California Senior Program Manager
Land Trust Alliance
Location: Remote within California.
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 of position
The California Senior Program Manager position offers an exciting opportunity to play a leadership role in the land conservation community and launch a robust land conservation program in California. 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. This position is responsible for managing a suite of high impact programs and activities described below that closely align with Land Trust Alliance goals and priorities.
This California Senior Program Manager is also the lead on California Onward, the Alliance’s partnership with the California Council of Land Trusts (CCLT). The purpose of the partnership is to leverage each organization’s strengths to amplify land trust work in policy, education and outreach, communications, membership and volunteer engagement, training, and cross sector partnerships at the state and local level. An immediate goal is to secure funding from the State of California, and design and deliver land trust capacity-building services in support of the state’s 30x30 goals.
The Senior Program Manager reports to the Western Division Director of Field Programs and is primarily responsible for developing, managing, delivering and evaluating Alliance programs and services to strengthen and support Alliance member land trusts in California. They will be responsible for the delivery and evaluation of a suite of tools and resources to land trusts, such as training and mentoring programs, one-on-one technical coaching and assistance, targeted capacity building, organizational assessments and financial assistance through grantmaking. The Senior Program Manager will strategically work with consultants and/or partners to provide trainings and a high level of expertise in such areas as strategic planning, fundraising, climate change, community-centered conservation and strategic conservation planning.
The California Senior Program Manager also plays an important role in building and maintaining effective partnerships with regional and state associations of land trusts and other collaboratives to advance our mutual goals. The full-time position requires 37.5 hours per week with an approximate travel of 25%, including some evenings and weekends.
Principal responsibilities
Program Development and Management: Help set a strategic vision for the Alliance’s work with the land conservation community in California and manage all elements of day-to-day implementation. Develop, implement, and evaluate organizational development programs, including grantmaking programs and training and technical assistance programs at various levels of organizational growth to help land trusts build stronger organizations. This includes providing direct services for land trust staff and boards of directors, and making recommendations about organizational development, strategic collaboration and mergers, risk management, climate change, community-centered conservation and technical issues based on the Land Trust Standards and Practices.
State Land Trust Associations & Landscape Scale Partnerships: Sustain and grow partnerships with the state and regional land conservation partners to collaboratively advance programs focused on land trust support and to identify and investigate key conservation issues.
Trainings: Lead or assist other Alliance staff to implement training and networking programs. This includes developing new trainings as needed 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. This also includes participating in and leading trainings at state land trust conferences.
Budget Management: Works collaboratively with the Western 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 California.
Fundraising: Partner with the Western Division Director and Alliance development staff in identifying and cultivating relationships with key foundations, corporations, individuals, 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) and the website, as well as 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.
Administrative: Lead or assist with grant program administration, evaluation of grant proposals, meeting logistics, mailings, accounting, reporting and other administrative responsibilities as assigned.
Other related duties as assigned.
Qualifications and Attributes
Bachelor's degree preferred, however a reasonable combination of education and experience acceptable.
A minimum of eight (8) years’ experience working with nonprofit organizations, preferably in the land conservation community.
Minimum four (4) years’ demonstrated ability to fundraise at all levels preferred, including foundations, corporations, individuals and government agencies.
Strong project management experience, including a minimum of four (4) 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 experience securing and managing funding from public sources.
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain work teams and multi-stakeholder collaborations, in both internal and external contexts.
Proven track record cultivating and maintaining relationships with diverse partners.
Ability to facilitate diverse, multi-stakeholder processes.
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 25% including evenings/weekends.
Compensation
The budgeted salary range for this position is $110,000 - $120,000, commensurate with skills, years of experience 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 time off including vacation, sick and multiple holidays and 403(b) retirement benefits.
Contact
Send resume and cover letter via email to careers@lta.org. If email is not an option, applications will be accepted by mail to Human Resources, Land Trust Alliance, and 1250 H Street, NW, Ste 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.
