Stewardship Coordinator

• Reports To: Stewardship Director
• Status: Full-time exempt
• Starting Salary: $50,000-$62,000, with generous benefits package
• Closing Date: Review of applications will begin on February 24, 2025
• Projected Start Date: April 14, 2025

Summary of Position:

The Stewardship Program of the Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) maintains trusting and professional relationships with conservation easement landowners throughout our region. The primary responsibility of the Stewardship Coordinator is to assist with the annual monitoring of the organization’s growing portfolio of 133-plus conservation easement properties to ensure compliance with easement terms. This includes visiting properties, interviewing landowners, writing detailed monitoring reports, and maintaining diligent stewardship records. The Stewardship Coordinator will also support the review of easement documents to help landowners address questions or concerns about their easement. The Stewardship Coordinator will assist with the creation of baseline documentation reports for new conservation projects and may be asked to support special projects with GIS mapping tasks and/or value-added stewardship activities as needed. The Stewardship Coordinator works closely with the Stewardship Director and Senior Land Steward as well as a larger 8-person Land Conservation team. The Stewardship Coordinator will have the opportunity to learn and grow into a conservation professional while on the GVLT team.

About the Gallatin Valley Land Trust:

The Gallatin Valley Land Trust connects people, communities, and open lands through the conservation of working farms and ranches, healthy rivers, and wildlife habitat, and the creation of trails, in the Montana headwaters of the Missouri and Upper Yellowstone Rivers. Since our founding in 1990, Gallatin Valley Land Trust has protected 133 properties totaling over 70,000 acres and has helped create over 100 miles of trails in the Main Street to the Mountains trail system.

Job Duties:

Monitor conservation easement properties (60%):

• Visit and monitor a diverse portfolio of 50-plus conservation easement properties in compliance with Land Trust Alliance (LTA) Standards and Practices. This number should be expected to grow, as new easements are being regularly added to GVLT’s portfolio.
• Prepare for site visits, including landowner outreach/visit scheduling and the review of previous monitoring reports, associated maps, conservation easement deeds, and baseline documentation reports.
• Conduct site visits and document current conditions and improvements as well as any compliance issues, easement violations, disturbances, and/or natural resource concerns. Or alternatively, utilize remote monitoring methods, such as satellite imagery or aerial overflight, as assigned.
• Conduct follow-up communications with landowners for clarification of any questions/concerns.
• Prepare written monitoring report of site visit and property assessment utilizing Landscape mobile/desktop application, as well as physical and digital filing of final reports, maps, and photos.
• Ensure timely, accurate reporting of any observed compliance issues, violations, and/or resource management concerns to Stewardship Director.

Landowner Services (15%):

• For assigned portfolio of easements, provide excellent customer service to landowners and a reliable point of contact for general inquiries or requests for exercise of reserved rights.
• Support the Stewardship Director’s easement interpretation and response with associated research as delegated.
• Support landowners with their land management questions, challenges, and needs by sharing resources and connecting them with resource management professionals.

Baseline Documentation (20%):

• Support the Stewardship Team with the development of baseline documentation reports for new conservation easements through property-related online research, field data/photo collection, natural resource and human improvements inventory, technical writing, and GIS mapping.

Additional Duties (5%):

• Participate in bi-weekly staff meetings, periodic organizational trainings, weekly Lands Team meetings, and Stewardship Team meetings.
• Participate in bi-monthly BAG (Belonging at GVLT) staff lunches for discussion on topics related to inclusivity.
• As interested, attend bi-monthly Board of Directors meetings and monthly NextGen Advisory Board meetings.
• Attend and represent GVLT at annual fundraising and outreach events.
• For learning and professional development, attend meetings of local watershed groups, conservation partners, natural resource management professionals, etc.

Preferred Competencies-Skills:

• Executer - Organizes, tracks, and manages individual workflow in coordination with stewardship and lands team priorities; clearly articulates plans to others; develops systems to prioritize tasks; executes according to set timelines.
• Supporter - Provides accurate and timely technical, organizational, and project support to help team manage and tackle challenges as they arise.
• Relationship Builder - Develops a sense of rapport and trust with GVLT staff, board, landowners, and conservation partners with a variety of backgrounds and personalities.
• Respectful, careful listener. Confident and direct communicator.

Preferred Competencies-Knowledge:

• Familiarity with open lands, natural resources, water, and wildlife in the Gallatin Valley and Greater Yellowstone area.
• Best practices for working with landowners and understanding landowner viewpoints and perspectives.
• Confident and safe navigation of rural environments and rugged terrain with maps and GPS.
• Science-based approach to observation and documentation. Familiarity with standard field sampling techniques including vegetation identification/characterization, photographic documentation, and GPS data collection.
• Technical and scientific writing.
• Proficiency with databases, data entry, or data management using MS Excel, Access, Salesforce CRM, or similar software.
• Basic functional understanding of agricultural practices at various scales.
• Basic familiarity with or academic/volunteer experience with conservation easements and land trusts.
• Educational or applied background in agriculture, natural resources management, botany, biology, range science, wildlife, or other related field.
• Proficiency with basic map creation using ArcGIS Pro.
• Working Conditions:
• Work from GVLT office in Bozeman. Significant field work (75%) in spring, summer, and fall. Work is mostly office-based in the winter.
• Frequent day travel throughout Gallatin and Park Counties during monitoring season in GVLT-provided vehicle. Employee must possess a valid driver’s license.
• Must be able to walk semi-rugged terrain for up to 2 miles while visiting conservation properties.
• May need to navigate on foot and/or operate 4-wheel drive vehicles, ATVs, or UTVs in remote terrain.
• May have the opportunity for overnight travel twice a year for professional development.

Values Alignment:

GVLT team members are expected to align with and support our values.

Generous benefits package includes:

• 2 weeks paid vacation increased to 3 weeks at one year of employment. Employees gradually increase to 5 weeks of paid vacation after 5 years of employment.
• 10 days of paid personal leave, 10 paid holidays, and 2 unplanned outdoor days.
• Eligible for a 2-month paid sabbatical after 5 years.
• 100% coverage for employee’s health, vision, and dental insurance premiums and 50% coverage for dependents. Monthly health savings account contributions.
• 100% coverage of Long-Term Disability Insurance, Basic Term Life, and AD&D insurance.
• Matching retirement contributions up to 3%.
• 2-months paid family leave at two years of employment, prorated prior.
• Flexible schedule and strong work-life balance culture.
• Investment in professional development.

Commitment to Equity:

This is a full-time, salaried position and GVLT is proud to offer competitive salaries and benefits and a flexible, mission-driven professional environment. Recruiting and retaining a talented team is critical to our mission and one of the ways we do that is to use transparent, equitable systems for hiring and compensation decisions. The salary for this role is $50,000-$62,000. Based on our assessment of competencies during the hiring process, new hires will be offered a commensurate salary within the range. To ensure that starting compensation decisions are equitable and transparent, GVLT does not negotiate starting salaries.