Land Protection Specialist

Ducks Unlimited, Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

Paid time off

401(k) plan

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Ducks Unlimited, Inc. in Florida is seeking a Land Protection Specialist to join a growing team. You will manage conservation easements, fee acquisitions, and related transactions, collaborating with landowners, agencies, and regional staff across the state.

The role requires experience in land protection, strong communication, and willingness to travel throughout Florida to support project closings and portfolio stewardship.

Qualifications

• Proven written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organization and attention to detail.
• Able to work independently and in a team.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and travel as needed.

Responsibilities

• Advance land protection via easements, fee acquisitions, and other strategies.
• Identify opportunities supporting Florida conservation priorities.
• Manage transactional components: purchase deeds, options, and closing docs.
• Coordinate due diligence: title, surveys, environmental docs, appraisals.
• Track schedules, budgets, and grant requirements for closings.
• Support project selection aligned with DU and WAT priorities.
• Assist with stewardship and portfolio monitoring.

Skills

Written communication

Oral communication

Organization

Detail orientation

Teamwork

Travel availability

Driver's license

Education

Bachelor’s degree in applicable field

Job description

Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (DU), the world’s leading waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization, and its supporting organization, Wetlands America Trust, Inc. (WAT), one of the nation’s largest accredited land trusts, is seeking qualified candidates for a Land Protection Specialist to join a dynamic team of professionals located in Florida. DU is an accredited land trust with a portfolio of more than 600 conservation easements conserving over 492,000 acres and a revolving fee title portfolio.

The successful candidate will join DU’s talented and growing land protection team and will have the opportunity to participate in conservation efforts across the state. The position will report to the Manager of Conservation Programs - Florida and work closely with Regional Lands Program staff to facilitate fee title and conservation easement transactions and to steward DU/ WAT’s conservation easement portfolio. As a remote employee, you may be required to come in at any time, with reasonable notice, into a DU office (or other designated location) for meetings and other business needs.

Responsibilities include:

• Advance DU’s land protection program in Florida by working with landowners, partners, agency representatives, and regional staff on conservation easement acquisitions, donated conservation easements, fee title acquisitions and dispositions, and other land protection strategies.
• Identify and deliver land protection opportunities to support DU’s Landscape Conservation Priorities in Florida.
• Manage transactional components of land protection projects, including drafting and reviewing purchase agreements, option agreements, deeds of conservation easement, closing documents, and other real estate instruments.
• Coordinate due diligence activities such as title and survey review, environmental documentation, baseline information, appraisals, legal review, and funding documentation to support successful project closings.
• Track project schedules, budgets, grant requirements, and transaction milestones, and coordinate with internal staff and external parties to ensure timely completion of land protection projects.
• Support evaluation, prioritization, and selection of land protection projects in coordination with regional and national land protection staff, ensuring alignment with DU’s strategic conservation and geographic priorities.
• Collaborate on the development of conservation plans, project pipelines, and program improvements, including updates to templates, internal processes, and operational practices that strengthen land protection delivery.
• Assist with stewardship of DU/WAT’s conservation easement portfolio, including landowner communications, record organization, compliance support, and coordination of annual monitoring requirements.
• Support grant research, grant writing, and reporting for land protection projects.
• Ensure land protection activities comply with applicable federal and state laws, internal policies and procedures, funding requirements, and Land Trust Alliance accreditation standards.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience with land conservation real estate transactions, including conservation easements, fee acquisitions, and other protection strategies.
• Familiarity with local, state, and federal land protection programs and applicable policies and laws is highly desirable.
• Bachelor’s degree in applicable field with 5-7+ years of experience in land use planning, conservation, real estate, and/or fee title and conservation easement transactions.
• Successful candidate will have strong written and oral communication skills, work effectively within teams, and be highly organized and detail oriented.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in field and office settings.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license.
• Candidate must be able and willing to travel throughout Florida, including overnight, and occasional out-of-state travel.

Benefits/Pay:Salary will be based on experience and education. DU offers an exceptional benefit package, including comprehensive group medical, prescription, dental and vision insurance, including spouse and dependent coverage; three weeks paid vacation, paid sick leave, and ten paid holidays; 401(k) plan (including partial employer match); and tuition reimbursement.

DUCKS UNLIMITED, INC. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERIt is the policy of Ducks Unlimited, Inc. to afford equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, military status, disability, age, or genetic information, except where age or gender is a bona fide occupational qualification as allowed by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is the policy of Ducks Unlimited, Inc. to afford equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 or over), disability (physical, mental or visual), genetic information, marital status (including registered domestic partnership status), military and veteran status, immigration status, or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.