JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE
LOCATION / Director of Land Conservation
Harrisburg, PA
JOB FAMILY / Conservation
JOB NUMBER / 250009
SALARY GRADE
STATUS / Salaried
DATE / August 2016
SUMMARY / The Nature Conservancy seeks a knowledgeable, energetic conservationist for the position of Director of Land Conservation in Pennsylvania. This positionpresents an opportunity to join the staff of one of the largest, most successful conservation organizations in the world, working in all 50 United States and 69 countries.The Director of Land Conservation will lead the Pennsylvania Chapter’s efforts to protect, restore, and manage high priority areas, including lands along one of Pennsylvania’s most spectacular and scenic natural features, the Kittatinny Ridge. The Director will supervise staff based in several Pennsylvania locations.
ESSENTIAL
FUNCTIONS / The Director of Land Conservationwill lead strategies to increase the amount of protected and restored land in Pennsylvania. S/he will supervise staff specializing in land transactions and long-term management of conserved lands. S/he will work closely with Chapter staff and partner organizations to assist with landowner and public outreach, evaluate potential protection and restoration projects, determine the best options for long-term conservation, secure funding, and provide project oversight and coordination. S/he will be responsible for helping to coordinate landowner outreach with other organizations and for negotiating complex projects, including land transfers to public agencies and restoration projects involving multiple partners. A large portion of his/her time will be spent working on a multi-year, multi-partner initiative to protect tens of thousands of acres on the Kittatinny Ridge using a range of protection tools, including purchases, gifts, easements, and other options.
RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE /
  • Leads and manages multi-disciplinary teams to increase the amount of land conserved and restored in priority areas.
  • Supervises land protection and land managementstaff and is responsible for performance management, training and career development.
  • Contacts landowners to discuss benefits and opportunities for long-term conservation and/or restoration on their property.
  • Negotiates real estate transactions, which can bind the Conservancy legally and financially.
  • Oversees land management and restoration on Conservancy-owned landsand other lands where the Conservancy has conservation easements or management agreements.
  • Manages grants, contracts and administrative agreements with project partners and funding agencies.
  • Develops and maintains systems for regular reporting on progress toward protection goals and project deliverables.
  • Develops budgets for project costs, including land acquisition, due diligence, and long-term land management; maintains records of costs and resources associated with all tasks.
  • Establishes optimal performance standards for the Chapter or program while controlling costs and administering budgets.
  • Responsible for helping to secure public and private funds to meet program needs (both operational and capital).
  • Builds cooperation from outside parties to accomplish program goals.
  • May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.
  • Frequently makes independent decisions based on analysis, experience, and judgment.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS /
  • BA/BS degree in natural resources management, conservation, business, law or another related field of study and at least 5 years’ experience in land conservation, real estate, law, business or related field.
  • Experience working with a wide range of people, such as landowners, corporate executives and government officials.
  • Experience negotiating complex agreements.
  • Supervisory experience.
  • Experience in developing and managing multiple projects and timelines.
  • Experience working with computers, including database management.

PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE /
  • M.S. or other advanced degree and 5-7 years’ experience in conservation practice or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Working knowledge of legal real estate documents and principles of land acquisitions.
  • Knowledge of current trends and strategies in land protection and restoration.
  • Experience with land management and stewardship of natural areas, including monitoring of fee lands and conservation easements, ecological restoration, and issues related to recreation and public access.
  • Familiarity with Forest Stewardship Council certification and other forest certification programs.
  • Experience with forest carbon projects and familiarity with carbon credit markets.
  • Understanding of how forest conservation contributes to stream and wetland health and experience integrating forest and freshwater conservation objectives.
  • Demonstrated experience collaborating with other parties to reach common goals.
  • Successful experience in developing, directing and managing multiple projects and implementing strategic program goals.
  • Experience hiring and managing contractors.
  • Ability to complete tasks independently with respect to timelines.
  • Experience obtaining and managing spatial information, including parcel data and surveys.
  • Clear written, spoken and graphical communication in English and other relevant languages.
  • Demonstrated experience in fundraising.

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCIES / Accountability for Outcomes / Pushes for excellence. Establishes challenging goals for self and others to drive performance in support of the Conservancy’s mission. Rewards behavior that achieves these standards and is aligned with the organization’s mission/ values. Takes action to address performance problems in a timely and appropriate manner.
Builds Organizational Capability / Builds or adapts organizational structures to accomplish the mission and to improve performance. This includes reorganizing organizational systems, structures, processes, procedures, communication channels or reporting relationships. With the Conservancy’s strategic goals in mind, determines who can contribute, gets the right people involved, and builds staff capacity for the future.
Collaboration & Teamwork / Shows a willingness to put the needs and goals of a global organization before personal/local/departmental needs. Works with others across organizational boundaries. Makes decisions, sets priorities, and allocates resources to help the organization as a whole achieve results.
Communications / Effectively expresses messages verbally and in writing. Actively listens to others. Fosters open exchange of issues. Is timely with information.
Courage & Decisiveness / Makes decisions and stands by them. Makes timely decisions even under pressure and when lacking complete information. Has the courage to modify decisions and admit why and how they were wrong.
Flexibility & Innovation / Flexible to changing circumstances. Takes innovative approaches towards work. Takes calculated risks and makes dependable decisions in the fact of uncertainty.
Influences for Results / Achieves results by persuading, convincing, or influencing others. Adapts approach to the individual or group and knows how and when to use complex influence strategies. Uses success stories and passion for the mission to generate enthusiasm and support.
Open to Learning / Versatile learner and committed to self-improvement. Employs strengths effectively. Willingly shares knowledge with others. Seeks coaching on areas needing improvement. Adjusts behavior/performance as needed. Views mistakes as learning opportunities.
Organizational Awareness / Understands the basics of our business. Knows how local job relates to the big picture & contributes to the overall strategy. Knows how/why things work inside TNC. Easily moves through internal networks and channels for success.
This description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required for this job.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of men and women of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and cultures. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, gender identities, military or veteran status or other status protected by law.