About This Position
Mass Audubon is committed to creating a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and just organization and to providing greater access to nature for everyone. Part of this work requires us to address the historic inequities within the environmental and conservation fields, which is why we launched the Environmental Fellowship Program for Early Careers (EFP). The EFP is a unique program designed to increase pathways into environmental professions for people whose identities have been historically underrepresented. Each 14-month fellowship is hosted within one of four departments/teams: Land Conservation, Conservation Science, Environmental Education, or Nature in the City. Our fellows will tackle some of the most pressing environmental concerns of our time while working with a passionate and dedicated team of professionals. In addition to professional experience, the fellows are given opportunities for networking, mentoring, and skill development within a supportive cohort model. 

Mass Audubon’s Action Agenda is a five-year plan to address the rapid loss of wildlife habitat, inequitable access to nature, and the threat of climate change. Land protection is a key component of success, which is why we have a goal of quadrupling the pace of our land conservation efforts. The Land Conservation Fellow will be part of our Land Conservation Team, based out of Mass Audubon Headquarters in Lincoln, MA. The Land Conservation Fellow is committed to protecting the nature of Massachusetts and desires to learn the mechanics of land conservation, specifically in regard to the acquisition, disposition and monitoring of legal interests in land. A well-suited candidate must be interested in learning about and participating in real estate transactions which are the basis for our work.

Responsibilities
The work carried out by this department is primarily focused on real estate transactions. Duties and responsibilities will be divided 70% between land protection, conservation restriction stewardship, and land information systems, with additional time allotted (30%) for professional development, mentoring, and professional projects or research.

Land Protection 

• Ensure the timely and accurate completion of tasks required to acquire and dispose of land or interests in land, including the preparation of administrative documents, and the oversight of due diligence (contracting for appraisals, surveys, title exams, etc.)
• Assist staff with strategy and implementation of outreach to landowners of parcels that are a priority for protection
• Assist staff with developing assisted projects to be funded using Mass Audubon’s Catalyst Fund

Conservation Restriction (CR) Stewardship

• Assist staff in the annual compliance monitoring of CRs held by Mass Audubon across the state
• Assist staff with outreach to CR landowners through the “Active Stewardship Program”

Land Information Systems 

• Assist with transitioning newly acquired fee properties and CRs into the MAS (Massachusetts Audubon Society) land layer and ensuring property data is communicated to field staff
• Assist with building the organization’s use of Landscape Software

General 

• Collaborating with other staff, evaluate land conservation proposals to ensure consistency with Mass Audubon policies and objectives
• Properly document projects for the permanent land files and provide project information to others as needed
• Create training material, write success stories for the website, prepare written reports, proposals and plans as required
• Attend internal department meetings and represent Mass Audubon in external settings as requested by the Manager
• Foster relationships with other departments in an effort to share and coordinate information to promote “One Mass Audubon”
• Special projects as assigned

Qualifications
At Mass Audubon, our highest priority is finding the best candidate for the job. Research has shown that people of color and women are less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t believe they meet every one of the qualifications described in a job description. We encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of our described qualifications or you have a less traditional background. We are looking for applicants with the following qualifications:

• Must have obtained a Bachelor’s degree by the start of the fellowship. Degrees or fields of study especially suitable for this work include: Environmental Studies and Sustainability, Natural Resource Management, Land Use Planning, Pre-Law, or related field  
• A commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice, especially as it pertains to land protection and the field of conservation 
• Interest in Real Estate 
• Valid driver’s license, and willingness to travel frequently and extensively throughout the state 
• Ability to traverse a variety of terrain (hilly, wooded, rocky, marshy) on foot 
• Ability to navigate independently in the field utilizing map, compass, and GPS units
• Interest in communicating land conservation work to various stakeholders (e.g. newsletters, letters to landowners, etc.)  
• Excellent writing and speaking skills 
• Strong project management skills 
• Solid skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook) and ArcGIS