LAND PROTECTION MANAGER

Department: Land Protection
Reports To: Senior Vice President of Land Protection & General Counsel
Status: Full-time, exempt
Pay: $55,000-$65,000 annually, commensurate with experience

Who we are and what we do:

The Lancaster Conservancy’s mission is to provide wild and forested lands and clean waterways for our community, forever. The Conservancy has been preserving land in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania since 1969 and more recently along the Susquehanna River corridor in York County, Pennsylvania as well. As more land is lost each year to development, it’s our mission to protect and maintain carefully selected habitat in its natural state as a balance to our growth. The Conservancy currently owns 50 nature preserves (encompassing over 7,000 acres) and holds over 70 conservation easements (encompassing approximately 900 acres), with more added each year. We work with partners to acquire and protect additional acres not held by the Conservancy totaling over 10,000 acres protected to date. Our preserves are managed to create habitat for animals, to protect plants and trees, and to provide public access to nature. Through educational programs, volunteer opportunities, and partnership, the Conservancy engages and activates community members of all ages to protect and restore our natural lands!

Position Description:

The successful Land Protection Manager candidate is a self-motivated, critical thinker with very strong organizational skills, adept at multi-tasking in a high volume fast paced environment. This position requires a collaborative individual with exceptional time management skills to support all land protection projects start to finish. As part of these responsibilities the successful applicant will manage the updating and organization of the Conservancy’s conservation records system for land protection and facilitate the transfer of data from land protection to stewardship. The Land Protection Manager will work with the SVP of Land Protection & General Counsel to facilitate all land protection projects, and the centralized conservation record-keeping system to improve efficiency in the management of conservation projects from beginning to end. This includes paper files and digital files.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Provide daily support to and work in partnership with the SVP of Land Protection & General Counsel on all land protection projects from start to finish, including but not limited to, scheduling and participating in meetings and correspondence with landowners, realtors, funders, Conservancy Leadership, and municipalities; contract negotiations(for fee and eased lands); securing, managing, and coordinating consultants to complete due diligence requirements; preparing maps for LP, Stewardship, fundraising and event needs; following Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices; providing administrative assistance to General Counsel in the preparation of exhibits, filings, and testimony at tax exemption hearings; and assist in zoning and/or subdivision applications and hearings with exhibit preparation and testimony.
• Manage records to ensure LTA Standards and Practices are met for selecting conservation projects, communications, stewardship funding and working with stewardship to address requirements on pending acquisitions and conservation easement projects, successful completion of projects, and document management and processing for storage for all completed projects current and past.
• Efficiently manage due diligence steps including but are not limited to securing and reviewing title investigations; securing and reviewing Opinions of Value and Appraisals; securing and confirming desktop and in the field surveys; securing and reviewing Phase 1 ESAs; working with Stewardship, owners, and General Counsel on drafting conservation easements; working with General Counsel on all related legal issues including but not limited to easements, encroachments, tax exemption, zoning and subdivision; and processing final documents and completion of document management and storage for current and past Land Protection projects.
• Prepare grant applications and supporting documents, submit and manage public and private grants.
• Manage Land Protection Committee meetings and activities including timely preparation of all advance notices, scheduling, and minutes. Tract projects in a comprehensive fashion to facilitate preparation of all Land Protection Board materials in a timely fashion.
• Other assigned duties as needed, including administrative support.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in natural resources, land management, municipal planning, or a related field and a minimum of 2 years real estate or land trust work experience required. Individuals with natural resource and GIS skills (Esri suite of software) are preferred.
• Experience with mapping a plus.
• Ability to think critically, working independently and in a collaborative team environment.
• Attention to detail and problem solving.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to move quickly in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work within a Professional Team approach in a collaborative and supportive fashion.
• Passion for the environment and land conservation.
• Familiarity with Land Trust Alliance Standards and Practices.
• Must be flexible with schedule and willing to occasionally work evenings and weekends as needed.
• Must be able to occasionally move up to 20 pounds, traverse uneven ground up to 2 miles, and work outdoors in exposed conditions.
• Must possess and maintain a current valid driver’s license.
• Must provide proof of compliance with PA child abuse background checks.

This is a full-time, exempt position with competitive pay and benefits located in Lancaster, PA, with occasional field visits within the surrounding counties. Personal vehicle use is reimbursable.

To Apply:

To apply, send resume, cover letter, and writing sample by end of day Friday, June 23, 2023 to Beth Hacker at bhacker@lancasterconservancy.org. Please note where you found the advertisement for this position.

Lancaster Conservancy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. 

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.