The Utah Public Lands Program Director, with the Utah Public Lands Program Manager and the Utah Public Lands Program Associate envision, prioritize, and implement strategies for the Grand Canyon Trust’s work on Utah’s public lands within the Colorado Plateau. The Utah Public Lands Program (currently Utah Forests Program) staff work with other staff at the Grand Canyon Trust and other organizations to effectively advocate for management of the public lands based on ecological conservation, public process, and respect for Indigenous Traditional knowledge.
The position requires leadership, strategic and analytical thinking, advocacy, science, and interpersonal skills. The Utah Public Lands Program Director will advocate for the inclusion of the public in land management decision-making processes, reduction of acres and intensity of livestock grazing, forest conservation amid climate change, protection of native plant and wildlife species, and inclusion of diverse perspectives in management of public lands with particular attention to Native perspectives.
- Lead, supervise, and collaborate with the Utah Public Lands Program staff to achieve the Program’s goals.
- Initiate strategies to achieve specified outcomes and respond to new challenges.
- Work with agencies and diverse entities to initiate, lead, and/or actively participate in consensus collaborations to propose and leverage land management changes – both collaborations with entities of different perspectives and values, and collaborations with conservation organizations and tribes. Work with Utah Public Lands and Cultural Landscapes program staff to implement ongoing projects and initiate and design new projects across Colorado Plateau public lands that help achieve long-term goals in the Trust’s strategic plan.
- Manage the Utah Public Lands Program budget(s).
- With the Utah Public Lands Program staff, integrate justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion objectives and strategies into the Utah Public Lands Program’s work plan and strategic goals.
- Coordinate with Utah Public Lands staff to lead our work in and around Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.
- Leverage conservation science and field data collection to inform collaborations and land management decisions.
- Support tribal sovereignty and implementation of co-management systems on cultural landscapes in Utah.
- Collaborate with staff in the Cultural Landscapes, Volunteer, Rising Leaders, Communications, GIS, Legal, and Administration Programs to achieve organizational goals.
- Ensure that the Utah Public Lands team provides communications support for the Advocate magazine, Board of Trustees updates, donor communications, blog posts, website, social media content, and earned media.
- Work with the development team to strengthen existing relationships with donors while pursuing and developing new funding sources.
- Foster a safe and positive working environment.
- Other duties as assigned.
- Significant experience:
- Working to accomplish conservation goals on public lands through multiple strategies, ranging from collaboration to litigation.
- Initiating strategies to accomplish focused outcomes.
- Undertaking on-the-ground conservation and/or environmental justice projects with a diverse team.
- Demonstrating successful managerial skills and the ability to motivate and guide a diverse team with enthusiasm, leadership, accountability, and respect.
- Organizing people with different perspectives to pursue a common goal on an ambitious timeline.
- Using science, policy, regulations, law, and/or political avenues for conservation, public lands, advocacy, and environmental justice.
- Using the NEPA process to affect agency decisions.
- A commitment to support and lead with humility when entering communities and working with diverse cultures including Native communities on the Colorado Plateau.
- A commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Excellent organizational, planning, and follow-through skills.
- Clear written and verbal communication skills.
- Willingness to travel (including occasional weekends).
- Desire and ability to spend time on the public lands.