About the Alliance

The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation organization whose mission is to save the places people love by strengthening land conservation throughout America. As the national leader of America’s land trusts, the Land Trust Alliance (the Alliance) works to dramatically increase the pace and improve the quality of private land conservation in America. Founded in 1982, the Alliance has mobilized the energy of more than one thousand land trusts and has created an unprecedented grassroots movement, one that has successfully saved more than thirty-four million acres of land and has the potential to save millions more.

The Alliance works with Congress to pass tax incentives and secure funding that help landowners to choose conservation over development. The Alliance serves as a university for land conservation that trains the people who do the work to conserve cherished farms, forests, parks and trails and strengthens community-based land trusts by providing research, standards and accreditation services. The Alliance’s conservation defense program helps land trusts ensure that conserved land stays protected forever. The Alliance works with the media to promote land conservation and engage more Americans in saving our most treasured places.

The Alliance is headquartered in Washington, DC and has field program offices in the Southeast, Midwest, Northeast, and Western regions. The job location is negotiable.

Summary Description

The Alliance is launching a new initiative to strengthen the role of land trusts in addressing climate change. After investing decades of hard work and billions of dollars in conservation in the U.S., and looking to expand their efforts to permanently conserve important landscapes, land trusts are increasingly concerned about the impacts of climate change. They are seeking tools, resources and training to help them adopt climate adaptation and mitigation practices.

The climate change program manager position offers an exciting opportunity for an entrepreneurial, highly energetic conservation leader to develop and implement this new initiative and play a leadership role in the conservation community nationally. The successful candidate must have a working knowledge or previous experience working with land trusts, and demonstrated expertise in climate change adaptation and mitigation, including energy policy issues. She/he will be responsible for overseeing the design, delivery and evaluation of a suite of strategies and associated resources to land trusts, such as geo-spatial planning that incorporates climate science into strategic conservation plans; training and mentoring programs to help land trusts evolve their work on climate change; direct targeted grant investment programs to assist land trusts in implementing climate planning or mitigation projects; one-on-one technical coaching and assistance; and, renewable energy siting policies and strategy.

In addition, the climate change program manager plays an important role in building and maintaining effective partnerships with a variety of organizations and stakeholders working in the climate change arena, including state and regional associations of land trusts, research institutions, national conservation organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and state/federal agencies. She/he will also work closely with fellow Alliance staff on issue-specific project teams. The full-time position requires 37.5 hours per week with approximate travel of 40%, including some weekends.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Program development and management: In collaboration with land trusts, conservation partners, and government agencies, develop and implement a comprehensive initiative to advance the role of land trusts in adapting to and mitigating climate change. This position will require exceptional coordination and management abilities, and attention to detail. In addition, the climate change program manager will help design and manage a large grant program that will provide financial investments in land trusts to help them incorporate climate science into their conservation planning, as well as pursue projects that promote natural climate solutions.
• Coalitions/state associations: Collaborate with state land trust associations and other partners across the country in developing the overall initiative and identifying specific project opportunities for climate planning, mitigation, and communications.
• Training: Lead or assist the Alliance regional directors and other Alliance staff to implement training and networking programs. This includes evaluating the topics, speakers and locations for training events, developing new workshops that reflect known training needs in conjunction with Alliance staff and experienced practitioners, and assisting with the design of new and efficient ways to deliver training to land trusts.
• Fundraising: Assist the Alliance development staff in identifying and cultivating relationships with key foundations, corporations, individuals and public agencies, and conducting research and writing development proposals and reports.
• Policy and communications: Work with Alliance policy and communications teams to design and implement strategies to strengthen land trust knowledge about opportunities for their engagement in climate change work. This will include developing and submitting articles for Alliance publications and website, as well as other external outlets.
• Budget management: Partnering with accountant, grants department and other program staff on program budgets and grant budgets through life of grant cycle.
• Ambassadorship: Represent the Alliance at select conferences, events, coalition meetings, land trust gatherings and other venues as warranted.
• Administrative: Lead or assist with grant program administration, meeting logistics, mailings, accounting, reporting and other administrative responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications and Attributes:

• A minimum of five years’ experience working with nonprofit organizations, preferably with land trusts and within the context of climate change issues
• Expertise in land-based voluntary and compliance carbon offset markets, particularly with regard to the California cap and trade program
• Track record of successfully executing policy advocacy initiatives, educating and collaborating with government agencies, and working with elected officials and their staff
• Familiarity and experience with private land conservation techniques, climate change adaptation and mitigation and policy advocacy strategies for land conservation as they relate to climate change
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain work teams, multi-stakeholder collaborations and coalitions, and relationships with diverse partners
• Ability to facilitate diverse, multi-stakeholder processes
• Experience in managing grant funds, foundations programs and other philanthropic initiatives designed for impact in the conservation, environmental protection, community development, or public policy space
• Strong project management experience, including a minimum of 2 years demonstrated project budget management
• Demonstrated ability to manage consultants and other contractors
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills and ability to manage communications for a program initiative
• Proven ability to plan, implement, and adapt programs based on evaluation to strengthen and enhance them
• Ability to work effectively without close supervision and as part of a team in a fast-paced work environment
• Minimum one year demonstrated ability to fundraise at all levels including foundations, corporations and individuals
• Willingness to travel up to 40%, including weekends
• Bachelor’s Degree required. Graduate degree preferred

Compensation:
Competitive salary and benefits provided.

Contact:
Send resume and cover letter in Microsoft Word format via email to hr@lta.org with “Climate Change” in the subject line. Position open until filled.

If email is not an option, applications will be accepted by mail to:
Human Resources Manager, Land Trust Alliance, and 1660 L Street, NW, Ste 1100, Washington, DC 20036.

The Land Trust Alliance’s mission is to save the places people love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Land Trust Alliance is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or marital status.