NEW SALEM — Jessica Mooring plans to step down as town coordinator on May 9 following four months on the job.

The 27-year-old Hadley native and current Amherst resident, who was appointed by the Selectboard to replace Kathy Neal in January, said the new situation “didn’t work out,” but she expressed gratitude and appreciation for the town of New Salem.

“It was great,” Mooring said. “I met a lot of really great people.”

She had no further comment for the Greenfield Recorder, but a resignation letter dated April 9 states she feels she is “not the right fit for this position.”

Susan Cloutier, who chairs the Selectboard, praised Mooring’s work and said she respects her decision.

“We’ve been very pleased with her work and I think she has a brilliant future wherever she goes. At the beginning of our careers, we’re not sure of the direction we want to go,” she said. “Any transition in a tiny town like this is difficult because we’re not a high-profile community. We don’t have a generous tax base to offer competitive wages.”

Cloutier said a hiring committee has already interviewed some applicants and she hopes to have a replacement before Mooring leaves on May 9. She also said town officials are willing to write Mooring letters of support if she requests them.

“She’s helped the town a lot,” Cloutier said.

A bachelor’s degree, with administrative experience in a municipal or similar environment, is a job requirement. The town coordinator position is 32 to 40 hours per week, at $30 to $35 per hour, with benefits. A full job description can be found at tinyurl.com/TownCoordinator. Letters of interest and résumés should be sent to Cloutier at cloutier@tiac.net or to 19 South Main St., New Salem, MA 01355.

Mooring had most recently worked as an environmental planner for Portland, Oregon, where she worked on zoning code projects pertaining to floodplains and wetlands. She took the Portland job after getting a master’s degree in regional planning from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she had also earned a bachelor’s degree in natural resources conservation. She had replaced Neal, who retired following 3½ years on the job.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.