JOB OPENINGS
LAND MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST
ORGANIZATION: The Katawba Valley Land Trust (KVLT) is a private, non-profit organization located in Lancaster, South Carolina. KVLT is a nationally accredited land trust celebrating thirty years of land conservation, protection and education. The mission of KVLT is to protect the natural resources, cultural resources, open lands, waters, and vistas of aesthetic value in the Catawba River Valley and surrounding areas. KVLT currently holds 49 conservation easements and owns approximately 2,000 acres, largely in Chester, Lancaster and Kershaw counties. KVLT has helped protect nearly 12,000 acres working with other organizations and land owners.
POSITION DESCRIPTION: The Land Management Specialist is a new full-time position, working under the supervision of the Executive Director. In addition to the Executive Director, the person hired will work closely with the Land Management Committee of the Board, volunteers, conservation easement holders, potential land protection partners, and the general public. This position focuses on our land management efforts through administrative and field-based stewardship of KVLT property and conservation easements. This position will help ensure the conservation values on these lands are maintained and enhanced over time in addition to proactively seeking additional areas of conservation value in our region.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: The focus and priority tasks of this position may fluctuate depending on the time of the year and KVLT activities, though the position is focused in stewardship function including but not limited to the following: helping to develop priorities for land protection activities; making contacts with land owners in high-priority areas; responding to initial landowner contacts; developing recommendations for committee and board action; assisting in conservation easement document development; conducting baseline documentation and current condition reports; oversight of the annual monitoring visits and reports for both easements and owned property; ongoing stewardship management responsibilities for owned property; developing a volunteer base and working with volunteers; maintaining the necessary records keeping consistent with Land Trust Accreditation Commission accreditation standards; participate in fundraising and other outreach events as needed; and any other stewardship, conservation and administrative duties assigned by supervisor.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS: A primary qualification is a passion for the responsible stewardship of our natural and cultural environment and a love of the outdoors. A minimum four-year degree from an accredited institution in the fields of natural sciences, natural resource management, environmental studies, forestry, land-use planning, environmental education, or related fields is preferred.
Because we are an accredited land trust, the candidate should have experience in management of conservation easements and the required record-keeping policies for maintaining accreditation. The candidate should have strong skills in inter-personal relationships and should be able to work closely with board members and committees and the public. The candidate should have a good knowledge of GIS and/or related systems and be able to assist KVLT in establishing a technically strong system for land management.
COMPETENCIES: The position requires an individual who is capable of conducting field work in demanding conditions and to traverse rough terrain in a variety of weather conditions. The position requires the ability to lift up to 30 lbs. The candidate should have the ability to work independently and with others, manage multiple tasks, and meet schedule deadlines. He or she should have good interpersonal, oral, and written communications skills, and be able to prepare and present reports on conservation projects. The position requires some non-standard hours including weekend and evenings as needed. The position also requires the ability to travel to various locations for land management and training needs.
COMPENSATION: This is a full-time position. KVLT will develop a proposed compensation package, to include salary and potential benefits, based on the level of qualifications of the selected applicant.
Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter by August 31, 2022, by either 1) emailing the Executive Director at mevans@kvlt.org; 2) mailing to KVLT, P.O. Box 1776, Lancaster, SC 29721; or 3) hand delivery to the office at 106 E. Meeting Street, Lancaster, SC 29720. Questions may be addressed to Dr. Michelle Evans, Executive Director at mevans@kvlt.org or (803) 285-5801. KVLT is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We believe that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. Please note that only those applicants being considered will be contacted during the month of September.
