The Land Trust for Tennessee

Position:              Southeast (SE) Program Director

Supervisor:          Vice President   

Location:             Chattanooga, TN             

About The Land Trust for Tennessee  

The Land Trust for Tennessee (“LTTN”) is a statewide, accredited non-profit land conservation organization with offices in Nashville and Chattanooga. LTTN has protected 137,000 acres through over 460 conservation projects across Tennessee. LTTN seeks a skilled and dynamic leader to join our collaborative staff and highly regarded board in this full-time strategic position. The position is based in Chattanooga and offers an impactful, challenging work opportunity at one of the nation’s premier conservation organizations. 

The Opportunity

The SE Program Director is a member of a multidisciplinary team dedicated to permanent land conservation, outreach, and stewardship across southeast Tennessee. The primary responsibilities of this position are to serve as a prominent representative of The Land Trust in the community, representing LTTN at local meetings, conferences, and forums, to conduct education and outreach efforts in the area resulting in support for our conservation efforts, including the pursuit of funding opportunities, and to assist with conservation projects in the region. The position requires a resourceful, creative individual that can clearly articulate the need for land conservation in focal conservation areas identified by The Land Trust’s conservation plan and ongoing THRIVE regional planning efforts.

Primary Responsibilities

Outreach and Engagement

• Serves as a prominent representative of The Land Trust for Tennessee in the community. 
• Participates in local and regional opportunities to represent the organization and its mission.
• Develops and maintains relationships with other conservation organizations, funders, community groups, and other stakeholders through tabling and presenting opportunities as well as meetings, conferences, roundtables, and/or other outreach opportunities.
• Develops and implements effective education and outreach programs that engage landowners, community groups, and potential funders about the work of LTTN.
• Assists the President and Director of Development & Communications with securing funding opportunities to support LTTN’s work, including operational and project funding, and engages with new and existing donors in the region.
• Assists the Development & Engagement team with spreading news of LTTN success and impact in Tennessee.

Conservation Projects

• Cultivates, engages, and maintains relationships with private landowners to permanently conserve land.
• Regularly travels in the region to meet with landowners, visit properties, and conduct initial field work to document property resources and characteristics for conservation.
• Communicates clearly with landowners, answering questions and providing information about LTTN and conservation easements.
• In collaboration with the conservation team, manages multiple ongoing conservation easement transactions and other land transactions.
• Assists with the creation of thorough documentation reports to capture the current conditions of a given property, requiring on-site field work for data collection as well as strong writing and organized compilation of documents.
• Works closely with entire conservation team to implement the strategic conservation plan in priority areas throughout Tennessee.

SE Operations

• Works with the Finance & Operations team to coordinate operational support of the SE office including office organization, upkeep, and inventory.

Desired Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree plus at least 4 years’ experience as a member of a professional team with preferred minimum 2 years in a team leadership role.
• Knowledge of and familiarity with the conservation community in Chattanooga and southeast TN.
• Knowledge or experience relevant to conservation, forestry, agriculture, or natural resource management.
• Facility with maps and mapping, and ability to read and understand deeds, conservation easements, and related legal documents; ability to learn and understand land use guidelines and regulations
• Must have strong spatial, reading, writing skills
• Ability to coordinate and work on multiple projects simultaneously, and to maintain attention to detail while producing a steady volume of work in compliance with deadlines
• Understanding of and commitment to the land conservation goals of LTTN
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including strong negotiation and listening skills; Ability to communicate with different personalities, resolve conflicts, and ask and answer difficult questions
• Ability to represent LTTN and interact effectively with a wide range of organizations and individuals, and to work cooperatively with all LTTN staff and Board members
• Ability to work independently and to engage in independent and group problem solving
• Ability to effectively operate computers and assigned software, including Microsoft Office Suite (Word and Excel) and mapping software (i.e. ArcGIS); general knowledge of CRM databases
• Ability to perform field work and to work outside in all weather conditions
• Flexibility to work some nights and weekends as required for LTTN events or landowner schedules
• Ability to travel extensively including to remote areas; valid driver’s license required. Use of personal vehicle or coordinating the use of a rental vehicle for property visits is expected

Benefits

• Full-time position, working 40 hours per week, with a hybrid work model possible following 90 days of employment. Flexible hours offered based on workload, weather, and events schedule.
• In the first two years of employment, LTTN offers 20 PTO days (10 vacation and 10 sick days) on an accrual basis and 11.5 paid holidays per year.
• Monthly mileage reimbursement, and/or cost of rental car or use of company vehicle offered for work purposes.
• AAA Roadside Assistance provided.
• Medical and Dental insurance: premiums are covered at 85% for employee and 50% for spouse and family plans. LTTN currently offers a PPO health plan as well as an HSA option. A $50,000 company-sponsored life insurance policy is provided for each full-time employee. Other voluntary insurance includes vision, additional life, long-term and short-term disability, critical illness, and accident.
• 403b retirement plan with a match of up to 5% after two years of employment.
• Extremely collaborative, encouraging, and mission-driven team, and provide resources for professional development and continuing education opportunities.