Conservation Director

Nevada Land Trust (NLT) is seeking an experienced and mission-driven Conservation Director to join its team!

Nevada Land Trust works to protect the special places and open spaces of Nevada for future generations.

We care deeply about Nevada's lands, waters, wildlife, working landscapes, communities, and special places. That commitment brings energy and purpose to the work.

Conservation is long-term work. We stay engaged through complexity, changing conditions, and the time it can take to achieve and sustain meaningful conservation outcomes.

Conservation happens through relationships. We work collaboratively with landowners, communities, agencies, tribes, funders, conservation organizations, and others, building trust through listening, transparency, and sustained relationships.

We protect important lands and open spaces across Nevada, using conservation tools to safeguard places with ecological, scenic, cultural, recreational, and community significance.

We work to protect water resources and strengthen watershed resilience, connecting land conservation with groundwater protection, healthy watersheds, and the long-term health of Nevada's natural systems.

We steward conserved lands and conservation interests over time, working to sustain and restore healthy, resilient landscapes and ensure that the purposes for which lands were protected endure.

We work with landowners and partners to keep working lands working, sustain Nevada's agricultural traditions, and protect the ecological, cultural, and community benefits these landscapes provide.

We recognize that lasting conservation depends on strong connections between people and place.

The Conservation Director plays a critical role in shaping Nevada Land Trust's conservation program. The Director leads a talented team and oversees land acquisitions, conservation easements, and large-scale collaborative projects from initial engagement through stewardship in perpetuity. Working closely with the Executive Director, the Director strengthens the conservation program, develops staff, and brings people and resources together to expand the impact of Nevada Land Trust's work.

• Contribute to the strategic vision of NLT, working closely with the Executive Director, Board of Trustees, and key stakeholders to align conservation efforts with long-term organizational goals.
• Provide leadership and guidance in developing and executing NLT's Strategic Conservation Plan.
• Supervise, mentor, and train conservation staff, fostering a collaborative work environment.

• Lead and manage land protection programs, ensuring alignment with organizational policies and strategic goals.
• Oversee and implement land acquisitions, conservation easements, and large-scale collaborative projects.
• Navigate the complexities of conservation transactions, including negotiations with private landowners, public agencies, and conservation partners.
• Assist in managing the legal, contractual, and other processes of carrying projects to completion from initial contract through negotiations to closing.
• Provide technical expertise on conservation methods, emphasizing innovative solutions for land protection.

• Identify and cultivate conservation partners and funding opportunities, write grant proposals, secure commitments, and fulfil funding requirements.
• Prepare and implement budgets for monitoring and land protection programs.

• Develop and maintain management plans for each property, including evaluation of strategies, tactics, and projects related to conservation, restoration, recreation, and education needs.
• Supervise monitoring programs covering portfolios of conservation easement and fee-owned properties.
• Manage and coordinate conservation easement notices, amendments, requests for approval, violations, and fee-owned property requests and encroachments.

• Serve as liaison to the Lands Committee.
• Act as a spokesperson for NLT, engaging landowners, community groups, and conservation partners to promote land protection efforts.