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11 Jan 2023

Full-Time Land Stewardship Coordinator

Upstate Forever – Posted by Lulich Greenville, South Carolina, United States

Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Land Stewardship Coordinator plays an integral role in Upstate Forever’s Land Conservation program, the goal of which is to work with landowners and partners using a variety of conservation tools to permanently protect rivers and streams, natural and scenic areas, farmland, and wildlife habitat. This full-time position reports to the Stewardship and Restoration Manager and helps fulfill stewardship duties that ensure the conservation values for all protected properties are preserved. This position can be based out of Upstate Forever’s Greenville or Spartanburg office, however, travel throughout the ten-county Upstate SC region will be necessary.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Conservation Easement Stewardship – Assist the Stewardship and Restoration Manager to ensure that all conservation easements (voluntary legal agreements that permanently limit uses of land to protect conservation values) are upheld.

  • Address landowner questions, reserved rights requests, submitted plans, and potential violations in a timely manner and in accordance with Upstate Forever policies.
  • Prevent violations by implementing landowner education strategies and building relationships with landowners.
  • Maintain professional and complete records in compliance with Land Trust Standards and Practices and Upstate Forever policies, document all activities on a protected property and all relevant correspondence with the landowner; and manage offsite storage of permanent documentation of annual site visits.
  • Conduct annual monitoring visits to conservation easement properties within the ten counties of the Upstate region and prepare thorough monitoring reports.
  • Investigate and document potential easement violations.
  • Conduct enforcement activities for violations, including investigation, making insurance claims, and tracking ongoing litigation as needed.

B. New Conservation Easement Transitioning – Handle all aspects of transitioning a new easement property from Outreach to Stewardship.

  • Send a stewardship welcome letter/packet to new easement landowners.
  • Create a reserved rights summary for each new easement property.
  • Meet with the landowner before or at the time of the first site visit.
  • Add new properties to the monitoring schedule, insurance application, and offsite storage spreadsheet.

C. Property Transfers – Monitor property transfers and assure easement terms are followed.

  • Assist landowner by communicating with potential buyers about the easement.
  • Manage property listings on Upstate Forever website.
  • Communicate with landowner, agent, and/or closing attorney to assure that easement terms are followed for lease or sale of the property.

D. Conservation Easement Defense Insurance – Submit, maintain, and track claims for conservation easement defense, provide quarterly updates to internal stakeholders, and prepare the annual application for insurance.

E. Land Trust Accreditation, Standards and Practices – Assist Stewardship and Restoration Manager in upholding the Accredited status of Upstate Forever’s Land Conservation program according to the Land Trust Alliance Land Trust Standards and Practices.

F. Other Responsibilities – Perform additional work assigned by the Stewardship and Restoration Manager.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Education – Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or at least four years of experience in a relevant field.

Organizational Skills – Ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple unique tasks with a strong attention to detail.

Technical Skills – Proficiency with general office and computer skills (including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat). Working knowledge of or willingness to build familiarity with ArcGIS, GPS, and database software. Ability to quickly adopt and use new software and hardware tools as necessary.

People Skills – Demonstrated ability to interact with individuals from different backgrounds, ages, and socio-economic levels in a manner that positively reflects the values of Upstate Forever; builds rapport well; respect for team members and ability to foster and maintain an enjoyable, rewarding, and productive workplace.

Communication – Strong speaking, writing, and listening skills; able to effectively communicate Upstate Forever’s position with landowners and solve disputes while maintaining positive relationships.

Self-Motivated and Problem Solver – Comfortable working independently on multiple projects simultaneously, ability to independently problem solve, strong organizational and time management skills, and a commitment to accuracy and integrity in all aspects of the job.

Travel – Capable of independent travel around Upstate Forever’s ten-county region. Weekend work is needed on rare occasions, and overnight travel is limited primarily to conferences and professional development opportunities.

Physical Mobility – Capable of lifting and carrying up to 20 lbs while traversing difficult terrain, including but not limited to steep, mountainous, forested, rocky, uneven, densely vegetated, trail-less, and/or marshy conditions, as well as stream and shallow river crossings, during various weather conditions.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Any experience with a land trust program; familiarity with project management; real property legal knowledge, experience with nonprofit organizations and working knowledge of Upstate SC ecology, history, and issues. Applicants that possess the Essential Qualifications above but do not have the Preferred Qualifications should not be discouraged from applying as this scenario will not disqualify applicants from consideration for this position.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

  • $49,000 starting salary – negotiable depending on experience.
  • Benefits include health and dental insurance, paid time off/paid holidays, and a Simple-IRA with employer contribution.
  • Flexible workplace and scheduling (in accordance with company policy – the normal expectation is that staff are available during the standard workday for meetings and responses to time-sensitive requests).
  • Civic Days (up to 16 paid hours per year for civic and/or community service).

How to Apply

To apply, upload a cover letter and resume to the job posting by 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 3, 2023. No phone calls, please. Upstate Forever contracts with The Hayes Approach to facilitate the hiring process, including acknowledging applicant submissions. A limited number of candidates will be interviewed, tentatively scheduled to take place in mid- to late-February. A hiring decision is anticipated by early March to accommodate a desired start date in mid-March 2023. https://thapremierclientfl.bamboohr.com/careers/179?source=aWQ9MTE%3D COVID-19 precautions: To protect the safety of our employees considering the recommendations from the State and Federal Governments because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Upstate Forever strongly encourages all employees to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

Job Categories: Conservation. Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 40,000 - 60,000.

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