Land Stewardship Manager

The Cazenovia Preservation Foundation, Inc. (CPF) is seeking a Land Stewardship Manager to lead the organization’s growing conservation land stewardship program. The Land Stewardship Manager will work with the Executive Director (E.D.) and the Stewardship Committee Leadership Team to conduct CPF’s easement stewardship program in a manner that is consistent with Land Trust Alliance Standards & Practices and Accreditation requirements and manage CPF’s preserve properties and public trails in accordance with Land Trust Alliance Standards & Practices and best management practices. In support of these activities, the Land Stewardship Manager will be responsible for planning and coordinating volunteer work sessions, and managing volunteers, seasonal staff, and/or interns in the field.

The Stewardship Manager will:

• Serve as the primary responsible party for maintaining CPF’s land stewardship records in the cloud-basedLandscape software, and ensuring that back-up records and property files are appropriately stored in-house and off-site;

• Continue to enhance CPF’s use of Landscape by deploying additional features to streamline stewardship data storage, reporting, and task management. 

• Work with the CPF Executive Director and Stewardship Committee Leadership Team to periodically review CPF’s property monitoring and management protocols and develop updated protocols, where needed, to ensure consistency with Land Trust standards and practices;

• In conjunction with the E.D. and Stewardship Committee Leadership Team, manage workflow around completing all easement and owned property annual inspections on schedule and in accordance with Land Trust Standards & Practices;

• Periodically (at least every five years) draft updated management plans for CPF preserve properties for review and approval by the Stewardship Committee and the Executive Director.

• Prepare annual stewardship workplans that are aligned with CPF’s preserve property management plans and easement property inspection requirements. Work with the Executive Director and the Stewardship Committee Leadership Team to prepare an annual budget request, in alignment with the approved workplan.

• Assist the Stewardship Committee Leadership Team and the CPF Executive Director with volunteer recruitment, safety training, oversight, and coordination of volunteer workdays; and maintain volunteer records.

• The Stewardship Manager may need to attend evening or weekend meetings and events from time to time.

• Based on skills and experience, the Stewardship Manager may assist with ongoing conservation project acquisitions, such as through the preparation of baseline documentation reports.

• Dependent upon skills and experience, the Stewardship Manager may lead occasional hikes or educational Walks ‘n Talks on CPF properties.

The successful candidate will possess the following skills and experience:

• Background and experience making and documenting observations in the field;

• Must be physically fit for field work and comfortable navigating off-trail and/or on steep terrain;

• Strong interpersonal skills required. Must be able to communicate clearly in conversation and in writing with owners of a range of easement properties (e.g., active farmland, historical buildings) and serve as a representative of CPF in these interactions;

• Strong written communication skills are needed for landowner correspondence and for writing and updating property management plans and other stewardship reports;

• Good basic computer/technology skills (e.g., Word, Excel);

• Data management experience;

• GIS experience is a bonus;

• Ability to work independently;

• Attention to detail;

• Excellent organizational, task management, and prioritization skills;

• Experience using basic hand and power tools and landscaping equipment is required;

• Chainsaw certification and/or light equipment operation certification and/or experience is a bonus;

• Working knowledge and/or experience in trail construction and maintenance;

• Preference will be given to candidates with educational and/or work experience in the fields of conservation management, agricultural land management, landscape planning, ecology, environmental studies, forestry or other related field;

• CPR/First Aid required within first three months of employment. Wilderness First Responder (WFR) or other wilderness first aid background, preferred;

• Applicant must have reliable transportation to get from the CPF office to preserve and easement properties, as needed, throughout the workday. (CPF will reimburse for logged miles on CPF business at the current federal rate.)

The position is approximately 25 hours/week, averaged over the course of the year (higher in spring/summer/fall) and with a gradual transition to full-time anticipated, concurrent with the phased retirement of CPF’s current Land Stewardship Manager and growing program needs. 

Benefits include flexible scheduling and paid time off.  Given the nature of the job responsibilities, this is primarily an in-person position, but there may be some limited options for partial remote work available. Pay starts at $21/hr, commensurate with experience.

Interested candidates, please send a resume and cover letter to Jen Wong, CPF Executive Director, at hr@cazpreservation.org.

CPF is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) accredited land trust protecting important historic, agricultural, and natural resources in and around the Cazenovia community in Central New York. CPF protects approximately 3,400 acres of farmland and scenic landscapes through conservation easements and owns over 430 acres of open space and fourteen miles of public-use trails. CPF also holds twelve architectural easements that help maintain the character of the historic village center and surrounding area. In addition to its ongoing conservation and land stewardship work, CPF also offers over 20 free or low-cost recreational and educational programs for adults and children each year.