Stewardship Program Manager - Conservation Easement

Job Title:                             Stewardship Program Manager – Conservation Easements

Reports to:                         Director of Stewardship

Want to play your part in protecting our local communities from the impacts of climate change? Ready to roll up your sleeves to help achieve tangible results? Want to be part of a talented, deeply committed, and national award-winning conservation organization? Then please read on!

Sonoma Land Trust (SLT) is looking for someone to lead our Conservation Easement Program through work with partners, colleagues, and private landowners that support our efforts in protecting biodiversity and creating a more resilient environment. SLT serves a diverse audience with broad cultural heritages, socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, and orientations. We encourage applications from candidates who reflect and value the audiences and populations we serve.

Overview

The Conservation Easement Program Manager leads SLT’s conservation easement program (CE) and provides administrative and project management support to the Stewardship Department. The Program Manager is the primary point of contact with CE landowners, collaborates on conservation easement acquisitions, manages approval and violation/enforcement work, maintains accurate records for each easement property and directs the easement monitoring program. SLT’s easements are monitored annually by Stewardship Technicians, and the Program Manager is responsible for training Stewardship Technicians.

The Manager maintains and builds positive relationships with conservation easement landowners (both original grantors and successor owners); collaborates with partner organizations; is the point of contact with legal counsel on conservation easement defense; and works closely with the philanthropy and communications teams and other SLT staff. In addition, the Program Manager participates in the countywide project inquiry and evaluation process for CE inquiries and works with acquisition department program managers to complete land protection projects throughout Sonoma County, including project intake and due diligence.

Primary Responsibilities

Conservation Easement Program Management (40%)

• Develop annual budget and work plan for CE stewardship program.


• Draft policies, reports, and provide organizational updates related to CE stewardship.


• Work with colleagues and attorneys to keep stewardship practices current and effective.


• Develop and maintain online CE database using the Salesforce Locate software for all CE management recordkeeping purposes.


• Keep abreast of legal and practice trends and initiatives to ensure the CE program is positioned on the leading edge of land.


• Represent SLT and make presentations to community groups and professional conferences (e.g. Land Trust Alliance Rally, California Council of Land Trusts Conference).
  

Conservation Easement Stewardship (40%)

• Maintain records for each conservation easement, including tracking property statistics, ownership contact information, Baseline Documentation Reports, and monitoring reports.


• Train and oversee the work of the Stewardship Technicians for annual monitoring of CE/fee land properties.


• Research and develop new monitoring practices using technologies including the most recent GIS software, mobile devices, and GPS technology to collect data and create current maps for CE properties.


• Direct SLT’s annual monitoring program and the Landowner Relations Program that works to develop and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with conservation easement landowners and partnering organizations.


• Review and respond to notices and requests for approval related to reserved and restricted rights on each property as defined by the conservation easement.


• Manage all aspects of conservation easement violations and requests for CE approvals, notices, and amendments, including field work, easement review and interpretation, working with legal counsel, negotiations with landowners and other parties, and thorough documentation of all aspects of any violations or requests or notices.


• Lead the staff team that updates and improves SLT’s Conservation Easement template.
  

Acquisitions Project Management Support (20%)

• Assist Acquisitions program managers to complete CE land protection projects throughout Sonoma County, including project intake and due diligence, CE drafting, and baseline drafting.


• Maintain relationships with property owners and project partners.


• Assist in fundraising, project presentations, and contracts management. 


• Prepare or manage contractors to complete comprehensive Baseline Documentation Reports for each conservation easement acquisition.
  

Other Duties

• Participate in various local, regional, state and national efforts related to CE and resource management.


• Work with SLT’s Communications team to support and develop public outreach opportunities, newsletter articles, etc., related to conservation easements.


• Promote, coordinate, and participate in recreational activities such as hikes, stewardship work parties, environmental education, and member events.

• Other duties as assigned or necessary. 
  

Essential Qualifications

• A four-year degree in natural resources management, planning, real estate, or a related field and/or equivalent experience in resource management, land use or environmental planning, non-profit management, fundraising, real estate, or a related field.


• Proficiency with ArcGIS and experience with GPS field units.


• Demonstrated work experience with conservation easements, land use law, and land conservation.


• Professional writing skills including preparing grant applications.


• Skill in public speaking and ability to represent SLT in public forums.


• Creativity and problem-solving skills are essential, as are curiosity, independence, and the ability to work as a cooperative member of a team.


• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.


• Ability to work occasional weekends or after business hours.


• Must be able to hike over steep and rugged terrain.


• A valid driver’s license.

Preferred Skills and Experience

SLT is open to candidates with diverse backgrounds, experience, and transferrable skills. We are looking for candidates with the following experience OR the ability to develop skills in each of these categories:

• Developing and fostering relationships with diverse communities and organizations to support SLT’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Plan.


• Building and maintaining collaborative relationships with co-workers, partner organizations, government officials, public agencies, community groups and the public.


• Understanding of emerging public policy issues affecting land use and land preservation, including climate change, habitat protection, and water quality and quantity.

Sonoma Land Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer

We strive to create a diverse and inclusive organization and encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, national or regional origins, sexes, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, gender identities, military or veteran status or other status protected by law.

About Sonoma Land Trust

Sonoma Land Trust works in alliance with nature to conserve and restore the integrity of the land, with a focus on climate resiliency. The organization is also committed to ensuring more equitable access to the outdoors. Since 1976, the non-profit Land Trust has protected over 63,000 acres of scenic, natural, agricultural and open land for future generations. Sonoma Land Trust is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission and was the recipient of the 2019 Land Trust Alliance Award of Excellence. For more information, please visit the Sonoma Land Trust website.

We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment that is representative of the communities we serve. We know that having varied perspectives leads to better outcomes to solve the complex problems of conservation, climate change and environmental justice in Sonoma County. And to best serve the people of our community, we are taking the actions outlined in our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Plan.