Job Opportunity: The Nature Conservancy: Northern NH Land Steward

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TNCNorthern NH Land Steward at the Nature Conservancy – Conservation Practitioner IV

About the Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to make a positive impact around the world in more than 30 countries, all 50 United States, and your backyard. Founded in 1951, the mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. One of our core values is our commitment to diversity. Therefore we are committed to a globally diverse and culturally competent workforce.  Visit www.nature.org/aboutus to learn more

Position Summary

The Northern NH Land Steward is responsible for the management of the New Hampshire Chapter’s preserves in the northern portion of the State spanning from the Lakes Region to the Canadian border. This portfolio includes the Chapter’s largest preserves, and some of the most visited, including the 10,000 acre Vickie Bunnell Preserve and the 5,000 acre Green Hills Preserve

Essential Functions

The Northern NH Land Steward has a diverse set of responsibilities, including general preserve stewardship (maintaining trails, kiosks, signs, gates, boundaries), recruiting and working with volunteers, supervising seasonal staff and interns, invasive species control, preserve management planning, maintaining records of land management activities, ensuring compliance with Chapter and organization wide policies and procedures, helping to develop and manage budgets, and leading field trips. S/he also supports the Chapter’s legal monitoring activities.

Responsibilities and Scope

The Northern NH Land Steward reports to the Director of Stewardship and Ecological Management, and works closely with a variety of Chapter staff.

 

Specific duties include:

 

  • Provides stewardship for roughly half the Chapter’s portfolio of preserves, including the upkeep of trails, boundaries, parking areas, kiosks, and other preserve infrastructure
  • Recruits and manages seasonal staff, interns and volunteers to assist with basic stewardship needs
  • Develops and maintains up-to-date management plans for northern New Hampshire preserves, and maintains accurate records of preserve management activities
  • Collects and maintains spatial data on preserves and easements using Collector for ArcGIS and other mapping applications designed for use with mobile devices
  • Conducts targeted habitat restoration and management utilizing an adaptive management framework
  • Maintains equipment and tools
  • Supports prescribed fire at multiple sites in NH and ME
  • Works with the New Hampshire Chapter Easement Stewardship Specialist to support annual legal compliance monitoring of conservation easements and other less-than-fee legal interests in northern New Hampshire as needed
  • Helps ensure compliance with TNC policies and procedures, including the following: Fee Land Management and Inspections; Compatible Human or Economic Use; Standards for Ownership, Management, and Transfers of Lands and Waters; and Conservation Easements and Deed Restrictions.
  • Writes and manages non-real estate contracts for services, agricultural leases, and housing agreements
  • Leads field trips and other outreach activities to advance the Conservancy’s work in New Hampshire
  • Provides support to staff working on land protection projects, including preserve expansions, and conservation easements as needed
  • May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations for long periods of time in isolated settings, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances
  • Requires physical activity

Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree and 3 years’ experience in natural resource management or equivalent combination of education and experience
  • Experience using common software applications and technology such as Word, Excel, web browsers, GPS
  • Customer service or other experience working with community members
  • Excellent communication skills, written, graphical and verbal
  • Must have valid driver’s license

Preferred Knowledge and Experience

  • Experience working with or knowledge of natural systems. Ability to recognize plant and animal species in northern NH as needed to carry out land management activities.
  • Knowledge of ecological land management principals, and current trends and practices in conservation
  • Experience recruiting, leading, and working with volunteers
  • Strong understanding of the fundamentals of land stewardship, including managing public use, and maintaining property boundaries, trails, signs, kiosks, parking areas, and other infrastructure
  • Experience with ecological restoration, designing and implementing adaptive management projects, and ecological monitoring
  • Ability and willingness to work closely with scientists and apply science to make decisions and guide activities
  • Knowledge of conservation easements, and experience writing easement baseline documentation reports and conducting annual compliance monitoring
  • Ability to use map and compass and other means of land navigation proficiently in the field, including familiarity with survey maps; proficient with the use of common GPS technology
  • Working knowledge of geospatial software applications, including ArcMap and other mapping software (Google Earth),
  • Working knowledge and ability to use mobile devices (smartphone and tablets) and associated mapping application, such as Collector for ArcGIS
  • Ability to safely using maintenance tools and other equipment, including chainsaws, 4wd vehicles, brush saws
  • FFT1 wildland firefighter qualification (Squad Boss)
  • Supervisory experience
  • Ability to completing tasks independently with respect to timeline(s)
  • Experience managing diverse activities and projects under deadlines while delivering quality results
  • Highly organized with an ability to manage a complex array of stewardship-related information and data
  • Multilingual appreciated

Organizational Competencies

Accountability for Outcomes Pushes for excellence.  Establishes challenging goals for self and others to drive performance in support of the Conservancy’s mission.  Rewards behavior that achieves these standards and is aligned with the organization’s mission/ values.  Takes action to address performance problems in a timely and appropriate manner.
Builds Organizational Capability Builds or adapts organizational structures to accomplish the mission and to improve performance.  This includes reorganizing organizational systems, structures, processes, procedures, communication channels or reporting relationships.  With the Conservancy’s strategic filter in mind, determines who can contribute, gets the right people involved, and builds bench strength for the future.
Collaboration & Teamwork Shows a willingness to put the needs and goals of a global organization before personal/local/departmental needs.  Works with others across organizational boundaries. Makes decisions, sets priorities, and allocates resources to help the organization as a whole achieve results.
Communications Effectively expresses messages verbally and in writing.  Actively listens to others.  Fosters open exchange of issues.  Is timely with information.
Courage & Decisiveness Makes decisions and stands by them.  Makes timely decisions even under pressure and when lacking complete information. Has the courage to modify decisions and admit why and how they were wrong.
Flexibility & Innovation Flexible to changing circumstances. Takes innovative approaches towards work.  Takes calculated risks and makes dependable decisions in the fact of uncertainty.
Influences for Results Achieves results by persuading, convincing, or influencing others. Adapts approach to the individual or group and knows how and when to use complex influence strategies. Uses success stories and passion for the mission to generate enthusiasm and support.
Open to Learning Versatile learner and committed to self-improvement.  Employs strengths effectively.  Willingly shares knowledge with others.  Seeks coaching on areas needing improvement.  Adjusts behavior/performance as needed.  Views mistakes as learning opportunities.
Organizational Awareness Understands the basics of our business.  Knows how local job relates to the big picture & contributes to the overall strategy.  Knows how/why things work inside TNC.  Easily moves through internal networks and channels for success.
 Working Conditions and Physical EffortMay work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances. These conditions:

·         require considerable physical exertion and/or muscular strain

·         present frequent possibility of injury

·         require long hours in isolated settings

 
This description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required for this job.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of men and women of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and cultures. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, gender identities, military or veteran status or other status protected by law.