Senior Land Acquisition Specialist, Marin Agricultural Land Trust
THE OPPORTUNITY The Senior Land Acquisition Specialist will be part of a dynamic team working to permanently protect Marin’s agricultural land for agricultural use in ways that benefit healthy communities, clean water and air, diverse habitats, sustainable and regenerative agriculture, and climate resiliency. THE ORGANIZATION Marin Agricultural Land Trust welcomes people of all backgrounds, identities, and beliefs to join us in achieving our mission to permanently protect Marin’s agricultural land for agricultural use. MALT is committed to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace in which everyone is welcomed, valued, and supported. We are a team that works together to achieve our goals. We recognize that diverse teams make the strongest teams and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply. THE POSITION The Senior Land Acquisition Specialist acts as a project manager leading a team of professional, technical, and administrative staff to work on complex land conservation projects. This position identifies, develops, and implements new land protection strategies and tools. Specific duties include negotiating land acquisition and disposition terms, drafting conservation easement language to protect identified conservation values, commissioning and overseeing the preparation and approval of independent appraisals and other technical reports, and presenting reports to boards and committees in public meetings.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE Has a passion for conserving natural and agricultural land for the benefit of future generations Experience working with public agencies and non-profit organizations in land conservation and/or real property acquisition, land use planning, and natural resource conservation Comprehension of current and developing policy issues affecting land conservation and use, habitat protection, water quality and quantity, sustainable and regenerative agricultural and forest land management, and climate change Experience in GIS, GPS, and related software and hardware to collect data, perform analyses, and prepare maps and reports Familiarity with real estate transactions including appraisals, title work, due diligence, escrow, and closing.
QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor’s degree preferred or any combination of education and work experience in real estate, environmental studies or a related field Eight to ten years’ experience with non-profit fund accounting and financial management Projection management and implementation Experience with grant funding programs and/or contract management
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES Comprehension of principles and practices of land conservation, natural resource management, land use, real estate and title, site and environmental planning Organize and negotiate complex acquisition and disposition projects Comprehension of public and private land acquisition funding sources and grant proposals Interpret and explain a wide variety of laws, ordinances, codes, rules, and regulations relating to land use issues Read and interpret maps and legal property descriptions Proven ability to present to organizational leadership, boards, board committees and citizen's groups Proficient with standard office software programs Manage, train and evaluate staff Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing Demonstrated ability to handle multiple simultaneous responsibilities Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relations inside and outside of MALT Commit to regenerative, inclusive, local agriculture that provides local food, protects natural resources, sequesters carbon and affords dignified livelihoods to community members while addressing pressing problems of climate change, agricultural sustainability, and food security Demonstrate sensitivity to, and respect for, diversity, equity and inclusion