Private Land Partnership Program Manager
Job Title: Private Land Partnership Program Manager
Term: Full-time, 3-year contract
Salary: $64,135 – $80,145
Location: Northumberland County, Peterborough Area
Taking care of our environment has never been more important than it is today. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is looking for a motivated Private Land Partnership Program Manager to join a team committed to protecting and restoring our most important natural areas and the plants and animals they sustain and to engaging with local communities to help get this important work done.
NCC is the nation’s leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962 NCC and its supporters have protected 14 million hectares (more than 35 million acres) of ecologically significant land across Canada. NCC takes a collaborative, science-based approach to achieve conservation success for the sake of nature and Canadians. With a national office in Toronto and seven regional offices across the country, NCC delivers results you can walk on. NCC has endorsed the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration and restoring degraded habitats to healthy ecosystems will directly contribute to the recovery of biodiversity at a time when it’s never been more urgent.
Position Summary
This position will be responsible for program management to engage private landowners and conservation partners in habitat assessment and restoration, with the goal of enhancing community and species targets in NCC Ontario Region’s priority Natural Areas (NAs). As a primary function, this role will be responsible for managing a landscape-scale private land outreach, engagement and stewardship program in the Rice Lake Plains-Lake Iroquois Plain and Eastern Lake Ontario Coast NAs, a collaborative effort that involves working closely with many external partners. The role will strategically and actively engage landowners in priority landscapes to generate property-specific stewardship reports and restoration recommendations and facilitate landowners in implementing such work.
The role will coordinate NGOs, government agencies, Conservation Authorities, landowners and landowner groups, and other interest groups to provide support for private landowners. Efforts will target protection and restoration of tallgrass ecosystems, including control and management Scots pine and other invasive species through planning, removal, monitoring and maintenance, and restoring tallgrass sites that can provide seed sources for ongoing habitat restoration. The position will oversee and coordinate a team of staff in the development of communications plans, planning, scheduling and tracking property visits, development of property plans and stewardship recommendations, and will also work with staff to create and generate metrics to monitor project progress and success. It will also work with local land trusts to provide tools for their direct involvement in the private land outreach efforts. The Program Manager will also oversee the establishment of seed production sites, designed to provide local seed in support of the expanded and expanding restoration efforts being motivated by the Private Land Partnership Program.
Habitat loss and invasive species are the greatest threats to native biodiversity in NCC’s Natural Areas in Southern Ontario. Strategic private landowner engagement is a critical tool and strategy to protect, maintain and restore NA conservation targets in this landscape.
Key Responsibilities/Result Areas
• provide leadership in planning and implementing a strategic landowner contact program to implement Natural Area Conservation Program (NACP) habitat protection and restoration priorities in the Rice Lake Plains-Lake Iroquois Plain NACP
• manage the development and implementation of private landowner outreach, engagement and implementation, including targeted communications, hosting community gatherings (virtually and in person where appropriate), development of strategic partnerships and refining land management/GIS technology
• oversee and coordinate with other NCC staff efficient communications with landowners and organizations, to provide expertise and support towards landowner engagement in restoration activities, including technology (including GIS), communications and site visit data
• coordinate development of collaborating landowners who wish to provide tallgrass seed for ongoing restoration efforts
• deliver on NACP priorities for landscape-scale management of invasive species, including a landscape scale plan for Scots pine eradication
• undertake communication and outreach efforts and support adaptive management through networks of stakeholders and landowners
• navigate and interpret government policy, programs and associated supports for landowners to achieve tangible restoration results on the ground
• supervise program staff such as a shared Assistant Conservation Biologist
• help manage finances and reporting for funding agreements and service contracts for a budget of at least $300,000-$400,000 annually
• maintain NCC’s capacity to support landscape-scale restoration over time through fundraising, networking, monitoring and reporting on achievements, adaptive learning and success, communications, development, and marketing support, as well as the development of local seed sources to support ongoing restoration
Position Requirements
• Minimum college diploma or university degree in biology, ecology, resource management – at least 5 years’ experience working in conservation-related field and with a wide variety of stakeholders and interest groups, including rural landowners
• Direct experience in habitat restoration and managing invasive species
• Demonstrated leadership skills coordinating complex projects with multiple interests and achieving results
• Experience working with rural communities and agricultural groups to identify and achieve common conservation goals
• Creative analytical skills and the ability to adapt and problem solve to achieve success under challenging and diverse rules and processes
• Strong project management experience including grant writing and reporting skills, financial budgeting, tracking and reporting, and the ability to manage numerous agreements and deliverables simultaneously
• Supervisory and team building skills that support and accommodate diverse values and capacities
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) of programs a must. Experience with the ArcGIS suite of programs including ArcMap and ArcGIS Collector an asset
• Direct experience with habitat restoration activities in this or similar landscapes, including tallgrass ecosystem restoration projects, are assets
• Demonstrated interpersonal and communications skills and the ability to create positive and productive working relationships with diverse internal and external groups and stakeholders with varying perspectives
• Must be prepared to travel and work flexible hours at times, including remote conditions, weekends and longer stays away from home
• Successful candidate must hold a valid Ontario driver’s licence to travel to work sites from time to time
How to Apply
NCC is an equal opportunity employer. If you are interested in joining our team, please submit your cover letter, resume and salary expectations through our Career Centre by 11:59 p.m. EST, January 23, 2022.
NCC welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.
We value and incorporate diverse traditions, heritage, knowledge and experiences in our mission and in our workplaces. We celebrate the full participation of people from all walks of life as we work towards common goals. We strive for a conservation movement in which equity, diversity and inclusion are the norm. This is our continuous commitment: to promote healthy people, healthy communities and a healthy planet for everyone.
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