About This Position

The Land Protection Specialist (LPS) will initiate, develop and execute land protection transactions. The LPS will play an important role in community outreach and collaborative work alongside local and state partners to complete land protection projects.  SVT’s Land Protection team helps to identify and assist landowners seeking to protect their land through conservation easements, gifts and bequests, or sale to conservation partners. The Land Protection Specialist reports to the Director of Conservation and will be part of a small, collaborative land protection team.

Key Responsibilities

• Initiate and cultivate relationships with landowners, conservation partners, and other possible allies in order to identify potential land conservation projects.
• Negotiate all aspects of land conservation transactions, including gifts of land or conservation restrictions, leveraged purchases or bargain sales, and limited development projects; work with other staff, committee members, board, and conservation partners to successfully complete conservation projects.
• Provide education regarding conservation options, including tax strategies that may benefit landowners considering land conservation.
• Manage all logistics of multi-party real estate transactions, contracts, and budgets - while maintaining detailed and accurate documentation.
• Participate in the fundraising necessary to complete conservation projects.
• Through outreach and trainings, share knowledge and best practices that will help SVT’s allies to protect land locally.
• Work with other staff to ensure that all land conservation transactions are adequately documented, including written reports, database management, GIS maps, and other means.
• Attend SVT outreach and fundraising functions, as necessary.
• Seek opportunities to stay current and familiar with the current state-of-the-art legal, technical, and pragmatic best practices for conservation acquisitions of all kinds. Maintain working knowledge of current trends, developments and activities occurring in the local, state, and national conservation communities.

Qualifications:

Three or more years’ experience in land conservation, planning, community organizing, or related field; a graduate degree in natural resource management, planning or a related field may be substituted for one year of experience.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to convey complex concepts to a lay audience.
• Experience managing complex, multi-faceted, multi-partner projects.
• Understanding of Massachusetts land conservation methods and planning tools.
• Working knowledge of GIS.
• Demonstrated commitment to a collaborative approach to solving problems.
• An ability to establish effective, close working relationships with a wide range of people and organizations.
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite and databases.
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and a commitment to and passion for land conservation. 
• Ability and willingness to work some evenings and weekends to attend meetings and events, and to occasionally work in a variety of terrains and weather.
• Ability to work independently as well as with a team.
• Must embrace and participate in a small-office culture where everyone chips in to a great variety of tasks.
• Must be willing to perform other duties as assigned.