Executive Director

~ The Bear River Land Conservancy (BRLC) is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011. BRLC holds and defends conservation easements on just under 500 acres of land in Box Elder, Cache and Rich counties of Utah. ~

Bear River Land Conservancy serves the three northern Utah Counties of Box Elder, Cache, and Rich, with offices in Logan, Utah. Logan is situated between two beautiful mountain ranges and enjoys mild summers, cutting edge businesses, and abundant opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy nature. Utah State University, a top agricultural, engineering, and education school, calls Logan home.

Whether you are interested in hiking the hundreds of miles of trails, hunting and fishing, birdwatching at the thousands of acres of wetlands only minutes away, or skiing the slopes at two local ski resorts, there is something for you here! Logan enjoys low crime rates, a small town feel, and is surrounded by open spaces and a recreation paradise.

Our mission is to: “…conserve and enhance private lands for wildlife habitat, working farms and ranches, land and trails of recreational or historical significance, watersheds, and critical vistas, using conservation easements and sound management, to benefit the people of northern Utah, today and in perpetuity.”

Position Overview

Having completed two conservation easements, one fee title acquisition, and one wetland mitigation project, BRLC now seeks its first professional Executive Director to lead the organization’s efforts into the next decade. Anticipated start date is September 1, 2017.

The Executive Director is primarily responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Bear River Land Conservancy. The ED is responsible for assisting in the creation of all organizational plans, and primarily responsible for the implementation of the organization’s mission to conserve critical lands.

Responsibilities

New Projects:

• In conjunction with the New Projects committee and landowners of potential projects, assess project worthiness, draft conservation easements and real property transactions, and close on selected projects
• Work with state, federal, and local programs, and foundations and other private resources to fund private land conservation
• Work with BRLC Board of Directors to create and implement a comprehensive strategic plan for saving critical lands in northern Utah

Stewardship:

• Oversee and implement the annual monitoring of all BRLC conservation easements, and maintain plans for the defense of these easements
• Oversee the land management of 455 acres of riparian habitat along the Bear River and 30 acres of farmland protecting a population of Spiranthes diluvialis, a threatened orchid
• Recruit, train, and recognize volunteers for land management purposes

Fundraising:

• Continue an ongoing 5-year campaign for local public support of a conservation easement program
• Increase the number of donors through public outreach and monthly giving programs
• Maintain and increase a caseload of major and mid-level donors

Public Outreach:

• Create content for newsletters, e-newsletters, and ongoing website and social media
• Represent BRLC at public events, conferences, and other meetings to increase public awareness and support
• Act as primary spokesperson for BRLC to the public and the media

Administration:

• Guide the board in recruitment, training, and planning to ensure long-term organizational health

Qualifications

• Establishing new conservation easements
• Monitoring conservation easements, with a working knowledge of the legal defense of conservation easements
• Nonprofit fundraising, including working with major donors and capital campaigns
• Organizational and administrative competency, including meeting deadlines and maintaining accountability throughout all levels of an organization
• Preserving and promoting the conservation values of open space, habitat, working farms and ranches, wetlands, public recreation, or lands of historic importance
• Collaborating with conservation agencies and partners
• Excellent written and oral communication
• Experience guiding nonprofit organizational and board development
• Experience working for land or other natural resource conservation organizations in the Intermountain West
• Financial experience related to nonprofit administration, including payroll, QuickBooks proficiency, small nonprofit accounting, investing, and reporting
• Demonstrated experience in lobbying and advocacy work at the county and state level, especially in bond initiatives
• Land management experience and a knowledge of natural systems and ecology
• Experience with wetlands, including wetland mitigation
• Experience drafting and executing a comprehensive strategic conservation plan
• Positive, personable, friendly attitude, with a sense of humor, passion for land conservation, and demonstrated ability to learn new skills
• Demonstrated ability to work a flexible schedule; some evenings/nights/weekends are required
• Experience hiking and performing strenuous manual labor during land management and monitoring
• Demonstrated experience recruiting and managing volunteers, especially in outdoor work
• Demonstrated success in writing grants to foundations and government programs
• Demonstrated competency in working with NRCS – ACEP applications and other state and federal grant programs
• Demonstrated proficiency and ability to learn new software and technology, including: Facebook, WordPress, QuickBooks, donor management or other CRM software platforms, Microsoft Access, and Google Drive
• Graphic design experience including photography, brochures, newsletters, and other forms of digital and print media
• Demonstrated experience with ArcGIS or other environmental mapping software and geodatabase tools
• Bachelor’s degree and 3 years of related work experience

Compensation: Minimum salary will be $40,000 per year, commensurate with experience, and benefits will be included. Full time position, with some evenings and weekends required. Benefits include paid leave, holidays, and monthly stipend for health insurance.

To Apply

Please click "Apply" below to upload your resume, cover letter, and references in .pdf format by June 15, 2017 with “BRLC Executive Director Application” in the subject line. Interviews are expected to start July 1, 2017. This position has an expected start date of September 1, 2017.