Full details can be found here

Job Title: Stewardship Program Manager – Conservation Easements 
Reports to: Director of Stewardship 

Want to play your part in protecting our local communities from the impacts of climate change? Ready to roll up your sleeves to help achieve tangible results? Want to be part of a talented, deeply committed, and national award-winning conservation organization? Then please read on! 

Sonoma Land Trust (SLT) is looking for someone to lead our Conservation Easement Program through work with partners, colleagues, and private landowners that support our efforts in protecting biodiversity and creating a more resilient environment. SLT serves a diverse audience with broad cultural heritages, socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, and orientations. We encourage applications from candidates who reflect and value the audiences and populations we serve. 

Overview 
The Conservation Easement Program Manager leads SLT’s conservation easement program (CE) and provides administrative and project management support to the Stewardship Department. The Program Manager is the primary point of contact with CE landowners, collaborates on conservation easement acquisitions, manages approval and violation/enforcement work, maintains accurate records for each easement property and directs the easement monitoring program. SLT’s easements are monitored annually by Stewardship Technicians, and the Program Manager is responsible for training Stewardship Technicians.  

The Manager maintains and builds positive relationships with conservation easement landowners (both original grantors and successor owners); collaborates with partner organizations; is the point of contact with legal counsel on conservation easement defense; and works closely with the philanthropy and communications teams and other SLT staff. In addition, the Program Manager participates in the countywide project inquiry and evaluation process for CE inquiries and works with acquisition department program managers to complete land protection projects throughout Sonoma County, including project intake and due diligence. 

Essential Qualifications 

• A four- year degree in natural resources management, planning, real estate, or a related field and/or equivalent experience in resource management, land use or environmental planning, non-profit management, fundraising, real estate, or a related field.
• Proficiency with ArcGIS and experience with GPS field units. 
• Demonstrated work experience with conservation easements, land use law, and land conservation. 
• Professional writing skills including preparing grant applications. 
• Skill in public speaking and ability to represent SLT in public forums. 
• Creativity and problem-solving skills are essential, as are curiosity, independence, and the ability to work as a cooperative member of a team.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. 
• Ability to work occasional weekends or after business hours. 
• Must be able to hike over steep and rugged terrain.
• A valid driver’s license. 

Preferred Skills and Experience 
SLT is open to candidates with diverse backgrounds, experience, and transferrable skills. We are looking for candidates with the following experience OR the ability to develop skills in each of these categories: 

• Developing and fostering relationships with diverse communities and organizations to support SLT’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Plan. 
• Building and maintaining collaborative relationships with coworkers, partner organizations, government officials, public agencies, community groups and the public.
• Understanding of emerging public policy issues affecting land use and land preservation, including climate change, habitat protection, and water quality and quantity. 

Schedule, Salary & Benefits 
This position is full time, 40 hours per week (exempt status). 
Salary starting from $98,000, commensurate with experience. This position is located at the Sonoma Land Trust office in Santa Rosa, California. Staff are working in a hybrid model. Some fieldwork required. 

Sonoma Land Trust’s benefits include: 

• Paid time off including paid vacation based on tenure, 15 paid holidays, and paid sick and family leave
• 100% of employee premiums for medical, dental, and vision, and 75% of dependent premiums
• 5% employer contribution to retirement plan after one year of employment
• Employee life and disability insurance
• Pre-tax dependent care coverage plans for dependent or elder care
• An employee assistance program for mental health, coaching, and financial or legal consultation services
• A lifestyle account annual stipend for wellness or gear purchases

Sonoma Land Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer 
We strive to create a diverse and inclusive organization and encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, national or regional origins, sexes, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, gender identities, military or veteran status or other status protected by law.