Conservation Land Specialist

~ At California Rangeland Trust, we Protect What Matters, by working with California ranching families and future generations to preserve our Golden State’s rangeland, air and water quality, wildlife habitat and local food supplies. ~

The California Rangeland Trust is a non-profit organization founded by a group of innovative cattlemen and cattlewomen in 1998, to conserve the open space, natural habitat and stewardship provided by California’s ranches. We are pleased to have helped permanently protect 291,288 acres of privately-owned rangeland.

We are equally proud of the trust we have established within the landowner community. From its inception, the Rangeland Trust has demonstrated that we share the same values important to ranching families. Additionally, we bring the ranching and environmental communities together to cultivate shared efforts to protect open space and the western lifestyle.

Position Overview

The Conservation Land Specialist will work with the Conservation Unit to acquire conservation easements on working ranches in California. The Conservation Land Specialist will be expected to coordinate with the landowners and grant makers for conservation easement transactions at all stages of the process, from acceptance of the application to recording the conservation easement. Equally important will be the Conservation Land Specialist’s role in building relationships with private and public funding sources.

Organizational Relationships:

1. Supervised by Chief Operating Officer; works directly with Transaction Director
2. Assigned to Conservation Unit
3. Works with board members, landowners, funding agencies, outside consultants, conservation related organizations, and staff

Responsibilities

• Identify potential sources for easement funding and to write and submit grant applications to various public agencies and private foundations
• Compile information for each of the pending easement applications and using that information to determine which funding sources will match which particular projects
• Work with the Transaction Director in negotiating, documenting, and closing conservation easement transactions, including meetings with landowners and funding entities
• Track all projects accepted by the organization as potential projects, maintaining a record to assess progress on each project as well as other key information as may be determined by the Conservation Unit
• Support the staff and Board members by providing project updates and specific data, as needed
• Take the lead on due diligence tasks such as title review, ordering consulting services, and reviewing due diligence reports
• Edit easement related documents such as Baseline Conditions Reports, Management Plans, and Monitoring Protocols
• Gather final documents and preparing the Closing Binders for each closed easement project
• Maintain the hard copy and electronic versions for project related files
• Work with conservation related organizations to enhance funding opportunities over the near and long term

Qualifications

Education:

• BA degree or equivalent education required

Experience:

• 4-6 years of conservation easement experience or comparable transactional real estate experience

Knowledge and Ability Requirements:

• Knowledge of appraisals and government appraisal review process (preferred)
• Good working knowledge of environmental assessments and title issues
• Working knowledge of the processes for obtaining public funding for land acquisition (preferred)
• Ability to work independently and decisively on complex projects with little supervision
• Ability to maintain detailed records, spreadsheets, and files
• Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, and carry out complex transaction tasks over long time periods
• Ability to work on projects that may include complex financing arrangements and sensitive political issues
• Demonstrated verbal and writing skills
• Ability to combine sound business sense and judgment with commitment to conservation of working ranches
• Computer proficiency including Microsoft office suite of programs, and willingness to write and process own correspondence and maintenance of records.
• ARC GIS proficiency (preferred)
• Ability to function as part of a team including willingness to assist in areas outside direct job responsibilities
• This position may require occasional travel throughout California

Training Requirements (Licences, Programs, Certificates): 

• Must have a valid Driver’s License and an acceptable driving record

To Apply

Please click below: "Apply" to upload your cover letter and resume.