• The position also requires familiarity with public administration and relations; NRD restoration; government organization; public policy development; Montana and its natural resources; environmental and public health concerns; legislative processes; program planning and administration; and State personnel procedures and employment management. This position also requires ability to learn and understand the science and law that supports the pursuit of natural resource damage claims and implementation of restoration. As the leader and face of the program, the Program Administrator should be able to understand the work that is done by the Program to allow for thoughtful engagement with the public and all necessary stakeholders.

Skills:

• The position requires the ability to operate computers, including word processing, database programs, internet, email, and Power Point presentations; copy machine, cameras and video equipment and telephone; and a motor vehicle (with a valid driver’s license). The position also requires familiarity with negotiation and mediation; skills in developing effective working relationships with a variety of individuals and organizations; and skills in developing approaches to sensitive issues having impacts on public health and environment. An applicant must also possess experience with negotiating settlements and administering contracts.

Abilities:

• The applicant should possess: a superior ability to understand the NRD provisions of CERCLA, OPA and CECRA to a variety factual situations involving injuries to natural resources from releases of hazardous substances; to establish goals and objectives; to develop judgment, plans and timetables; to write clearly and concisely; to make effective oral presentations; to provide organizational leadership; to analyze all types of situations to determine applicable concepts and additional research or investigation necessary; to apply sound judgment and responding articulately to complex and sensitive factual situations; to ascertain when an issue is or becomes one of public policy to be decided by superiors; to act with initiative, good judgment and tact; to deal effectively with confidential material; to manage and oversee a budgets; to effectively work under pressure; to handle high-stakes issues and conflicts ;and supervise others.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in business administration, public administration, or a related field.
• Five years of dedicated job-related experience.
• Other combinations of education or experience may be substituted.

• Directing, coordinating, and managing NRDP strategies for all NRD restoration plans, NRD claims, personnel, and program operations and resources in alignment with Governor’s direction.
• Directing, formulating, administering, and revising NRDP policies, processes, and procedures to improve business operations and ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
• Allocating, reviewing, approving NRDP budgets, and resources for NRD restoration plans, investigation/settlement of new NRD claims, program operations, and activities as authorized by the Governor.
• Managing, directing, reviewing, approving NRDP financial statements, budgets, activity reports, or other performance data to measure NRDP goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction and improvement within authorized thresholds established by executives, the legislature and restoration plans.
• Directing, reviewing, and approving NRDP business proposals and operations, investigation/settlement of new NRD claims, NRD restoration plans, contracts, and program operations and resources.
• Managing the preparation of reporting to entities such as federal and state government, boards, stakeholders, or other interested parties.
• Coordinating significant NRDP restoration projects and building relationships with external entities such as counties, tribal and local governments, contractors, and others.
• Providing operational management functions authorized by executives, including allocating staffing resources; planning for and managing the office, IT, and other approved resources; and providing oversight for program resources.
• Office Supervision/management of NRDP employees, ensure strategies align with Governor’s direction.
• Determining program goals and priorities within broad outlines provided by the Governor and making detailed plans to accomplish these goals
• Developing and implementing policies, standards, and procedures for the program and its activities.
• New Claims: Supervising the investigation and preparation of NRD assessments and claims throughout MT as requested by the Governor.
• Working closely with the Chief Legal Counsel and Environmental Program Manager to ensure that the strategy aligns with priorities of the Governor.
• Restoration Plan Development: Supervise the development of Restoration Plans following settlement of NRD claims per DOI regulations and the Governor’s direction.
• Act as liaison to citizen advisory councils: UCFRB Advisory Council and Butte Natural Resource Council and to Governor’s Office.
• Participating in interagency collaboration and community engagement. – Federal agencies/State Departments/NGOs/Counties/Cities/etc.
• Represent the program as directed by the Governor during meetings and public forums, contract negotiations, to external constituencies, and with other agencies.
• Supervising Program Communications.
• Seeking and soliciting funding from legislature and other sources for program and its projects, such as grants, donations, or other funding sources