Executive Director

About the Wyndham Land Trust
The Wyndham Land Trust (WLT) is a nationally accredited, non-profit 501(c)3, land conservation organization, operating in Northeastern Connecticut. WLT is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025 and owns 7,000 acres of open space spread over 60 preserves in 11 Northeast Connecticut towns. The trust is actively working to add to its portfolio of protected lands through grant-funded strategic acquisitions and land donations.

About the Executive Director Position
The Executive Director is the general manager and chief spokesperson for WLT, reporting to the President of the Board of Directors (BOD). The ED manages all aspects of the organization including community engagement, staff management; fundraising, development, and property stewardship; and coordinates closely with the BOD on future land acquisitions. The Executive Director (ED) is expected to be the face of the land trust and is responsible for cultivating support from the community for its mission of protecting ecologically valuable land from development.

Areas of Effort (working alone or collaboratively with staff and stakeholders)

• General Management: Carry out the general operations and administration of WLT with the support of the part-time Office Manager.
• Community Presence: Maintain positive community relations through media outreach and relationships with community leaders and conservation partners. Provide effective and consistent external communications including print and electronic messaging, articles in local media, website updates, social media, posters, signage and pamphlets. Establish relationships with local conservation organizations, such as The Last Green Valley, Connecticut Audubon, and other land trusts.
• Land Management: Manage preserves through the implementation of habitat restoration projects, trail construction and improvement, and other land stewardship projects. Oversee the annual stewardship inspection program and work with the BOD and our legal team to resolve encroachments or other violations.
• Fundraising: Work with the board to identify regional and national sources of funding for land acquisition and land trust operations. Write grants to procure funding while cultivating personal relationships with local donors.
  Accreditation and Record Keeping: Ensure that Land Trust Association (LTA) Standards & Practices are being met in all activities to maintain accreditation, including financial management, operational and record keeping processes, and land stewardship. Comply and add enhancements to internal policies and procedures during the five-year re-accreditation process.
• Financial and Operational: Work closely with and provide oversight of the part-time Office Manager to maintain accurate financial management, including budgets and reports, record keeping, and operational controls. Maintain full knowledge on a real-time basis of the Land Trust’s finances and ongoing operations. Assist the office manager with preparing materials for board meetings and the annual audit and tax filing.
• Volunteer Management: Create and maintain a core of local volunteers to support the land trust in the community with activities such as land trust events, trail maintenance, guided walks, appearances at local events, and distribution of literature.
• Land Acquisition: Working closely with the BOD, Identify and pursue new land conservation opportunities, ideally in collaboration with the Acquisition Committee and established processes.

Desired Experience and Skills

• Operational Capabilities: Experience managing a small office, preferably in a nonprofit setting.
• Communication Skills: Ability to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders including; members, potential donors, and local groups, such as conservation commissions and town governments as well as the general public  Demonstrated public speaking and strong writing skills. Should be able to create engaging content and be familiar with social media apps. Experience with donor management databases is a plus.
• Self-directed: Action oriented with the ability to work autonomously, take initiative, and learn new systems and processes.
• Conservation Aligned: Understand and embrace the mission and vision of WLT and its role in advancing conservation in the region. Passionate about protection of land from development.
• Non-Profit and Business Experience: Expertise with business and non-profit operations. Ideally knowledgeable of land trust operations, including familiarity with current LTA standards & practices in land protection.
• Computing Skills: Comfortable with using and learning new technology, including social media apps (Facebook, Instagram, MailChimp), financial management (Quickbooks Online), file storage programs (Box), donor/membership databases (Little Green Light), and typical office applications, such as Zoom, Excel, and Word.
• Basic Financial Management: Familiarity with non-profit or small business operations, including budgeting, financial oversight, and efficient use of resources.
• Education and Employment History: A bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant work experience is required. Experience in nonprofit leadership or small business operations is preferred.

Position Details and Benefits
This is a full-time salaried position. The salary offered to the successful candidate will be between $80k and $100k per annum, commensurate with experience and qualifications. Hours of work are flexible but should average 40 hours per week. Much of the work requires in-person interaction with board members, staff, and the local community along with visits to land trust preserves. In addition, the position requires attending scheduled evening meetings and weekend events. WLT maintains an office in Windham County (currently in Danielson, CT). The Executive Director may work remotely on occasion, however they are expected to be in the office or the locale most days.

The position includes paid time off: 20 days of vacation/personal/sick days per year as well as for all  federal holidays (12). An allowance of up to $25,000 for health care insurance will be offered to a successful candidate, but it will be up to the candidate to secure their own insurance.

We hope that the candidate will grow in the position as they become familiar with our processes and operations. Funding is available for professional development.

The Executive Director is a new position for the land trust, and the position is considered at-will employment.