Stewardship Associate

~ Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) is an accredited and well-respected land trust, having protected over 20,000 acres in the rapidly-growing Triangle region of North Carolina. ~

For over 30 years, TLC has conserved land to safeguard clean water, to support family farms and the local food economy, to protect important natural habitats, and to connect people with nature.

About the Position

The Stewardship Associate position reports to the Senior Land Manger and is part of the Conservation and Stewardship Department working to protect and steward our land across our six county service area (Durham, Chatham, Wake, Orange, Johnston and Lee Counties).

This position will primarily work in the field as well as from our main office in Durham and at our Williamson Preserve in Wake County. Intelligence, attention to detail, organizational skills, teamwork, flexibility, ability to work independently, and good judgment will be critical to success. In addition to working with our staff, you will also have frequent interaction with volunteers, resource managers and community partners.

Key Responsibilities

Stewardship of TLC properties:

• Maintain and install trail systems, roads and paths.
• Coordinate mowing and bush-hogging.
• Manage invasive species.
• Assist with prescribed burns.
• Assist and manage construction.
• Assist and lead in ecological restoration efforts.
• Conduct equipment care and maintenance.
• Develop annual stewardship work plan with guidance from Director.
• Support efforts to activate farming operations on our owned properties.
• Support efforts to create farm infrastructure on our owned properties.

Conservation:

• Assist with grant proposals and administration of existing grants.
• Assist with setting, prioritizing and achieving strategic goals.
• Assist with GIS databases, data collection.

Volunteer and Community Outreach:

• Support Community Outreach Associate with individual and corporate volunteers and school groups during workdays.
• Work with the Communications and Development team to provide photographs of our owned and eased properties.
• Contribute to outreach and communications work (e.g. write and provide content newsletter articles, lead hikes) as needed.
• Support coordination of conferences, symposiums, member events, donor events, and public meetings as needed.

Administrative:

• Participate in all-staff required events and activities.
• Maintain required medical/forestry/first responder/CPR certifications.
• Attend professional development workshops and land stewardship partner meetings as required.
• Participate in budget process, code and route vendor invoices for payment as needed.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

Attributes, Expectations, Technical Skills and Competencies:

• A college degree or equivalent experience and a background in natural resources, ecology, botany, environmental sciences, land stewardship, land management and/or a conservation related field
• Experience with land conservation, land trusts, or similar conservation organizations or equivalent
• Valid NC driver’s license and safe driving record for the past three years
• Ability to work outside throughout the year in all types of weather conditions
• Ability to work independently and as a part of a team
• Ability and willingness to work some non-standard hours
• Experience safely operating power equipment including chainsaws, mowers, weedwackers, circular saws, etc.
• Experience operating tractors and zero-turn mowers
• Knowledge of native and invasive plants in NC
• Experience with herbicide application
• Experience in construction and carpentry
• Experience with GPS / GIS
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite

Physical Work Requirements:

• This position is subject to activities beyond typical indoor environmental conditions of a professional office setting. The essential physical requirements of this position include: 1. Physical work is required, such as lifting, reaching, grasping, kneeling, climbing, bending, pushing, pulling, and shifting.
• Capable of lifting up to 50 pounds and ability to frequently lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
• Ability to safely and correctly use hand tools associated with restoration work, and ability to instruct and supervise others in the use of same tools.
• Travel over a variety of terrain, including, but not limited to, steep grades, stairs, wet ground, etc.
• Ability to sit or otherwise remain in a stationary position at a computer workstation for the majority of the work day. Move about inside the office to access materials and equipment. Operate a computer and other office equipment such as calculators, copy machines, and printers.

Note: This position includes travel that requires operation and scheduling of maintenance for the Land Trust truck, and may require use of a personal vehicle.

Compensation

• Salary in the $32,000-$37,000 range (salary negotiable), based on experience, with excellent benefits.

To Apply

• Application deadline is March 31, 2020.
• Please send a single PDF with your cover letter, resume, and list of three references (who will not be contacted unless you are selected for an interview).
• Save your application file as: LastName_FirstInitial_TLC_stewardship_associate (e.g. Carson_R_TLC_stewardship_associate.pdf).

TLC seeks to attract candidates who support the mission and who respect and promote excellence through diversity. TLC is committed to equal opportunity and follows recruitment and selection practices that comply with all applicable employment laws. To this end, TLC recruits, hires, trains and promotes individuals without regard to color, race, religious belief, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, or age.