New England Program Manager

Program Summary 

The Conservation Capital Program (CCP) of the Open Space Institute brings innovative leadership to accelerate the impact and effectiveness of land protection while mobilizing regional resilience in the face of climate change.  CCP oversees major conservation grant programs and provides a wide range of technical assistance and support to land trusts and community organizations to achieve these goals. CCP is currently active in New England (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts); the Middle Atlantic (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware); and the southeast (North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia).  Since 2003, CCP has made over 90 land protection grants and loans totaling almost $90 million to protect 1.6 million acres of land complemented by 93 planning grants for conservation organizations to integrate climate and water science into conservation plans.  Through these efforts, we demonstrate new approaches to conservation and build the capacity of the field. 

Position Summary 

The New England Program Manager will work under the supervision of the OSI’s Senior Vice President for Capital Strategies to represent OSI in the New England region and oversee our grant programs there. This position is full-time and can be based anywhere in New England.  The Program Manager will travel 20-25% of their time, throughout the region, to meet with potential grantees and other stakeholders, monitor pending and potential land transactions, assess trends in funding and land use, identify promising financing strategies, and provide technical assistance to our grantee partners.  The Program Manager will be responsible for developing pipelines of projects, conducting project analysis, preparing recommendations to advisors for grant and loan funding, and overseeing the progress and closing of grant projects with the OSI legal department.  As time allows, the Program Manager will work on complementary outreach to the conservation field to advance the application of climate science and emerging programs on community resilience.  

Responsibilities & Duties 

Program Outreach (40%) 

• Conduct outreach to land trusts and public agency officials in focus areas. 
• Represent OSI at key land trust gatherings and other convenings in the region. 
• Support OSI Communications staff and write content for press releases describing projects in efforts to amplify awareness of focus regions, funders, and grantee projects. 
• Interface with prospective grantees/borrowers. 
• Assist grantees with funding strategies and connections to funders. 
• Support the conservation field in the application of climate science to conservation decisions, project evaluations, and conservation planning.  
• Handle general inquiries. 
• Organize and participate in meetings of grantees and advisors and create an efficient platform for sharing information with these and other stakeholders.  
• Assist the Senior Vice President in efforts to raise the visibility of focus areas and raise matching capital funds from non-local sources. 

Program Administration (30%) 

• Support the development of Requests for Proposals and create written project evaluations. 
• Monitor and enforce grantee and borrower compliance with grant and loan terms and implement course corrections where appropriate under the supervision of OSI staff.  
• Work with other Program staff to develop and administer New England-based programs for advancing community resilience and forest carbon protections.  
• Keep initiatives on schedule. 
• Review grant and loan documentation to ensure compliance with the terms of OSI agreements. 
• Work with grantees and the OSI legal department to ensure compliance with fund terms and due diligence by grantees. 
• Investigate and pursue relevant training and professional development. 

Research and Analysis (20%) 

• Develop written assessments of key conservation trends and funding opportunities to solicit cooperation from state agencies on new funding mechanisms and land protection approaches.  
• Review policy/research opportunities in the region that would leverage OSI's conservation and community access (or resilience) goals. 
• Maintain pipeline of pending and potential land transactions seeking loan and grant support. 
• Assist OSI legal staff in due diligence of loan applications; prepare funding recommendations. 

Equity Responsibilities (10%) 

• With the CCP team, work to evolve the role that equity plays in driving our work. 
• Participate in the development and implementation of strategies to benefit racially and economically diverse and underserved communities. 
• Utilize knowledge of environmental justice and equity implications to direct conservation planning, climate change, and water quality efforts. 

Skills/Core Competencies 

Please note: If you do not wholly meet the above qualifications but believe you are otherwise well-suited to meet the needs of this position, we encourage you to apply.  

• Knowledge of conservation finance and related topics  
• Understanding of the field of land conservation and resilience science.  
• Familiarity with conservation biology, watershed ecology, water quality, and/or agriculture. 
• High emotional intelligence with the ability to meaningfully connect with constituents and build relationships while exercising respect and humility. 
• Familiarity with land and loan transactions. 
• Familiarity with the geography of New England . 
• Experience with mapping and related GIS analysis. 
• Knowledge of relevant New England funding agencies, programs, NGOs, and key personnel. 
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills. 
• Demonstrated commitment to teamwork and collaboration.  
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines. 
• Self-starter with the ability to work remotely. 
• Willingness to travel 

Qualifications 

• Bachelors and/or Graduate degree, or comparable relevant experience, with a focus on environmental studies, business, finance, or related areas such as agricultural economics. 
• Nonprofit work or experience with environmental organizations is desirable. 

Physical Requirements 

• Frequently sits for long periods. 
• Frequently speaks, reads, writes, and uses a computer keyboard. 
• May require occasional standing, walking, lifting, stooping, and bending. 
• Regular travel to project locations, primarily in New England. 

OSI offers a generous benefits package including comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, life and disability insurance, retirement plan, professional development assistance, and other resources designed to support the passion, commitment, and energy that is vital to our team members.