Project Associate - Colorado and Southwest Land Protection

The Trust for Public Land; Santa Fe (NM); Hybrid; USD 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Comprehensive benefits

403(b) retirement plan with company 7%

Job summary

The Trust for Public Land in Santa Fe, NM, seeks a Project Associate to support the Colorado and Southwest land protection program. You will assist with land acquisition, conservation projects, and community outreach to expand access to parks and public lands across the region.

This full-time role requires travel across New Mexico, potential hybrid work, and collaboration with local governments, agencies, non-profits, and community groups.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience preferred; related coursework in real estate, environmental studies, public policy, or community engagement is a plus.
• Strong written and oral communications skills.
• Excellent organizational skills with ability to manage complex projects.
• Proficient with computers, graphics and spreadsheets; GIS and mapping experience a plus.

Responsibilities

• Assist land protection staff in all phases of land acquisition and conservation projects and programmatic initiatives, including project research, landowner outreach, collaboration with local governments, agencies, non-profit partners, and community groups, and coordination of real estate due diligence and closing tasks.
• Support legal staff on land protection projects including tracking critical project dates, due diligence review, and preparation for real estate closings.
• Assist philanthropy staff on fundraising and help research and prepare public and private grant requests and applications.
• Prepare graphic and written materials for presentations and other land protection project-related needs.
• Outreach - attend community meetings, build relationships with partners, garner support for projects as needed.
• Complete various administrative tasks, including invoice submission and grant reporting.
• Other duties as necessary.

Skills

Written communication

Oral communication

Organizational skills

GIS

Mapping

Legal descriptions

Computers

Spreadsheets

Teamwork

Initiative

Creativity

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

GIS

Job description

Project Associate - Colorado and Southwest Land Protection

• Santa Fe, United States

Who We Are:

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is the leader of a movement to connect everyone in America to the outdoors. A national nonprofit, TPL partners with communities to create high-quality parks and protect public lands - especially in communities that need them most to improve public health, create social cohesion, strengthen historic and cultural connection to place, and increase climate resilience. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, generated over $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.

Position Summary:

The Project Associate will work in support of the Colorado and Southwest land protection program to acquire and conserve priority lands. Through this work s/he/they will expand and enhance access to the region’s network of public lands; ensure local residents have close-to-home parks, trails, and open space; and help communities fulfill their visions for their surrounding landscapes.

This position will be based in TPL’s Santa Fe, NM office with the potential for hybrid work across New Mexico. This position requires travel across the state, including work in the field and occasional evening and weekend work.

Essential Functions:

• Assist land protection staff in all phases of land acquisition and conservation projects and programmatic initiatives, including project research; landowner outreach; collaboration with local governments, agencies, non-profit partners, and community groups; and coordination of real estate due diligence and closing tasks. (55%)
• Support legal staff on land protection projects including tracking critical project dates, due diligence review, and preparation for real estate closings. (5%)
• Assist philanthropy staff on fundraising and help research and prepare public and private grant requests and applications. (15%)
• Prepare graphic and written materials for presentations and other land protection project-related needs. (5%)
• Outreach - attend community meetings, build relationships with partners, garner support for projects as needed. (10%)
• Complete various administrative tasks, including invoice submission and grant reporting. (10%)
• Other duties as necessary.

Qualifications:

• Strong commitment to TPL's shared values (Belonging, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Hope) to effectively work across the organization.
• Passion for the mission of Trust for Public Land.
• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience preferred; Course work or experience related to real estate, environmental studies, community engagement, public policy, or related area is a plus.
• Strong written and oral communications skills.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to take on complex projects.
• Proficient with computers, graphics and spreadsheets. Experience with GIS, mapping and legal descriptions a plus.
• Ability to work under pressure, juggle multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently or as a team member as appropriate.
• Ability to take initiative, make suggestions, be curious and creative and solve problems.
• Desire to attain the knowledge, skills and experience to build a career in land and water conservation.
• Excellent people skills, ease with many types of personalities.

Compensation:

Trust for Public Land is a hybrid work environment, and this role will ideally be located near our Santa Fe, New Mexico Trust for Public Land office. As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for the Trust for Public Land's comprehensive benefits program which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, vacation and sick pay plus holidays, a year end office closure, and a 403(b)-retirement plan, currently with up to a 7% company match. We offer competitive salaries commensurate with experience; the anticipated hiring range for this position is $58,000-65,000 annually.

Trust for Public Land's active goal is to be an inclusive and equitable place to work and build community. As the organization actively works to eliminate racial and other disparities it welcomes candidates with diverse backgrounds and/or multicultural skillsets. We are open to the possibility that a great candidate for this job may not precisely meet all the above criteria; if you believe you are the right person for this job and can persuasively make that case, we encourage you to apply.