Frenchman Bay Conservancy is looking for a dedicated and experienced Director of Stewardship to join our ten person team. This position oversees all of FBC’s land stewardship responsibilities for our fee-owned properties and conservation easements. The ideal candidate will possess high-level expertise, teamwork and decision-making skills to develop and implement stewardship management plans for prospective and FBC-owned properties. The position requires program level strategic thinking to develop and refine the tools that make our stewardship program successful at FBC.

Frenchman Bay Conservancy has protected over 20,000 acres of land over the past 38 years. We are an accomplished land trust with ambitions for even greater land protection and stewardship. Our mission is to conserve distinctive ecosystems, lands and waters for the benefit of all in the Union River and Frenchman Bay watersheds east to the Hancock County line. Our office is located at Tidal Falls Preserve in the town of Hancock. 

This is a full-time position at 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Events in the evenings or on weekends require time outside normal work hours. This position works out of our Tidal Falls office in Hancock, with an expectation of significant time spent working in the field. The Director of Stewardship is a member of the Leadership Team and works closely with FBC staff and the board’s stewardship committee to advance the Conservancy’s mission and vision. The Stewardship Director supervises staff and collaborates with a team of conservation professionals to achieve the organization’s goals. 

Required qualifications 

• At least five years of experience in a comparable role, with progressively higher levels of responsibility;
• A passion for land conservation, strong attention to detail, exceptional organizational skills, assertive creativity, and an ability to lead and coordinate team projects; 
• Demonstrated experience managing staff and contractors; and
• Demonstrated experience engaging members of boards of directors and other volunteers.

Primary responsibilities 

• Provide leadership and facilitation in directing stewardship staff and volunteers, working collaboratively on the planning, coordination, identification, prioritization, and implementation of land stewardship projects. 
• Hire, train, direct, and supervise stewardship staff. Manage consultants and volunteers.
• Write management plans for fee acquisitions that capture the purposes and vision for conserving each property or suite of properties. 
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with local landowners, organizational partners, and funders.
• Prioritize and direct stewardship activities including annual fee and conservation easement monitoring, trail building, trail and preserve maintenance, and address any conservation easement violations. 
• Secure an herbicide applicator’s license and remove invasive plant species, or manage contractors to remove invasive plants, on FBC fee-owned properties. 
• Explore opportunities to incorporate Wabanaki traditional land uses in FBC conservation and management plans. 
• Ensure that all land stewardship practices comply with Land Trust Accreditation Commission Standards and Practices. 
• Work with the Board of Directors’ stewardship committee, to define strategic programmatic direction, and ensure informed board member decision-making with regard to governance and oversight of land stewardship. 
• Develop a comprehensive stewardship plan in coordination with FBC’s organization-wide strategic plan. 
• Provide guidance and direction to efficiently coordinate volunteer board member time and expertise to achieve stewardship goals. 
• Prepare materials in advance of committee and board meetings, including: maps, budgets, and descriptions of stewardship goals.
• Seek out continuing education opportunities.
• Develop and manage an annual stewardship program budget and special project budgets.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director to allocate funding to priority projects in accordance with relevant budgets. 

FBC offers competitive benefits including a 5% employer retirement match, 3 weeks paid vacation time and 15 paid holidays per year, a flexible and creative work environment, professional development support, and a salary range of $60,000-$70,000 for the right, well-qualified candidate. References and writing samples will be sought from candidates who advance to a final interview.