Preserve Manager

What We Can Achieve Together:

The Preserve Manager (PM) is stationed at the 7800-acre Ordway Prairie Preserve which lies in the heart of the Prairie Pothole Region; also referred to as North America’s “Duck Factory” because of its significant breeding habitat for waterfowl. Ordway Prairie is also home to one of the Conservancy’s many bison herds and serves as the hub for our conservation work in north-central South Dakota.

The Preserve Manager provides day-to-day project management, leadership, and implementation of conservation projects within and around the Leola Hills landscape including TNC’s 7,800-acre Ordway Prairie Preserve.

Examples of responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Performs tasks with minimal supervision and makes independent decisions based on analysis, experience and context.
• Assist with grazing and livestock management such as daily care of cattle/bison, annual roundups, assistance with research projects and data collection.
• Ensures program compliance with internal policies and external requirements.
• Responsible for safe operation and maintenance of buildings and grazing infrastructure (such as fence, corrals, and watering stations) and equipment (ATV/UTVs, chainsaws, 4WD vehicles, skid-steers/tractors and attachments)
• Develops and manages a budget, negotiating, and contracting with vendors, and supporting fundraising and donor stewardship efforts.
• Network with diverse groups, including landowners, conservation partners, government officials, donors, board members and the public to recruit support for the Conservancy and publicize Conservancy projects.
• Performs ecological management tasks such as biological monitoring, invasive species control, grazing and fire management.
• Negotiates/writes agreements and leases and handles compliance issues in cooperation with other staff.
• Develops, implements, and delivers local programs/projects that align with TNC’s mission and goals.
• Travel to other sites to provide stewardship of other properties, assist other programs, and for trainings or meetings as needed
• Recruits and leads diverse teams.

In this role, you will develop and implement plans using an adaptive management process – including chemical, biological, and mechanical control of noxious weeds, grazing management, and fire management as well as participate in research and monitoring programs.

The Preserve Manager will assist with livestock management including daily care of the resident bison herd. The Preserve Manager addresses critical threats to natural systems and individual species, fosters cross-site learning among the conservation community and local landowners, and supplies conservation planning teams with site or landscape level information relevant to the planning process.  May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.

This position will require irregular work hours and long days. While this position will work primarily from the Ordway Prairie Preserve in Leola, SD and will occasionally be expected to travel and stay overnight at other work locations within the Tri-State (MN-ND-SD) Chapter.

In order to effectively conduct the essential functions of the position, it is strongly suggested the Ordway Prairie Preserve Manager live within a reasonable distance from the Ordway Prairie Preserve, near Leola, SD, as agreed upon with the supervisor. The Ordway Prairie Preserve Manager is expected to respond to urgent and routine issues and events on the preserve in a timely manner. Issues and events may include but are not limited to livestock management, security, equipment failures, and visitors. Housing for the Preserve Manager and immediate family is available for lease on the Samuel H. Ordway, Jr. Memorial Preserve.