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Conservation Director - Mid Atlantic
NY, NJ, CT, United StatesWho We Are:
At TPL, we're a team of outdoor advocates who believe in connecting everyone to the outdoors. As an ethos, we believe access to the outdoors is a fundamental human need and essential to our health and well-being. We're committed to creating more places that bring us outside—parks, trails, playgrounds, and public lands—and making them available and welcoming to everyone, everywhere, regardless of ZIP code. We also understand that land has meaning; it tells the story of our history. That's why, through our Black History and Culture initiative, we're working to preserve sites that more fully represent the Black American experience; and we're an ally and partner to Tribal and Indigenous communities, working in partnership to reconnect them with their ancestral lands.
One hundred million people, including 28 million children, don't have nearby access to a park within ten minutes of their home. We're determined to change this outdoor equity gap–and as a result, nine million people and counting now have access because of our work. We have miles to go and a plan to get there. We're inclusive change-makers who believe in connecting everyone to the outdoors. We inspire by paving the way forward and strengthening our connection to nature. Join us!
Position Summary:
Every day, we lose 6,000 acres to real estate development. That’s equivalent to an area the size of Maine disappearing every year. Trust for Public Land (TPL) partners with landowners, public agencies, policymakers, counties and municipalities, Native tribes and Indigenous communities, and other land trusts to permanently protect high-quality land and culturally significant places.
TPL is seeking a dynamic and strategic Mid-Atlantic Conservation Director to lead its land protection work across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. This is a senior leadership land conservation role in the Mid-Atlantic region and is responsible for advancing a bold, region-wide strategy to protect critical open space, advance climate resilience, and expand access to the outdoors.
The Conservation Director will guide the development and implementation of regional goals, manage and expand a high-performing team, and carry their own portfolio of land transactions. This role requires exceptional skill in partner relationship management, team leadership, community engagement, project execution and a deep understanding of public funding for conservation.
The ideal candidate is strategic, collaborative, and passionate about equitable access to public lands and open spaces.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership:
Develop and oversee the implementation of a comprehensive land protection strategy for the Mid-Atlantic, with distinct goals for NY, NJ, CT, and PA that reflect local needs, opportunities, and TPL priorities. The Conservation Director will engage with and play a leading role in the full land protection team at TPL, led by the Vice President of Land Conservation and in collaboration with peer Conservation Directors in other TPL regions. The Conservation Director reports to the Mid-Atlantic Region Director.
Team Management and Development:
Lead, mentor, and grow a regional conservation team. Current team includes three project managers, covering CT, PA, NJ and NY. Responsible for hiring and onboarding additional staff. Ensure performance metrics, budget, timelines and reporting requirements are met.
Partnership Development:
Build and maintain strong relationships with key conservation partners in each state, including but not limited to: public agencies, municipal and county governments, elected officials, community groups and land trusts. Ensure that all projects put community at the center and align with TPL’s commitment to authentic community engagement.
Funding and Resource Mobilization:
Navigate, coordinate, and apply for state and federal funding sources to support TPL’s land protection efforts and work closely with development staff to secure philanthropic investments.
Project Management:
Carry a personal portfolio of land conservation projects. Manage all aspects of transactions including project identification, landowner negotiations, funding, due diligence, community engagement and compliance. Ensure projects are well-executed, mission-aligned, and financially sustainable. Collaborate with internal teams including legal and finance to ensure project success.
Other relevant duties as necessary.
Skills and Qualifications
As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for the Trust for Public Land’s comprehensive benefits program which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, vacation and sick pay plus holidays, a year end office closure, and a 403(b)-retirement plan, currently with up to a 7% company match. We offer competitive salaries commensurate with experience; the anticipated hiring range for this position is $135,000-150,000.
Trust for Public Land’s active goal is to be an inclusive and equitable place to work and build community. As the organization actively works to eliminate racial and other disparities it welcomes candidates with diverse backgrounds and/or multicultural skillsets. We are open to the possibility that a great candidate for this job may not precisely meet all the above criteria; if you believe you are the right person for this job and can persuasively make that case, we encourage you to apply.
At TPL, we're a team of outdoor advocates who believe in connecting everyone to the outdoors. As an ethos, we believe access to the outdoors is a fundamental human need and essential to our health and well-being. We're committed to creating more places that bring us outside—parks, trails, playgrounds, and public lands—and making them available and welcoming to everyone, everywhere, regardless of ZIP code. We also understand that land has meaning; it tells the story of our history. That's why, through our Black History and Culture initiative, we're working to preserve sites that more fully represent the Black American experience; and we're an ally and partner to Tribal and Indigenous communities, working in partnership to reconnect them with their ancestral lands.
One hundred million people, including 28 million children, don't have nearby access to a park within ten minutes of their home. We're determined to change this outdoor equity gap–and as a result, nine million people and counting now have access because of our work. We have miles to go and a plan to get there. We're inclusive change-makers who believe in connecting everyone to the outdoors. We inspire by paving the way forward and strengthening our connection to nature. Join us!
Position Summary:
Every day, we lose 6,000 acres to real estate development. That’s equivalent to an area the size of Maine disappearing every year. Trust for Public Land (TPL) partners with landowners, public agencies, policymakers, counties and municipalities, Native tribes and Indigenous communities, and other land trusts to permanently protect high-quality land and culturally significant places.
TPL is seeking a dynamic and strategic Mid-Atlantic Conservation Director to lead its land protection work across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. This is a senior leadership land conservation role in the Mid-Atlantic region and is responsible for advancing a bold, region-wide strategy to protect critical open space, advance climate resilience, and expand access to the outdoors.
The Conservation Director will guide the development and implementation of regional goals, manage and expand a high-performing team, and carry their own portfolio of land transactions. This role requires exceptional skill in partner relationship management, team leadership, community engagement, project execution and a deep understanding of public funding for conservation.
The ideal candidate is strategic, collaborative, and passionate about equitable access to public lands and open spaces.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership:
Develop and oversee the implementation of a comprehensive land protection strategy for the Mid-Atlantic, with distinct goals for NY, NJ, CT, and PA that reflect local needs, opportunities, and TPL priorities. The Conservation Director will engage with and play a leading role in the full land protection team at TPL, led by the Vice President of Land Conservation and in collaboration with peer Conservation Directors in other TPL regions. The Conservation Director reports to the Mid-Atlantic Region Director.
Team Management and Development:
Lead, mentor, and grow a regional conservation team. Current team includes three project managers, covering CT, PA, NJ and NY. Responsible for hiring and onboarding additional staff. Ensure performance metrics, budget, timelines and reporting requirements are met.
Partnership Development:
Build and maintain strong relationships with key conservation partners in each state, including but not limited to: public agencies, municipal and county governments, elected officials, community groups and land trusts. Ensure that all projects put community at the center and align with TPL’s commitment to authentic community engagement.
Funding and Resource Mobilization:
Navigate, coordinate, and apply for state and federal funding sources to support TPL’s land protection efforts and work closely with development staff to secure philanthropic investments.
Project Management:
Carry a personal portfolio of land conservation projects. Manage all aspects of transactions including project identification, landowner negotiations, funding, due diligence, community engagement and compliance. Ensure projects are well-executed, mission-aligned, and financially sustainable. Collaborate with internal teams including legal and finance to ensure project success.
Other relevant duties as necessary.
Skills and Qualifications
- An entrepreneurial spirit with strong initiative and high energy; proven ability to lead, mentor, and inspire others; capacity to be a high performer and a team player; common sense and a sense of humor.
- At least 11 years of professional experience in land conservation, with a strong track record of managing projects from inception to completion.
- Minimum 5 years of experience supervising and developing staff.
- Deep knowledge of and direct experience with land protection tools, public funding sources, and state/local conservation policies.
- Established network of conservation partners and funders in at least one and ideally multiple of the four TPL Mid-Atlantic states (NY, NJ, CT, or PA).
- Proven success managing multi-state conservation strategies with documented outcomes.
- Proven experience executing complex land conservation projects, including all aspects of acquisition and conveyance of property for conservation outcomes (negotiation, due diligence, community engagement, budgeting, public funding, grassroots political support, etc.)
- Experience managing and collaborating toward shared goals with cross-functional teams, such as philanthropy, marketing, finance, legal, etc.
- Exceptional skills in negotiation, stakeholder engagement, and partnership building, especially with public agencies and local governments.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
- Willingness to travel frequently throughout the region and attend evening and weekend meetings, when needed.
- Bachelor’s degree preferred; advanced degree in natural resources, environmental management, planning, law, or a related field preferred but not required.
As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for the Trust for Public Land’s comprehensive benefits program which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, vacation and sick pay plus holidays, a year end office closure, and a 403(b)-retirement plan, currently with up to a 7% company match. We offer competitive salaries commensurate with experience; the anticipated hiring range for this position is $135,000-150,000.
Trust for Public Land’s active goal is to be an inclusive and equitable place to work and build community. As the organization actively works to eliminate racial and other disparities it welcomes candidates with diverse backgrounds and/or multicultural skillsets. We are open to the possibility that a great candidate for this job may not precisely meet all the above criteria; if you believe you are the right person for this job and can persuasively make that case, we encourage you to apply.
www.tpl.org/careers