Trust for Public Land (TPL) creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 3.7 million acres, connected 9.3 million people to the outdoors, created or transformed more than 5,100 parks, playgrounds, and gardens, and developed more than 2,000 miles of trails across the United States. TPL has also helped states and local communities generate over $84 billion in new public funds for parks and open space. With over thirty offices across the country, TPL’s vision is to connect everyone to the outdoors.
 
The Northern Rockies region (Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming) contains some of the most iconic and ecologically important lands in the Lower 48 states.  The North Idaho Project Manager is a key position for delivering TPL’s mission of conserving land for people by utilizing well-established nonprofit land acquisition techniques and sound business practices, in order to advance landscape-scale conservation in the Northern Rockies. TPL’s conservation priorities in this region include working with community partners to protect working forestlands, wildlife habitat, public access, water resources, and historical and cultural values, as well as other open space and environmentally important lands. This position generates revenue for TPL through donations and through the successful completion of real estate transactions. 

TPL’s Northern Rockies office is in Bozeman, MT. This position will be remote and located in Northern Idaho unless otherwise approved. The North Idaho Project Manager will work out of a home office.

TPL has been successful over the past twenty years in conserving over 900,000 acres in the Northern Rockies region.  We accomplish this conservation through two strategic program areas:  (1) The “Conserving the Northern Rockies Large Landscapes” Program protects and enhances the at-risk large landscapes in the region by identifying key private lands within those large landscapes that are at-risk for development and protecting them in perpetuity; and (2) The “Thriving Communities” Program finds opportunities to create parks and trails, and to improve access and connection to parks, trails, schoolyards, and open spaces in and near communities where our work can improve the communities’ quality of life. 

This position will play a leading role in accelerating our important conservation efforts.  This position is considered a Project Manager I grade level position, but we will consider hiring qualified candidates at a Project Manager II grade level.


ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Land Protection Prospecting and Project Management (80%)
 

• Assumes primary responsibility for identifying, negotiating, documenting and closing real estate transactions with the assistance of legal and finance staff. Manages transactions, which involves researching and completing all phases of projects from initial outreach and landowner negotiation, supervision of appraisers, surveyors, and other consultants, to ultimate sale and conveyance to a public agency.
• Identifies and secures project funding from multiple resources.  Good working knowledge of processes for obtaining public, private, foundation, and corporate funding. Captures contacts for TPL database and maintains landowner relationships for development purposes.  Collaborates with philanthropy staff on capital campaigns.
• Generates revenues for TPL through transactions and/or fundraising in the private sector.
• Develops and implements strategies for acquisition of key resource properties and their conveyance to public agencies or other permanent stewards. 
• Explores potential projects by contacting owners, nonprofit organizations and public agency officials.
• Identifies areas in which TPL's interim protection strategy is needed for the preservation of open space lands of critical local, regional, or national importance; develops and maintains portfolio of potential projects; responds to inquiries by individuals, groups, etc.

Thriving Communities Project Management (20%)
 

• Develops relationships with community representatives, government agencies, city staff, non-profit partners, the arts and cultural community, and neighborhood leaders to implement community-based engagement.
• Responsible for managing the planning, design, construction, activation, and stewardship of parks, trails, schoolyards and public places. Organize community-led participatory design sessions and manage outside consultants and contractors throughout the design and construction process.  They will also participate in the development and implementation of public/private stewardship models to optimize the maintenance, programming and use of completed sites.
• Manage all aspects of the park, trail, and schoolyard development process including oversight of environmental engineers, design consultants, and construction contractors.  Takes primary responsibility for project schedules, project budgets, and day-to-day project oversight.

Additional Functions

• Builds public awareness and understanding of TPL through outreach events, leading meetings, public speaking engagements, fundraising efforts and creating a public presence for TPL in the community.
• Completes assorted administrative tasks required for a well-regulated organization.
• Assists with the training of new project associates, field representatives, and project managers, etc.
• Assists with legislative planning and outreach for future projects.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

• May be involved in programmatic work, such as the coordination of a land acquisition program covering multi-parcel deals.
• Other relevant duties as necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree preferred
• Minimum of 3-4 years project-related or equivalent land trust or non-profit experience desirable.
• Demonstrated real estate transaction experience is required.
• This position requires moderate to heavy travel.  Evening and weekend work can be expected.

SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

A successful TPL Project Manager is a disciplined, confident problem solver who takes the initiative without prompting and is comfortable with challenges and unexpected difficulties and impediments.  The following skills are helpful:

• Demonstrated understanding of real property and tax law, land use planning techniques, environmental assessments, titles and government land acquisition policies/procedures. 
• Able to work with a wide range of people, such as landowners, tribal members, government officials, and donors.
• Superior written and oral communication skills.
• Proficient in computer applications.  MS Office Basics, Internet, Groupwise.
• Strong negotiator, able to secure complicated real estate deals.
• Experience orchestrating a collaborative design process, involving community members, public agencies and other community stakeholders.
• Experience in design and construction management, including oversight of design and construction professionals, budgets, and project schedules
• Facility with tax benefit analysis and financial forecasting tools.  Management of contracts.
• Exposure to 1031 & tripartite exchanges, tax code and threat of condemnation techniques.
• Facility with media independently and/or in conjunction with Public Affairs staff. 
• Able to work on complex projects with moderate level of supervision.
• Able to initiate fundraising efforts.

As a full-time exempt employee, you will be eligible for TPL’s comprehensive benefits program, which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, vacation days, sick days, a personal day, day of service and ten + holidays, and a 403(b) retirement plan, currently with an up to 7% company match.
We anticipate the hiring range for the position is $70,000-80,000. The offer will be commensurate with experience.