Land Acquisition Coordinator

Legacy Land Conservancy is an accredited land trust founded in 1971 to protect the forests, fields, wetlands, and rivers of southern Michigan. Serving Washtenaw, Jackson, and Lenawee counties, Legacy’s mission is to secure for current and future generations a land base for nature, agriculture, fresh water, and recreation today and forever.

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Legacy Land Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer:

Legacy seeks to embrace these core values in all our actions: justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, trust, relationships, integrity, perpetuity, responsibility, honor, collaboration, science, sustainability, and history.

Legacy is a highly collaborative workplace where we foster an environment of trust, inclusivity, and transparency. We strive for excellence, not perfection. We are passionate about protecting the environment, and understand the critical role we play in mitigating the effects of the climate crisis. While our work is serious, we strive to inject humor, laughter, and joy into our lives. We believe employees are more than workers and that a workplace culture of flexibility, laughter, and meaningful support enhances a healthy life-work balance.

Position Overview

The Land Acquisition Coordinator (LAC) will provide leadership and support on land acquisition
projects at Legacy. The LAC guides land acquisition projects from the inquiry stage through their
transition to perpetual stewardship and collaborates with the Acquisition team on larger projects.
This person is responsible for completing land acquisition projects according to Land Trust Alliance
(LTA) Standards and Practices and Legacy policies and procedures.

The LAC will work closely with landowners, guiding them through the land acquisition process, negotiating transaction terms, and working through any issues raised by due diligence. The LAC will coordinate with the Land Protection Director, Land Protection Specialist and other staff to ensure every project is fully funded before closing, including application for and management of private, federal, state, and local grants.

This person is an integral part of the Land Team, which includes the Acquisition, Easement Stewardship, and Preserve Stewardship programs. Some Acquisition work overlaps with other programs, so the LAC will work closely with other Land Team members and administrative staff to achieve the goals of their position.

Reports to: Land Protection Director, and works collaboratively with the Land Team
Hours: This is a 40-hour per week, full-time exempt position. Legacy embraces a remote work culture and flexible schedule, to be determined with supervisor. This position requires some time at the office and travel throughout our service area of Jackson, Lenawee, and Washtenaw Counties. Evening and weekend work may be required to meet the goals of this position.

Responsibilities

• Initiate, organize, execute, and close land acquisition projects including conservation easements and fee lands.
• Prepare documentation and present projects to the Land Protection Acquisition Committee, and works closely with the Board of Trustees as needed.
• Facilitate due diligence for acquisition projects including title investigation, surveys, and environmental assessments.
• Seek resolution of issues raised by due diligence as needed, in collaboration with Acquisition team and relevant legal support.
• Draft conservation easements and work with landowner and attorneys to tailor conservation easement terms for landowner and funding source needs.
• Organize and conduct site visits to assess and document project conservation values.
• Collaborate with Development staff to identify opportunities for and seek grants to fund Legacy’s land acquisition work including private, local, state, and federal grants.
• Ensure all projects are completed to Land Trust Alliance Accreditation Standards and
• Practices and follow Legacy policies and procedures.
• Confidently discuss and negotiate land acquisition transactions with landowners, and their families and representatives.
• Collaborate with Communications Manager to implement landowner and community engagement efforts including development or maintenance of outreach materials, speaking at events, and ongoing communications to priority land owners.
• Develop and enrich relationships with conservation partners.
• Represent Legacy at local, statewide, and national meetings and conventions.
• Manage project data in multiple databases and filing systems.
• Other tasks as agreed upon by Land Team and/or Land Protection Director.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• At least 3 years of experience in land acquisition
• Experience resolving basic title issues
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects with different deadlines
• Experience with ArcGIS
• Works well with a highly collaborative team
• Willingness to progress Legacy’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Commitment

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience using Landscape and/or Salesforce databases
• Familiarity with Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices
• Experience writing private, federal, state, and local grants
• Familiarity with natural community designations and identification
• Live in, or have experience or knowledge of Jackson, Lenawee, or Washtenaw Counties
• Have an understanding or background in land conservation, environmental work, and/or nonprofits

Other Requirements:

• Valid Michigan driver’s license and reliable transportation
• Background check

Milestones

First month:

• Review all Legacy policies and the Employee Handbook
• Meet with colleagues to learn about their roles at Legacy
• Become familiar with the Land Acquisition Procedures
• Shadow Land Team on various meetings and site visits
• Watch LTA webinars and Landscape tutorials

Within three months:

• Take responsibility for one land acquisition project and progress it following Land Acquisition Procedures
• Assist Land Protection Director with title clean up and contractor management for current acquisition projects
• Work with Acquisition and Development teams to seek funding for acquisition projects

Within six months:

• Work with Land Protection Specialist on a Baseline Documentation Report
• Be comfortable meeting with landowners to discuss working with Legacy to conserve their land
• Draft a conservation easement using Legacy’s templates
• Present a project for initial approval to the Land Protection Acquisition Committee

Compensation

• Salary is $49,000. Legacy sets a nonnegotiable salary to ensure all employees are compensated equitably.

Benefits:

• 100% employer-paid health, dental, vision, life insurance, and long-term disability
• Annual Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contribution $1,008
• Up to 3% employer match to each employees’ SIMPLE IRA (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees Individual Retirement Account)
• Annual stipends for professional development opportunities
• 12 paid holidays
• Accrued, paid personal time off starting at 24 days the first year

How to Apply

• Interested candidates should click "Apply" below to email their cover letter and resume to with the job title (“Land Acquisition Coordinator”) in the email subject.
• Qualified candidates will be emailed for an initial interview. Applications may be submitted until May 14, 2023, with an anticipated start date of July 10, 2023.

Legacy recognizes that opportunities in the conservation and environmental fields have historically
excluded and continue to disproportionately exclude Black and Indigenous people, people of color,
people from working class backgrounds, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people. We strongly
encourage individuals with these identities to apply.

Legacy is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. We embrace people from
all backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints, because we value the collective sum of our individual
differences, unique capabilities, and talents. We encourage and support our employees’ differences in
age, race, color, ability, ethnicity, family or marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or
expression, language, national origin, political affiliation, socioeconomic status, veteran status and any
other characteristics that make our employees unique.