Vice President for Conservation and Stewardship

~ We sustain America's forests for all their public benefits of wood, water, wildlife, and people's well-being in cooperation with landowners and communities. ~

Position Overview

Pacific Forest Trust seeks a detail-oriented, collaborative, and experienced leader to direct and manage our robust conservation and stewardship program. This includes the acquisition of new working forest conservation easements and fee lands, and the stewardship of PFT’s portfolio of conservation easements. PFT’s projects are large-scale and sophisticated and involve collaboration with multiple public and private partners.

The VP for Conservation and Stewardship will lead and facilitate these conservation projects from inception to closing and oversee their perpetual stewardship. Reporting to the President and Co-Founder, they will manage the Conservation and Stewardship team: a senior project manager and two stewardship associates. This position offers a tremendous career opportunity for an energetic and accomplished conservation professional, building on 27 years of successful, innovative conservation.

Responsibilities include:

Leading landowner outreach and constituency building for conservation projects; conservation easement and fee title negotiation and oversight of all phases of acquisition; agency representation; advancing successful conservation funding/financing strategies utilizing multiple public and private sources; building collaborative partnerships; appraisal oversight; budgeting and financial reporting; and providing overall project-management leadership consistent with PFT’s policies and our commitment to the highest ethical standards. They will also play a leading role in PFT’s Management Team, engage with PFT’s Board and contribute to our policy initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of annual Conservation and Stewardship Plan and strategies.
• Negotiate and manage conservation easement and fee title acquisitions, including all financial aspects. This includes: overseeing development of property conservation assessments; supervising property due diligence, including title investigation; negotiating easements; negotiating option/ purchase agreements; overseeing appraisals.
• Lead, manage, and develop the Conservation & Stewardship staff.
• Develop and implement acquisition-specific conservation financing/funding strategies, including all public and private capital sources at the national and state levels.
• Identify and cultivate partnerships through outreach to private forestland owners, foresters, public agencies, elected officials, tribes, other resource managers, and multiple forest stakeholders.
• Actively source and develop conservation easements and fee title projects in priority areas, consistent with PFT’s acquisition policies and procedures.
• Represent PFT in many public fora.
• Ensure regular monitoring and compliance of previously acquired interests, consistent with PFT’s stewardship policies and procedures.
• Maintain and improve conservation and stewardship policies and procedures, and supervise detailed record keeping, in compliance with standards for National Land Trust Accreditation.
• Participate in PFT’s Management Team and PFT Board meetings.
• Provide input to PFT’s Policy and Incentives program.
• Support PFT’s overall fundraising through engaging in events, field trips and other cultivation.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in conservation easement and fee title projects with a track record of negotiating, financing and managing acquisitions.
• Excellent communication skills to effectively articulate the benefits of working forest conservation to engage PFT’s potential and existing partners, including forest owners, government agencies and community stakeholders.
• Experience building partnerships with stakeholders to develop successful conservation projects.
• Expertise and success obtaining funds from public and private sources for conservation acquisitions; with fulfillment of funding requirements, including reporting.
• Experience in developing, managing and leading staff.
• A commitment to high standards and personal accountability and a passion for excellence.
• Strong commitment to Pacific Forest Trust’s mission and passion to ensure the permanence of conservation easement stewardship.
• Desire to make an enduring contribution to conservation and sustainable forestry.
• Advanced degree or equivalent professional training in natural resource management (especially forestry), conservation real estate, and/or law.
• Commitment to the creation of a diverse, equitable and inclusive work culture.

Benefits and Compensation

• This is a full-time position offering an excellent salary and benefits package.
• PFT is a collegial environment filled with bright minds that generate groundbreaking ideas and work hard to implement them. We also understand the value of work/life balance.

To Apply

• Please click "Apply" below to email a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about this opportunity..
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
• Please reference where you saw this post.