Manager of Land-People Connections

 ~The Mission of Solano Land Trust (SLT) is to protect land to ensure a healthy environment, keep ranching and farming families on their properties, and inspire a love of the land. ~

The work we do goes beyond conserving land; it’s also about ensuring people’s relationship to the land remains strong. We are committed to building a conservation and stewardship ethic in our community by supporting values based on common ground and engaging the future leaders and land stewards who will come after us to take care of this land.

Solano Land Trust was founded in 1986 as the Solano County Farmlands and Open Space Foundation as a result of open space advocates, land developers and a municipal government working together to benefit the whole community. This unusual genesis created the structure for a board of directors that reflects all sides of land-use issues united in the mission to preserve the agricultural legacy and natural landscapes of Solano County and enhance people’s relationship to the land.

With your support, Solano Land Trust has permanently protected over 22,000 acres of natural areas and agricultural lands.

Position Overview

Solano Land Trust seeks an experienced manager with the combined technical background and relational skills to help SLT fulfill its:

• Vision for a future that includes shared responsibility for stewardship of Solano County’s natural lands; generations of people who have the opportunity to experience nature and have forged their own individual connection with the land; and a healthy outdoor environment for people, plants and animals.
• Core values and beliefs that land is precious, we lead through exemplary stewardship, and we connect people to land through teaching, research and learning.
• Strategic goals to manage and steward SLT properties for long-term health and promoting a community of conservation; and to provide public access and educational opportunities as a way of connecting the community to the land.

The Manager of Land-People Connections (MLPC) oversees all land-based activities on roughly 12,000 acres of vernal pool, grassland, oak savannah, tidal marsh and wetland habitats owned by Solano Land Trust. These activities include livestock grazing; weed control and other vegetation management; resource monitoring; restoration and enhancement projects; outdoor recreation and learning; research projects; citizen science; construction, operation and maintenance of SLT-owned facilities and infrastructure; utility right-of-ways and other commercial land uses; and robust volunteer engagement.

The MLPC manages the Lands & People program, directly supervising several staff, coordinating with contractors and consultants, leading annual work planning and budget development, steering program priorities, and serving as the liaison between the program

Dec. 2018 Job Announcement – SLT Manager of Land-People Connections – p. 2 and the SLT Board of Directors. The MLPC reports directly to the Executive Director, and is a member of the staff leadership team guiding overall SLT operations and planning. The MLPC also coordinates major land use partnerships, develops new projects and partnerships, leads adaptive management planning and plan implementation for SLT properties (including plans for habitat mitigation, visitor uses and education programs); guides administration of land use agreements; coordinates restoration and enhancement efforts (including visitor amenities); and directly manages some projects.

Allocation of Responsibilities

• Lands & People program administration (25%) – supervise and mentor program staff; lead annual work planning and budget development; track and report on program performance; mediate program priorities and communications; lead program meetings; oversee record keeping and data management.
• Facilitate program activities (50%) -- serve as a technical resource to program staff; lead program-related planning efforts; coordinate major partnerships; manage projects or assist other program staff with project management (e.g., contracting, permitting); coordinate required reporting (e.g., annual adaptive management reports for SLT properties, annual reporting for SLT-managed habitat mitigation sites); oversee administration of land-use agreements such as grazing licenses, access agreements, research agreements.
• Develop new projects and related funding and partnerships to achieve strategic goals (15%) – design projects; identify potential partners and funding sources; shepherd projects through the SLT Project Committee and Board approval process; coordinate fundraising with staff leadership and Development teams.
• Participate in staff leadership team and interface with SLT Board (10%) – integrate Lands & People program with SLT strategic priorities and strategic plan implementation, overall SLT budget and fundraising efforts; help identify emerging trends and troubleshoot organization-wide issues; support efforts to maintain LTA accreditation and continually improve organizational practices.

The Manager of Land-People Connections is primarily accountable for delivering the following outcomes, with details specified in the employee’s annual work plan:

• Exemplary stewardship of lands owned by SLT, including protection of existing conservation values, legal compliance, well-maintained facilities and infrastructure, and ongoing restoration of degraded lands
• A cohesive, effective Lands & People team (staff and partners), as measured through objective indicators like measurable accomplishments, timely completion of planned tasks, and quality outcomes; and qualitative indicators like collaboration, innovation, ability to bounce back from failures, and positive feedback received from program clientele and partners
• Well-managed program and project budgets
• Improved visitor access and amenities; visitor uses well-coordinated with other land uses and conservation values on SLT’s properties
• Ongoing development of funding and partnerships to support program activities.
• Positive experiences for outdoor education program participants
• Significant volunteer involvement in program activities
• Program activities that are conducted in a safe manner, given the inherent risks of natural lands management and uses
• Constructive participation in overall SLT operations, planning and organizational improvements

The MLPC will also be expected to make contributions in the following areas:

• Landscape level conservation planning and priority setting
• Input to individual land transactions, especially those that might result in new fee title land stewardship responsibilities (e.g., help assess conservation values, review conservation easement terms and management plans, help calculate endowment needs, help prepare baseline documentation)
• Experimentation, as resources permit and upon SLT Board approval, with innovative land stewardship strategies, and sharing lessons learned with other land use managers
• Maintaining a positive SLT culture as described below:
  • Every team member at SLT is considered a leader who embraces the role they have been assigned and encourages colleagues to be their best through effective communication, collaboration and shared values
  • As a small organization, we are self-starters and are flexible to the ever-changing circumstances. We operate from a place of integrity, trust, and personal responsibility with the goal of representing SLT in a positive way
  • We have mutual respect for one another and use discretion in all business dealings and communication

Qualifications

Essential Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Ecology, Biology, Environmental Science, Rangeland Management or similar field
• Minimum of 5 years’ practical experience in land use and natural resources management (e.g., with a land use or parks agency, on a ranch or farm, as a land steward with a land trust, or as a land manager with an environmental consulting firm); preferably on lands with at least some public use.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects, including team development (staff, consultants, contractors, etc), contracting; management of budgets, schedules and work flow; quality control; and tracking of accomplishments
• Demonstrated ability to develop and manage program budgets involving diverse funding sources
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse user groups and partners, while maintaining patience, humor and confidentiality
• Team player with strong diplomacy, interpersonal and problem solving skills
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in a variety of settings and formats, with co-workers, the SLT Board of Directors, project partners, contractors, landowners, professional colleagues and others
• Proven experience recruiting, developing and managing staff
• Demonstrated commitment to conservation and good land stewardship
• Good physical condition; able and willing to work or travel on foot in harsh conditions such as rough terrain, excessive heat, or rain.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook)
• Valid Class C driver’s license

Other Desirable Skills & Knowledge:

• Practical knowledge of habitat restoration/enhancement methods and agricultural practices such as managed livestock grazing
• Basic understanding of resource monitoring protocols and analysis of resulting data
• Direct experience with outdoor recreation planning and management, including development of trails, parking, signage and other visitor amenities
• General proficiency with GIS and other data management systems
• General familiarity with non-profit finance
• Experience with grant-seeking, grant administration and reporting
• Experience with landscape-level conservation planning
• Experience with natural history interpretation and outdoor education
• Experience with volunteer management
• Hobbies related to outdoor recreation, natural history (e.g., hiking, bird watching, plant identification)

Benefits

SLT provides a portion of the employee’s health, dental, and vision insurance, matches up to 3% of employee’s contribution toward their 403.b retirement account, and provides eleven paid holidays and two weeks of vacation per year.

To Apply

• Please email your cover letter, resume, and three references to Kim Gonzalez.
• Applicants may use references who are current or former employers, employees or project partners.