Easement Stewardship Associate

We are an accredited, 50-year-old, land trust serving a three-county area near Ann Arbor, MI.  We are managed by a dynamic Executive Director with a dedicated board of directors and staff of fun, diverse, but professional conservationists!

Job Overview

Easement Stewardship Associate

About Legacy Land Conservancy (Legacy):

Legacy Land Conservancy is an accredited land conservancy founded in 1971 to protect the forests, fields, wetlands, and rivers of southern Michigan. Serving Washtenaw, Jackson, and Lenawee counties, Legacy’s mission is to secure for current and future generations a land base for nature, agriculture, fresh water, and recreation today and forever. More information: www.legacylandconservancy.org.

As an accredited land trust, Legacy is required to monitor all of the conservation easements we hold on private property each calendar year. Legacy also contracts with other local entities to complete their annual monitoring.

Legacy Land Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Core Values:

Legacy seeks to embrace these core values in all our actions: Justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, trust, relationships, integrity, perpetuity, responsibility, honor, collaboration, science, sustainability, history.

Position Overview:

The Easement Stewardship Associate works closely with the Easement Stewardship Coordinator to assist in Legacy’s Easement Stewardship Program. The aspects of the Easement Stewardship Program this position assists with is: Scheduling and conducting annual monitoring of conservation easements, conservation easement landowner communication, education and engagement, and other tasks as needed to nurture conservation easement stewardship. The Easement Stewardship Associate also helps the Land Team with Baseline Documentation Reports, Current Condition Reports, and the transfer of projects from Acquisition to Easement Stewardship. This position requires engagement with other land department staff, development and communications staff, volunteers, and external partners.

Reports to:

Land Protection Manager and will work closely with the Easement Stewardship Coordinator.

Hours:

20 hours per week. Legacy Embraces a remote work culture. Position’s schedule can be flexible and will be determined with supervisor. Some weekend and evening work may be required. Position requires some time at the office and in the field.

Compensation:

• Wage is $18 per hour. Legacy sets a nonnegotiable salary to ensure all candidates are treated equitably.
• Employer-paid flexible spending account.
• Employer matched SIMPLE IRA Retirement
• Paid vacation and sick days.
• Paid holidays.
• Mileage reimbursement at current standard federal rate
• Professional development opportunities.

Responsibilities:

• Monitor assigned conservation easements on a monthly basis, including preparation, documentation, and follow up with landowners.
• Assist Easement Stewardship Coordinator with managing the volunteer photo monitor program.
• Assist Easement Stewardship Coordinator with conservation easement transitions from Acquisition Department to Easement Stewardship.
• Assist Easement Stewardship Coordinator with communications to easement landowners.
• Write Baseline Documentation Reports and Current Conditions Reports for conservation easement properties.
• Organize, enter, and synthesize data into various databases including Salesforce, Landscape, and internal spreadsheets.
• Maintain GIS data, and create maps in ArcGIS.
• Assist Easement Stewardship Coordinator with public-facing education and engagement events.
• Draft newsletter articles and social media posts to help communicate the work of the Easement Stewardship Program.
• Other tasks as needed.

Required Qualifications:

• Must be able to work outdoors in varying conditions and terrains.
• Willingness to learn.
• Highly communicative with co-workers, landowners, and partners.
• High attention to detail.

Desired Qualification:

• Familiarity with land trust operations, issues, and best practices.

• Knowledge or prior experience with ArcGIS, GPS, Microsoft Office, and Adobe Suite.
• Familiarity with Michigan invasive species and/or native plants.
• Enjoy working as part of a team and independently.

Other Requirements:

• Valid Michigan driver’s license and reliable transportation.

Position Milestones:

First month:

• General Legacy onboarding with supervisor and Executive Director.
• Meet with each staff member to learn more about their work.
• Meet with Easement Stewardship Coordinator to learn about easement stewardship.
• Complete training on how to monitor a conservation easement.
• Shadow Easement Stewardship Coordinator on a monitoring visit.

Within three months:

• Completion of first two months of assigned annual monitoring properties.
• Become comfortable with Salesforce and Landscape software.
• Have a grasp of Legacy’s ArcGIS data organization.

Within six months:

• Completion of assigned monitoring.
• Learn how to complete Baseline Documentation Reports and Current Conditions Reports from the Land Protection Specialist.
• Attend an education or engagement event with the Easement Stewardship Coordinator.

Within one year:

• Completion of assigned monitoring.
• Begin a Baseline Documentation Report or a Current Conditions Report.
• Assist with a transfer of an Acquisition project to Easement Stewardship.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should send their cover letter, resume, and references to [email protected] with the job title in the email subject.  Qualified candidates will be emailed for an initial interview. Applications will be reviewed until June 19, 2022

Additional Information:

Legacy recognizes that opportunities in the conservation and environmental fields have historically excluded and continue to disproportionately exclude Black and Indigenous people, as well as Asian, Latino/a, and Hispanic people, people from working class backgrounds, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people. We strongly encourage individuals with these, and all other identities to apply.

Legacy is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. We embrace people from all backgrounds, experiences and viewpoints, because we value the collective sum of our individual differences, unique capabilities and talents. We encourage and support our employees’ differences in age, race, color, ability, ethnicity, family or marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, political affiliation, socioeconomic status, veteran status and any other characteristics that make our employees unique.

Special Benefits

• Employer-paid flexible spending account.
• Employer matched SIMPLE IRA Retirement
• Paid vacation and sick days.
• Paid holidays.
• Mileage reimbursement at current standard federal rate
• Professional development opportunities.

Minimum Requirements

• Must be able to work outdoors in varying conditions and terrains.
• Willingness to learn.
• Highly communicative with co-workers, landowners, and partners.
• High attention to detail.