Vice President of Conservation

WeConservePA; Pennsylvania; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible scheduling options

Comprehensive retirement package

Competitive health benefits

Generous Paid Time Off

Job summary

Heritage Conservancy, based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, seeks a dynamic leader to oversee its Conservation Programs, guiding land protection, easement stewardship, and related initiatives under the organization's Strategic Plan.

The role leads a team of acquisition specialists and land stewards, builds partnerships with municipalities and agencies, and ensures alignment with funding, policy, and board priorities to protect natural resources and public lands.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in related field a plus.
• 12+ years in conservation, land use, real estate, and/or fee title and conservation easement transactions.
• 8+ years of management experience.
• Familiarity with Pennsylvania local and county government a plus.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills; strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities and travel as needed.
• Some weekend and evening hours are required.

Responsibilities

• Lead Conservation Programs and set strategic direction.
• Oversee land protection priorities and easement stewardship.
• Build relationships with municipalities, counties, agencies, and partners.
• Provide executive oversight of land transactions.
• Ensure projects align with priorities, funding, and risk.
• Budget, track, and report expenditures with COO and Legal.
• Engage Board and committees; support fundraising proposals.
• Represent conservation policy with state and regional partners.
• Manage 10+ person Conservation department.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Communication

Relationship building

Time management

Problem solving

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree in related field

Job description

Heritage Conservancy seeks a dynamic and effective leader to lead and oversee the
Conservancy’s Conservation Programs.

Since its founding in 1958, Heritage Conservancy has worked with many partners to protect
from development 17,000 acres of open space, farmland, wildlife habitat, and important
watershed areas throughout Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and in the surrounding area. As key elements of the organization’s emerging Strategic Plan, the Conservancy will focus on both accelerating the pace and scale of its own land protection efforts and expanding its role in catalyzing and supporting others’ efforts. This position will be a key leader in both of these
initiatives, leading teams of acquisition specialists and land stewards to maximize our impact.

Responsibilities & Duties

The core responsibility of this position is to lead the Conservancy’s overall Conservation
function, establishing strategic direction, priorities, performance expectations, and
organizational alignment across land protection, easement stewardship, and fee-owned
property stewardship in service of the organization’s Strategic Plan, including:

• Update the Conservancy’s framework for identifying land protection priorities.
• Shift the Conservancy’s operational approach to land protection in a more strategic, targeted direction.
• Increase the volume of active projects in the Conservancy’s land protection portfolio and the rate of completing protection projects.
• Expand and deepen the Conservancy’s relationships with municipalities, counties, and
  state agencies, to keep land conservation at the forefront of public agendas and help
  catalyze new rounds of public funding for land protection.
• Ensure the alignment and effectiveness of the Conservancy’s conservation easement
  stewardship activities, including monitoring and legal defense of easements.
• Ensure the alignment and effectiveness of the Conservancy’s stewardship of its
  fee-owned properties, including a growing portfolio of habitat improvement projects and projects to encourage and facilitate public visitation.

Additional Duties

• Lead the organization’s identification of priorities for easement or fee acquisition.
• Lead senior level relationships with municipalities, counties, state and federal agencies,
  and other land protection and funding partners.
• Provide executive oversight of the Conservancy’s land protection portfolio, including
  major, complex, or strategically significant fee and conservation easement transactions.
• Ensure projects are aligned with organizational priorities, funding capacity, risk
  considerations, and Board policy.
• Ensure effective engagement of the Conservancy’s Board of Directors and its Property
  Committee with the Conservancy’s Conservation Programs.
• Develop and advance strategies to expand public and institutional funding available for
  conservation across the Conservancy’s service area.
• Provide executive oversight of the Conservancy’s conservation easement stewardship
  program, including risk management, policy, legal defense, and significant enforcement
  matters. Guide the team in planning and implementing remedial actions. With the Chief Operating Officer and Legal Counsel, ensure compliance with and effective use of the organization’s Terrafirma legal defense insurance.
• With Legal Counsel, identify and respond to threats to the Conservancy’s portfolio of
  protected lands posed by utility/transmission expansions, condemnation proceedings,
  road development, etc.
• Provide executive oversight of efforts to amend older easements to bring them up to
  modern standards and improve long-term conservation outcomes, including increases in protected acreage, strengthened protections on sensitive resources, and reductions in enforcement & administration liabilities.
• Ensure the Conservancy’s land protection and stewardship efforts comply with federal
  and state statutes, all internal guidelines and policies, and the standards of the Land
  Trust Accreditation Commission.
• Work with the Chief Operating Officer to budget, track, and report expenditures for all
  land conservation projects and programs.
• Assist the Development, Communications, and Grants Teams in crafting engaging
  communications and proposals for various audiences including individual & institutional donors as well as granting agencies to fund priority projects and initiatives.
• Serve as a principal organizational representative on conservation policy, regional
  partnerships, government relations, and sector-wide initiatives, particularly with key
  state-wide partners such as WeConservePA as well as regional partners such as
  Schuylkill Highlands, Delaware Greenway, and other conservation organizations.
• Lead the Conservation department staff (10+) and supervise senior program leaders,
  establishing priorities, performance expectations, resource allocation, and cross-team
  coordination.

Qualifications & Essential Skills

• Bachelor’s degree required – advanced degree in related field a plus.
• 12+ years of experience in conservation, land use planning, real estate, and/or fee title
  and conservation easement transactions.
• 8+ years of management experience.
• Experience with and management of various types of easements including, but not
  limited to, conservation and agricultural preservation easements a plus.
• Familiarity with Pennsylvania local and county government a plus.
• Ability to handle, independently and simultaneously, multiple and diverse responsibilities.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills; strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to identify and articulate the “big picture” while also attending to detail.
• Strong problem solving, time management, and organizational skills.
• Ability to cultivate and manage constructive relationships with landowners, project and
  funding partners, public officials, Board members, staff, and others.
• Commitment to Heritage Conservancy’s mission and high standards of conduct.
• Some weekend and evening hours are required.
• Access to an insured vehicle and ability to travel for work in the surrounding area.
• Successful candidate will be required to pass Pennsylvania child abuse clearances.

Culture and Benefits

Heritage Conservancy is committed to the overall well-being of its employees and offers a
variety of benefits including:

• Flexible scheduling options in accordance with job requirements.
• Comprehensive retirement package including company match.
• Competitive health benefits including medical, dental, and vision.
• Generous Paid Time Off including vacation, paid holidays, and personal time.
• A fun and collaborative work environment and so much more!