Senior Planner

AGENCY DESCRIPTION: The Land for Maine’s Future Program (LMF) at the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry has an opening for a Senior Planner position. LMF is the State of Maine’s primary funding vehicle for conserving land for its natural and recreational value. The LMF Program works in partnership with multiple DACF Bureaus, DIFW, DMR, and SHPO to implement program objectives and is overseen by a Board appointed by the Governor. The program and this permanent full-time position are in Augusta.*

JOB DESCRIPTION: The LMF Senior Planner is a member of the LMF Program team and serves as the project manager for assigned land conservation projects, administers project grants, and oversees the completion of all requirements for funding. The Senior Planner must analyze details of complex real estate transactions and determine whether applicants have met program guidelines and commitments made in their application. Examples include review of real estate appraisals, deeds, conservation easements, working waterfront covenants, surveys, Right-of-Way agreements, title insurance commitments, environmental site assessment reports, and the LMF Project Agreement.

This position maintains a working knowledge of each LMF fund (The Land for Maine’s Future fund, Public Access to Maine Water fund, and Maine Working Waterfront Access Protection fund) and funding categories (Conservation & Recreation, Farmland, Water Access and Working Waterfront). Given the source of funding, this position specializes in the coastal Water Access and Working Waterfront funding category and plays a lead role in administering those grants. This position also assists with overall program administration. Tasks may include maintaining the LMF website and database maintenance, assisting with the development of the LMF “workbook” and issuing calls for proposals, assisting with reporting requirements, responding to inquiries from the public or potential applicants about the program, serving as a point of contact with state landowning agencies in the maintenance of the state’s conserved lands data layer.

*Remote work options are available for this position to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and with the approval of management.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in environmental sciences, law, community planning and development, public administration, or a related field, plus 4 years of experience. Equivalent related experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.

The successful candidate will have:

• Knowledge of LMF policies and guidelines and related statutes/authorities, land acquisition policies/guidelines, and priorities of state natural resource agencies.
• Knowledge of conservation planning and land use planning principles.
• Knowledge of land conveyancing, and conservation easement principles/practices.
• Knowledge of other relevant State, Federal, and private funding sources and analysis of opportunities and limitations in partnering with those programs.
• Ability to analyze complex legal/real estate documents.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in writing and in-person.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to make decisions, while also identifying decisions appropriate for the LMF Director and/or Board.
• Ability to manage projects within budget and within a specified order of operations.

Ability to understand issues, solve problems, and trace implications in a timely and efficient manner. 

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—”Dirigo” or “I lead”—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce’s health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Balance – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• Health Insurance Coverage– The State of Maine pays 85%-100%of employee-only premiums ($9,893.52-$11,057.52 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
• Health Insurance Premium Credit– Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information about program requirements.
• Dental Insurance– The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($350.40 annual value).
• Retirement Plan– The State of Maine contributes at least 41% of payto the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement– Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts– Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
• Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness– The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid office.
• Living Resources Program – Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.
• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receive four weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation– Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions.

Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness

There’s a job and then there’s purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics. 

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Thinking about applying?

Research shows that people from historically excluded communities tend to apply to jobs only when they check every box in the posting. If you’re currently reading this and hesitating to apply for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! Let us know how your lived experience and passion set you apart.