Title:
Land Protection Coordinator

Supervisor:
Executive Director

Location:
Meadville, PA

Job Classification:
Permanent, Salaried, Full Time

Pay: Base salary for qualified candidates $50,000 with additional compensation commensurate with experience.

Benefits:
Paid Federal holidays, paid time off, paid parental leave, Simple IRA retirement plan with employer match, health stipend.

Organizational Summary

French Creek Valley Conservancy (FCVC) is an accredited land trust working to protect the French Creek watershed in northwest Pennsylvania. French Creek is recognized as one of the Nation’s last great places rich in biodiversity and landscape integrity. Our mission is to protect and promote the French Creek watershed for the aesthetic, ecological, recreational, and economic benefit of all through land protection, stewardship, and education. FCVC has more than 3,500 acres of land permanently protected.

Position Summary

French Creek Valley Conservancy seeks a passionate person to lead its land conservation efforts in the French Creek watershed. The Land Protection Coordinator, with support from the Executive Director, Stewardship Coordinator, and Board of Directors’ Land Protection Committee, will complete fee simple and conservation easement projects, through donation and purchase, with a particular emphasis on FCVC’s Strategic Focal Areas. The LP Coordinator will also be responsible for GIS-based mapping to support FCVC’s projects and programs. Due to the small size of FCVC, the LP Coordinator will also work closely with the Executive Director and Stewardship Coordinator on a number of other activities as time, interests, and skillsets allow.

Position Responsibilities

Complete Land Conservation Projects

• Meet with prospective land donors/landowners and educate them about the procedures, benefits, and costs associated with conserving their land. Respond to inquiries in a timely and professional manner.
• Prepare project assessments for potential conservation transactions and present them to FCVC’s Land Protection committee.
• Oversee all aspects of project development including, but not limited to, baseline documentation reports, conservation easement or acquisition agreement drafting and negotiation, coordination of due diligence activities including title searches, environmental assessments and property boundary surveys, and contracted services.
• Maintain records related to land transactions.
• Maintain Landscape software current projects, upload, and project financial tracking.
• Work with Executive Director to create project funding models and support grant applications and reporting as needed.
• Ensure that all land conservation projects are consistent with FCVC’s polices and the Land Trust Alliance’s Standards and Practices.
• Stay abreast of current developments and trends in the field of conservation and conservation science, locally and regionally.

Promote Land Conservation at the Local, Regional, and State Level

• Seek, and provide outreach to, potential land donors/landowners in FCVC’s Strategic Focal Areas and elsewhere in the French Creek watershed.
• Encourage and help coordinate meetings between landowners to promote conservation in targeted areas.
• Present to community groups to describe land conservation and its benefits.
• In coordination with the Executive Director, meet with local, regional, and state stakeholders and partners to highlight the benefits of conservation and advance conservation goals.

Maintain and expand strong relationships with partners including, but not limited to, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, the Foundation for Sustainable Forests, Ducks Unlimited, The Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, local, regional, state, and federal agencies and other conservation organizations in the area.

Provide general support to French Creek Valley Conservancy

• Review management plans, grants, and other materials when requested.
• Provide GIS and other spatial analyses that support land conservation.
• Help to implement land management activities in support of the Stewardship Coordinator and volunteers.
• Co-lead or lead educational hikes to the public.
• Assist staff in the planning and implementation of fundraising or educational events.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• A bachelor’s degree in a conservation-related field or an unrelated bachelor’s degree with related experience in the field is a must.
• A minimum of two years of full-time professional experience in project management, conservation or biology fieldwork, planning, community work, or a combination of these areas is desired.
• Proficient in and knowledgeable of computer applications, specifically Microsoft Office and relational databases. Work with digital photography/imagery, GIS, and mapping skills is preferable.
• The ability to communicate complex ideas to a range of personality types, backgrounds, and levels of understanding.
• The ability to write in a way that is clear, accurate, and grammatically correct.
• Demonstrated diplomatic skills and personable demeanor.
• A valid Pennsylvania driver’s license.
• Familiarity with the geography of the French Creek watershed and northwest Pennsylvania.
• Ability to pay close attention to details and stay organized.
• Ability to produce quality work both independently and collaboratively.
• Comfort with multi-tasking.
• A demonstrated passion for conservation.

This position will include primarily office conditions and will require limited travel. Office work will require sitting or standing for long periods, frequent use of office equipment such as telephones, scanners, and computers, and light lifting, bending, and physical exertion. Additionally, the Coordinator will be required to work and must be comfortable and capable of traveling by truck and/or on foot and in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances. Safety procedures and reasonable training opportunities will be provided where necessary. Evening work and weekend work may be required.

*The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of the job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of essential functions, responsibilities, or requirements.

 Start Date

The desired start date is January 6, 2026, or sooner when the appropriate candidate is selected.