In the Southern Blue Ridge of North Carolina, The Nature Conservancy currently holds conservation easements on over 6,000 acres of land. The goal of this position is to assist the Conservation Coordinator in managing the annual easement monitoring process, including landowner interactions, preparing for field work, attending easement visits across western NC, managing data collected in the field, drafting follow-up narrative reports post-visit, creating and/or updating maps, tracking steps and uploading all relevant information to an online database.
Position start date is on or about October 10, 2018 with some flexibility; the position is estimated to be 8 weeks long, part-time at up to 20 hours per week, but applicants can work with supervisor to determine a schedule that makes sense for him/her given class and work schedules, other commitments, etc. The hours are somewhat flexible within a Monday-Friday work week; ideally candidates will commit to specific days per week so as to schedule visits with easement landowners. Some of the post-visit reporting work may be done remotely, provided the employee is available to meet with TNC staff as necessary. The position will likely end December 13, 2018.
The Easement Program Assistant will document more than 20 conservation easement visits in detail utilizing waypoints taken on a GPS unit and/or iPad, with photographs by iPad and camera, and draft narrative reports using TNC template documents (Microsoft SharePoint and Word). This work will include management of data collected in the field and synthesis of information into written reports. Experience with creating and editing basic maps in ArcGIS 10.x is required.
Other conservation work may include assisting with preparation of baseline documents for any new easements; assisting with stewardship efforts on TNC easements and preserves, such as invasive plant species treatment and/or removal; visiting sites where TNC holds protective interests to assess compliance with legal restrictions and to document findings; and assisting staff with projects such as defining accurate property boundaries, organizing GIS data, creating metadata, researching properties adjacent to TNC land interests, and scanning older documentation to produce digital files for uniform archival and shared web access.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
- May interact with visitors.
- Works under close or infrequent supervision.
- May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations for long periods of time in isolated settings, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.
- Requires considerable physical exertion and/or muscular strain.
- Ability to perform physical work, sometimes under adverse conditions or in inclement weather.
- Ability to use ArcGIS 10.x and Microsoft Office programs.
- Valid driver’s license and good driving record.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
- Current enrollment in an Associate or Bachelor degree program in Natural Resource Management or related field.
- Ability to navigate in the field using a topographic map and compass, as well as a GPS unit.
- Ability to problem-solve in the field and work successfully in the office.
- Knowledge of SharePoint software.
- Knowledge of southern Appalachian flora and invasive plant species.
The Nature Conservancy offers competitive compensation, 401k or savings-plan matching for eligible employees, excellent benefits, flexible work policies and a collaborative work environment. We also provide professional development opportunities and promote from within. As a result, you will find a culture that supports and inspires conservation achievement and personal development, both within the workplace and beyond.