Southeast Program Manager

Location: Remote and must reside in one of our Southeast Program states (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN) with a central location preferred.

Overview

The Land Trust Alliance is the voice of the land trust community. As the national leader in policy, standards and education, we work passionately to support land trusts across America so they can save more land and better serve their communities.

Our natural places and working lands are a lifeline to clean air, water, food and good health. These lands also bring us together, inspire us and provide opportunities to recreate and recharge. The land trust community is a crucial component in this equation. With important places under continual threat, land trusts need access to the best tools, information and policy advocates. Armed with a diverse network and valuable resources, the Alliance is the land trust community’s source for the knowledge and capabilities they need to reach their goals. From tax and funding policies on Capitol Hill to innovative ideas, partnerships and initiatives, we ensure our land trust members can always be heard and achieve more.

The Alliance is seeking to elevate land conservation as a priority nationwide. We envision a reenergized, more relevant conservation movement in which land trusts join with partners that have not traditionally identified as conservation organizations, including from the for-profit sector, around our shared interest of protecting special places.

Summary Description

The Southeast Program Manager plays a leadership role in the land conservation community throughout the region. The successful candidate must have working knowledge or previous experience working with land trusts and the ability to build and sustain close, working relationships with diverse stakeholders in the context of complex regional conservation and land use issues. Coordinating with member organizations, state associations and other key partners is an essential responsibility to strengthen the land trust community in the region. The program manager will develop and deliver exceptional programming and provide support to further strengthen land trust capacity, advance equitable conservation outcomes, and increase the sector’s impact.

The Southeast Program Manager reports to the Eastern Division Director of Field Programs and is primarily responsible for developing, managing and delivering Alliance programs and services to strengthen and support more than 100 Alliance member land trusts in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and the US Virgin Islands. The person in this role is responsible for identifying the needs of the land trust community in the southeast, developing new and/or strengthening existing programs to meet these needs, and delivering and evaluating a suite of related tools and resources to land trusts, such as training and mentoring, one-on-one technical coaching and assistance, peer networks, targeted capacity building, and financial assistance through grantmaking. The Program Manager will manage consultants and work with partners to develop and deliver training and will have demonstrated knowledge and experience in such areas as nonprofit organizational development, strategic planning, fundraising, climate change, community conservation and strategic conservation planning.

The Southeast Program Manager also plays an essential role as part of the Eastern Division Field Programs team and will work collaboratively with other regional Program Managers and the Eastern Division Director to design and deliver cross regional programs. The full-time position requires 37.5 hours per week with approximate travel of 20%, including some evenings and weekends.

Specific Responsibilities

• Land Trust Relationships: Develop and sustain relationships with Alliance member land trusts and partners in the region through regular face to face visits, Zoom meetings, and emails. Respond to inquiries and requests for assistance in a timely manner. This includes providing direct services for land trust staff and boards of directors, and making recommendations about organizational development and management, strategic collaboration and mergers, risk management, climate change, community-centered conservation and technical issues based on Land Trust Standards and Practices.
• Program Development and Implementation: Help set a strategic vision for the Alliance’s work with the land trust community in the region and manage all elements of day-to-day implementation. Develop, implement, and evaluate organizational development programs, including grantmaking programs (as funding is available) and training and technical assistance programs at various levels of organizational growth to help land trusts build strong enduring organizations.
• State Land Trust Associations & Landscape Scale Partnerships: Sustain and grow partnerships with state and regional land conservation partners to collaboratively advance programs focused on land trust support and to identify, investigate and elevate key conservation issues that are emerging in the field.
• Trainings: Lead or assist other Alliance staff and partners to implement training and networking programs. This includes developing new trainings that reflect known training needs in conjunction with Alliance staff and experienced practitioners, assisting with the design of new and efficient ways to deliver trainings to land trusts, and evaluating topics, speakers and locations for training events. Plan and deliver the Alliance’s Southeast Land Conservation Conference on an annual or bi-annual cycle. Participate in and lead trainings at state and regional land trust conferences.
• Fundraising: Partner with the Eastern Division Director and Alliance development staff in identifying and cultivating relationships with key foundations, corporations, individuals, conference sponsors, and public agencies, conducting research, and writing development proposals and reports. Help foster a culture of philanthropy throughout the Alliance.
• Communications: Work with the Alliance Communications team to design and implement communications strategies to advance land conservation success and assist in coordinating internal and external communications to engage a broader community in land conservation. This will include developing and submitting articles for Alliance publications, Field Notes (e-newsletter), the Alliance website, and other external outlets.
• Ambassadorship: Represent the Alliance as a spokesperson at select conferences, events, coalition meetings, land trust gatherings and other venues as warranted. Communicate the Alliance’s strategic priorities in adherence with messaging approved by the executive management team that presents a coherent, united organization.
• Budget Management: Work collaboratively with the Eastern Division Director, Finance and Development departments, and other program staff to ensure sound budget management, reporting, and grant stewardship. Actively manage the budget for funding dedicated to the region served by the position.
• Administrative: Lead or assist with grant program administration, evaluation of grant proposals, meeting logistics, mailings, accounting, reporting and other administrative responsibilities as needed or assigned.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred; however, a reasonable combination of education and experience is acceptable.
• A minimum of eight (8) years’ experience working with nonprofit organizations, preferably in the land conservation community.
• Minimum three (3) years demonstrated ability to fundraise at all levels preferred, including foundations, corporations, individuals and government agencies.
• Strong project management experience, including a minimum of three (3) years demonstrated budget and grant management.
• Familiarity and experience with private land conservation practices and programs, climate change, and community-based approaches for land conservation.
• Strong interpersonal skills that demonstrate teamwork, diplomacy, respect and an awareness of how diverse identities and communication styles intersect.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain work teams and multi-stakeholder collaborations, in both internal and external contexts. Ability to facilitate diverse, multi-stakeholder processes.
• Proven track record cultivating and maintaining relationships with diverse partners.
• Demonstrated ability to manage consultants and other contractors.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills and ability to manage program communications.
• Proven ability to plan, implement, adapt, and improve programs based on evaluation.
• Ability to work effectively both independently without close supervision and as part of a team in a fast-paced work environment.
• Ability to travel up to 20%, including evenings/weekends.

Compensation

The budgeted salary range for this position is $75,000 - $85,000, commensurable with skills, years of experience, physical location, and unique background and qualifications of the candidate.

The Land Trust Alliance offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to, medical, dental, vision, and other health coverage; life and disability insurance; paid vacation, personal, sick, and holiday leave; and 403(b) retirement benefits.

Application

Please submit your application for this position, attaching your resume and cover letter, on the following link: https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/portal/CF3ADEB4BF06BDCD626EF14936C1FEE5/jobs/198454. If the electronic application is not an option, applications will be accepted by mail to Human Resources, Land Trust Alliance, 1250 H St, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005.

The Land Trust Alliance’s mission is to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Land Trust Alliance is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, marital status or veteran status.