Senior Manager

Trust for Public Land; Wenatchee (WA); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Competitive benefits package

Annual conference and staff retreat

Job summary

Trust for Public Land seeks a Senior Project Manager focused on land conservation in Washington State. Based in Wenatchee, you will oversee complex conservation transactions, coordinate with federal, state, and tribal partners, and drive easement and acquisition efforts aligned with TPL’s mission.

The role requires strong communication, project management, and budgeting skills, with travel to multiple sites and collaboration across departments to advance conservation goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent work experience.
• 3–5 years conservation real estate experience preferred.
• Ability to work independently and effectively in a team environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness to travel regionally and occasionally nationwide.

Responsibilities

• Identify and pursue conservation easements and land acquisitions for public agencies, tribes, land trusts, or permanent stewards.
• Manage a portfolio of conservation transactions from vetting to closing with coordination with legal and finance teams.
• Develop relationships with local, state, federal agencies, tribes and NGOs to support projects.
• Negotiate agreements with landowners, contractors, agencies, and partners with legal/finance support.
• Oversee due diligence, funding opportunities, appraisals, environmental assessments, and internal approvals.
• Support grant proposals and regional conservation planning efforts.
• Collaborate with Northwest philanthropy and staff on fundraising and strategic planning.

Skills

Communication skills

Independent work

Team collaboration

GIS tools

Public lands/conservation knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

GIS software

Job description

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 person in this position will deliver TPL’s mission of conserving land for people by utilizing nonprofit land acquisition techniques and sound business practices.

The ability to work independently with a high level of organization and initiative is essential. Based out of the Wenatchee office, the Senior Project Manager will join the Washington Conservation Director and Washington State land conservation team on complex projects and own/manage a portfolio of land acquisition and conservation easement projects. This role requires an ability to develop relationships with internal stakeholders and key external stakeholders including local, state and federal agencies, tribes, community groups, and private landowners. Priorities for this position include working with the Washington Conservation Director to identify and advance land acquisitions and conservation easements that support TPL’s mission and program goals. The person in this role will also assist with regional conservation planning, collaborate with TPL’s government affairs, finance, legal, marketing, communications, and philanthropy teams, and engage the public in this work.

Essential Functions

• Works with the Washington Conservation Director to identify and pursue conservation easements and the acquisition of lands of critical local, regional, or national importance, and their conveyance to public agencies, tribal partners, land trusts, or other permanent stewards.
• Independently manages and successfully advances a portfolio of conservation transactions. This includes project vetting, communicating with landowners and public partners, managing the budget, conducting all due diligence, and working closely with TPL’s legal team on closing.
• Develops and maintains strong relationships with key local, state, and federal agencies, tribes, and non-governmental organizations, and supports TPL’s external affairs and public relations efforts.
• Negotiates agreements with landowners, contractors, agencies, and community partners with assistance of TPL legal and finance staff.
• Manages all phases of the conservation real estate due diligence (title research and review, identification of funding opportunities, management of appraisal and environmental assessment contracts, and preparation of documents for internal approvals).
• Understands and supports WA Conservation team pursuing public funding through local, state and federal grant programs, including grant proposal preparation or support and submission.
• Supports WA Conservation Director with current projects.
• Explores potential future projects by using GIS tools, developing positive relationships with a diversity of community members, and conducting outreach to landowners, nonprofit organizations, public agency officials, and other partners.
• Works closely with the Northwest philanthropy team to meet with donors and support fundraising efforts and collaborates with the entire Northwest staff on strategic planning sessions, budget preparation, and other team efforts.

Qualifications

• Strong commitment to TPL’s shared values (Belonging, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Hope) to effectively work across the organization.
• Bachelor's degree preferred, or equivalent work experience.
• 3-5 years of conservation real estate experience preferred. Familiarity with the Washington market, land transaction tools, and funding sources are a plus.
• Consistent high level of performance and creativity.
• Ability to work independently and effectively in a team environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to thrive as a team player, adaptable and flexible.
• This position requires moderate to frequent travel, including to the Seattle office to collaborate with the Northwest team, across Central and Eastern Washington, and occasionally nationwide to the all-staff retreat and/or national conferences. Evening and weekend work on occasions.

Compensation

Trust for Public Land is a hybrid work environment, and this role will ideally be located near a 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 $95,000-$105,000.

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.