Stewardship Field Coordinator

The Land Trust for Tennessee

Position: Stewardship Field Coordinator, Full-time

Supervisor: Stewardship Manager

Location: Nashville, TN

About The Land Trust for Tennessee  

The Land Trust for Tennessee (“LTTN”) is a statewide, accredited non-profit land conservation organization with offices in Nashville and Chattanooga. LTTN has protected 137,000 acres through over 460 conservation projects across Tennessee. The full-time position is based in Nashville and offers an impactful, challenging work opportunity at one of the nation’s premier conservation organizations.  

Summary of Position

The Stewardship Field Coordinator position is focused primarily on completing annual monitoring visits and other site visits to protected properties across Tennessee. Annual Monitoring is the regular inspection of property protected with a conservation easement and is a core component of LTTN’s stewardship program. The Stewardship Field Coordinator may also assist as requested with other components of the stewardship program including: addressing requests for activity approvals, working with landowners to understand their conservation easement, land management, GIS mapping and analysis, record keeping and data management, and other duties as assigned. This position is a key part of the Stewardship team, working with oversight and management from the Stewardship Manager and Director of Stewardship. This is an entry-level position with potential for long-term growth within the organization.

Primary Responsibilities

Field Work and Site Visits

• Schedules and performs annual monitoring field or aerial visits for conserved properties throughout Tennessee; walks properties to observe and document any changes that have occurred and to identify violations and other issues
• Travels extensively throughout the year, but especially during “monitoring season” (typically January – April)
• Schedules and performs additional field visits as directed
• Creates property maps for field work; manages GIS data and photography collected in the field
• Assists with management of lands owned by LTTN

Landowner Relationships

• Cultivates and maintains strong relationships with landowners from a variety of backgrounds and assists landowners in understanding their conservation easement
• Provides assistance and information to landowners who are selling their conserved land and to realtors, attorneys, appraisers, and potential buyers

Record Keeping

• Prepares and maintains monitoring reports, monitoring files, and baseline updates on all conserved properties
• Analyzes and evaluates monitoring observations; provides interpretations to the stewardship team
• Tracks and keeps record of activity approvals and denials, amendments to conservation easements, property transfers, changes in contact information or ownership, as well as monitoring records and other stewardship data using LTTN server and database; other administrative duties as needed
• Helps maintain GIS database for protected property boundaries and reserved rights areas; ensures updated field and documentation maps are available for all protected properties
• Assists with management of volunteer monitoring program

Desired Skills and Qualifications:

• Knowledge relevant to forestry, agriculture, natural resource management, and sound land uses; bachelor’s degree in natural resource management, ecology, biology, environmental science or similar field, preferred.
• At least 2 years’ experience as a member of a professional team preferred
• At least 1-2 years’ (3 or more preferred) experience with GIS, including GIS data acquisition and management.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, ability to communicate with different personalities, diffuse and resolve conflicts, and ask and answer difficult questions.
• Strong spatial, analytical, reading, and writing skills.
• Ability to learn and understand deeds, legal descriptions, conservation easements, and related legal documents
• Ability to coordinate and work on multiple projects simultaneously, and to maintain attention to detail while producing a steady volume of work in compliance with deadlines.
• Understanding of and commitment to the land conservation goals of LTTN.
• Ability to represent LTTN and interact effectively with a wide range of organizations and individuals.
• Ability to effectively operate computers and assigned software, including Microsoft Office Suite (Word and Excel) and mapping software (i.e. ArcGIS), and general knowledge of CRM databases.
• Ability to perform field work and to work outside in all weather conditions.
• Flexibility to work some nights and weekends as required for LTTN events or landowner schedules.
• Ability to travel extensively including to remote areas; valid driver’s license required. Use of personal vehicle or coordinating the use of a rental or company vehicle for property visits is expected