Project Manager- Colorado and Southwest Land Protection

Project Manager
- Colorado and Southwest Land Protection

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: Trust for Public Land (TPL) seeks a conservation real estate / land protection Project Manager to further TPL’s Colorado & Southwest Program’s commitment to connecting everyone to the outdoors. The Project Manager will play a central role in advancing strategic land acquisitions — including urban, suburban and rural park and open space parcels and other catalytic conservation real estate opportunities that strengthen local economies, honor cultural heritage, and expand close‑to‑home access to the outdoors.

This position will work in close collaboration with Colorado & Southwest Program staff, including the Mountain West & Central U.S. Regional VP and Colorado & Southwest Director, the Colorado & Southwest Director of Land Protection, and public agencies, both federal, state, county and local, and private community partners and funders to deliver measurable high‑impact, priority land acquisition projects. This position will be based in TPL’s Denver, CO office with the potential for hybrid work across Colorado.

This position requires travel across the state, including work in the field and occasional evening and weekend work.

Essential Functions:

• Oversees all aspects of multiple concurrent real estate transactions including but not limited to acquisition and conveyance of property, including negotiating purchase agreements and contracts, reviewing appraisals and environmental assessments, assisting with legal document preparation, managing public review processes, organizing grassroots political support, completing internal approval documents/procedures, maps and photos; and related administrative tasks. (65%)
• Develops and advances a project pipeline that delivers TPL’s mission, across Colorado with possible work in the Southwest Region, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, through engagement with landowners, nonprofit organizations, Tribal Nations, and public agency officials.(20%)
• Coordinate with TPL philanthropy staff to support fundraising and reporting. (5%)
• Prepare and write grant applications, project budgets, and report deliverables. (5%)
• Serve as a regional liaison and project spokesperson as needed, helping to highlight how outdoor recreation and conservation investments improve health, equity, resilience, and local economies. (5%)
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Strong commitment to TPL’s shared values (Belonging, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Hope) to effectively work across the organization.
• Minimum of five years of land conservation real estate transaction experience required.
• Familiarity with the Colorado market, land transaction tools, and funding sources are a plus
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects from concept to completion, including budgets, contracts, vendor administration, and partner communications.
• Familiarity with public funding sources for conservation and recreation and experience managing grant‑funded projects.
• Comfortable building relationships with partners, government agency staff, elected officials and individual donors to support TPL’s work.
• Strong skills in building partnerships and engaging the community. Experience working across multiple juridictions and diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to travel across Colorado and, occasionally, neighboring states as assigned (up to 30%, including some evenings and weekends).
• Bachelor's degree desired but not required

Special Knowledge or

Skills:

• Excell…