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Position Overview:

The Vice President, Conservation will play a key leadership role in managing PFT's forest conservation and stewardship program.  This position will oversee the acquisition and stewardship of conservation easements in California, Oregon, and Washington states. The Vice President will organize large-scale, creative conservation and stewardship projects utilizing public and private funding sources while incorporating novel revenue sources from ecosystem service markets.

Projects will integrate new approaches to regulatory compliance and will help advance other policy initiatives in concert with the PFT policy team.  Management responsibilities encompass the full conservation project lifecycle, including outreach, pipeline development, project negotiation/deal structuring, due diligence, fundraising, conservation and stewardship planning, and the ongoing management of a portfolio of eased or fee properties.  

Based in PFT's main office in San Francisco, the Vice President will supervise all conservation staff, covering both acquisitions and stewardship, and will collaborate with policy staff on cross-cutting projects to advance PFT policy initiatives. The Vice President reports to the president of the organization.

Responsibilities: 

Program Responsibilities:

• Direct and refine PFT's conservation initiatives.
• Lead and manage PFT staff in development, monitoring, and achievement of annual and strategic goals and objectives.
• Lead process for investigation, analysis, and identification of new conservation focal areas.
• Oversee development of conservation and stewardship projects for PFT through strategic outreach to private forestland owners, foresters, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other resource managers and forest stakeholders, with an emphasis on priority conservation areas identified in PFT's strategic planning (e.g., Klamath-Cascade Region).
• Ensure thorough due diligence investigation and documentation, and appropriate risk mitigation measures are in place in the acquisition and stewardship of conservation easements or other interests in forestlands, utilizing appropriate legal and other outside advice.
• Develop major land acquisitions in close collaboration with executive team and other leadership.
• Work with executive management and policy staff to implement policy-driven conservation incentives (e.g., carbon or other ecosystem service projects, alternative compliance mechanisms under the Endangered Species Act, etc.).
• Supervise and assure professional development of policy staff, including individual goal setting, review, accountability, and training. Build and maintain a high-functioning team of successful individuals.
• Contribute positively and collaboratively as a member of PFT's overall top management team and to organizational goals and activities.
• Manage, maintain, and improve PFT's policies and procedures, as well as information management systems, including acquisitions and stewardship for both easements and fee title, and easement defense.

Financial Accountability Responsibilities:

• Seek and obtain public funding for conservation acquisitions, dispositions, and stewardship projects through meetings with legislators, their staff, and agency leadership regionally and in Washington, D.C.
• Develop and utilize alternative, emerging, and unconventional sources of project financing, including ecosystem service markets, conservation investors, and the Clean Water Act Revolving Fund.
• Prepare annual budget for conservation and stewardship, including revenue and expenses.  Manage budget; monitor and report on variances.
• Manage program expenses and revenue generation to ensure that the program area is financially self-sufficient on an annual basis and contributes, where possible, unrestricted revenue to the organization as a whole.  
• Work with PFT's president and development team to access charitable and other public funding from major donors, foundations, and government programs.

Qualifications:

Experien ce and Skill Sets:

• 10+ years in a similar leadership role at a comparable organization
• An advanced degree in law, public policy, land-use planning, real estate and/or natural resource management   
• Superb team management skills; past success in guiding, empowering, and supervising highly skilled staff
• Demonstrated success and expertise in the development and management of complex conservation and stewardship projects; expertise in systematically and thoroughly managing a dynamic portfolio of projects within defined quality assurance policies and procedures
• Demonstrated success in leading the acquisition of large-scale land conservation projects, preferably those encompassing forest management
• Demonstrated success in the stewardship and management of interests in land, with responsibility for achieving financial and programmatic objectives, planning and oversight of management activities
• Experience conducting due diligence, negotiations, and structure of financial, conservation and other transaction terms
• Expertise in obtaining funds from public and private sources for land and conservation easement acquisitions
• Demonstrated success in development and implementation of outreach strategies to cultivate and develop a pipeline of acquisition projects 
• An understanding of forest ecosystem services and emerging ecosystem service markets; experience in ecosystem service project development a plus
• Expertise in developing and administering budgets
• A strong track record of collaboration and partnership with varying stakeholders in development of successful conservation projects; experience working effectively with board members, major donors, and volunteers

Personal Attributes:

• Excellent facilitation skills; ability to interact with a wide variety of constituencies at different levels of authority and from differing cultural backgrounds
• Outstanding oral and written communication abilities; demonstrated skill in communicating information-from the technical to the general-to a variety of audiences
• Excellent organizational skills with attention to detail and the ability to effectively plan and problem-solve
• Results-oriented with a keen understanding of the steps necessary to achieve goals on deadline and within budget
• Discretion and the ability to deal with sensitive issues and information in a professional and, as required, confidential manner
• Excellent judgment, tact, and integrity, especially when dealing with donors, board members, government agencies, elected officials, volunteers, and the public at large
• Willingness to travel regularly

Compensation: This position will be based at PFT's main office in the Presidio of San Francisco. This is a full-time position with a competitive salary and a comprehensive package of employee benefits.

To Apply:

Interested candidates should please follow this link to submit a resume, cover letter, and salary requirements. 

Please also let us know how you learned about this position. Inquiries received via phone call or direct email will not be eligible for review.