Department: Western
Reports to: Northwest Conservation Manager
Location: Portland, Oregon Metropolitan Area
Application deadline: May 25, 2015

Overview

The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation organization whose mission is to save the places people love by strengthening land conservation throughout America. As the national leader of America’s land trusts, the Land Trust Alliance (the Alliance) works to dramatically increase the pace and improve the quality of private land conservation in America.  Founded in 1982, the Alliance has mobilized the energy of more than a thousand land trusts and has created an unprecedented grassroots movement, one that has successfully saved more than 47 million acres of land and has the potential to save millions more.

The Alliance works with Congress to pass tax incentives and funding that help landowners to choose conservation over development.  The Alliance serves as a university for land conservation that trains the people who do the work to conserve cherished farms, forests, parks and trails.  It strengthens community-based land trusts by providing workshops, online learning, research, standards, and accreditation services.  The Alliance’s conservation defense program helps land trusts ensure that conserved land stays protected forever.  The Alliance works with the media to promote land conservation and engage more Americans in saving our most treasured places.

With the involvement of land trusts throughout the country, the Alliance developed the Land Trust Standards and Practices that set forth the ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust.  The Alliance develops and delivers services to land trusts to help them become strong institutions capable of permanently protecting their conservation lands in accordance with the Land Trust Standards and Practices.  The Land Trust Accreditation Program, created by the Alliance, is a voluntary program that recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust, and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent.

The Alliance is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has field program offices in the Southeast, Midwest, Northeast, and Western regions.  The Land Trust Alliance Western Program consists of four full -time regional staff supporting approximately 280 Alliance land trust members in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Alaska and Hawaii.

Summary of Position

The Western Program Assistant provides an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and energetic person with a passion for conservation to provide administrative and program assistance to help ensure the delivery of quality programs for the Western Program of the Alliance, with substantial support for the Oregon Advancing Conservation Excellence grant program and other western grant programs.  The Western Program Assistant position is a full-time (37.5 hours/week), permanent position.  The Western Program Assistant is managed by the Northwest Conservation Manager, with overall supervision by the Western Director.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Grant Management and Support (50%)

• Process all land trust grant applications when received, including entering information into the Land Trust Alliance grant management database, reviewing applications for completeness, following up with land trusts if items are missing, and putting all applications into a format for evaluation.
• Process grant awards and track all aspects of payments and grant reports.
• Manage administrative aspects of the Oregon Advancing Conservation Excellence grant program, including check requests, grant applications and agreements, reporting, and the committees and staff that support and manage the program.
• Provide training and technical support to grant applicants for the Alliance grant management software, as well as direction to ensure accuracy of applications and reports.

General Administrative Tasks (50%)

• Create and maintain standardized electronic and paper files for western land trust members.
• Organize and maintain electronic information for the Western Program, including the Alliance relationship management database.
• Organize and track contracts for the Western Program, including grant agreements, check requests and deliverables.
• Manage outreach for the Western Program, including regular updates in Land Trust Alliance national and regional outlets and the regional e-newsletter. Collaborate with western staff to grow the presence of the program.
• Work with Western Program staff to track program budget.
• Support western grant reports to funders.
• Coordinate special trainings and educational opportunities, including the western Ask an Expert series.
• Coordinate mailings to western members.
• Arrange meeting and travel logistics, as requested.
• Assist with research projects
• Provide general support to Alliance members in the West.
• Attend and assist with Rally – the national land conservation conference put on by the Alliance in a different part of the country each year. Other sporadic travel may be required.

Qualifications

• At least two years of professional experience, with clearly demonstrated experience and skills related to the performance of the job responsibilities. Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Computer proficiency (familiarity with Microsoft Office, including Excel spreadsheets, and database programs required).
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong customer service skills.
• Ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively without daily supervision.
• Flexibility, creativity, and sense of humor.
• Ability to function as supporting member of energetic and fast-moving team.
• Knowledge of land conservation and/or land trusts preferable.
• Understanding of the Alliance and its programs.

Compensation

Competitive salary and benefits provided.

Contact

Send resume, cover letter and three references via email to hr@lta.org.   If email is not an option, applications will be accepted by mail to Human Resources Manager, Land Trust Alliance, 1660 L Street, NW, Ste 1100, Washington, DC 20036.

The Land Trust Alliance’s mission is to save the places people love by strengthening land conservation across America.  The Land Trust Alliance is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or marital status.