Conservation Strategy and Acquisition Fellow

About Mojave Desert Land Trust

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization.  Our mission is to protect the Mojave and Colorado Desert ecosystems and their natural, scenic, and cultural resource values.  Our service area spans nearly 26 million acres.  Since 2006 we have secured permanent and lasting protection for over 125,000 acres.

MDLT is at an important inflection point. We are striving to meet significant environmental challenges in the desert with bold action to protect and restore land for the wildlife and people who call it home.

About our Team

We are a team of highly motivated and passionate people who care deeply about our mission and one another.  At MDLT, we believe in and support workplace diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. It is our belief that a diverse and inclusive workforce leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone. In recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.  If you have the skills, the passion to make an impact, and enjoy an enthusiastic work environment where differences of opinion and diverse backgrounds are respected and welcomed, then we want to hear from you!

Job Summary

MDLT seeks a high-potential individual to work within the Conservation Land Strategy department to help develop and implement an updated desert protection strategy. This two-year fellowship will begin with a foundation of desert conservation assessment and strategy development, and then shift toward a direct pursuit of priority conservation lands for acquisition or other forms of durable protection. During Year one, the Fellow will focus on the refinement and integration of a new mapping priority tool; an analysis of existing conservation maps and plans; and the formulation of an impactful and innovative strategy for landscape scale conservation. Year two will shift toward acquisition projects where the Fellow will have opportunities to help carry out the new conservation strategy and participate in a broad suite of acquisition elements including transaction due diligence, landowner contacts, conservation easements, grant writing, appraisal reviews, environmental site assessments, state and federal compensatory mitigation projects, land conveyances to the Department of the Interior, and report writing.

The Conservation Strategy and Acquisition Fellow will collaborate often with various staff in MDLT’s Conservation Branch and receive valuable mentorship from the Executive Director and the Chief Conservation Officer throughout each week. Through action learning, the Fellow will gain experience in the central core elements of land trust conservation work and land protection through acquisition.

Reports To

This two-year fellowship position reports to the Director of Conservation Land Strategy. The Fellow will also shadow MDLT’s Executive Director at interagency meetings and other instances where conservation strategy is discussed and will meet regularly with the Chief Conservation Officer during work on specific projects.

Primary Responsibilities

• Help develop MDLT’s updated land conservation strategy to expedite and enhance conservation impact for the desert.
• Work as part of a team developing MDLT’s three-year land conservation strategy.
• Integrate mapping tool into MDLT’s acquisition assessment process and assist with developing MDLT’s updated acquisitions procedures based on the results.
• Manage and refine datasets and mapping tool inputs.
• Assess the potential for a GIS hosting platform for an interactive, public interface for the tool.
• Shadow Executive Director at interagency meetings and assist with developing a collaborative approach to sharing the tool with conservation partners to situate our work within the greater conservation movement in the California desert.
• Assist the acquisitions team with priority transactions, including researching external funding sources for priority lands and assisting with developing application materials.
• Conduct various aspects of land acquisitions tasks and environmental due diligence.

Qualifications:

Any combination of education and experience which would likely provide the necessary knowledge and abilities may be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would include the following:

Experience: 

• Significant coursework and study in fields pertaining to ecological systems, land use planning, environmental science, geography, or other conservation science.
• Relevant job experience or field work with conservation agencies, non-profit organizations, consulting companies, or other related work.
• Skilled or experienced with ArcGIS and other digital mapping or modelling software. Proficient with Microsoft Office 365 and computer-based work.

Education and/or Training:

• A./B.S. in a Conservation Science or a relevant field.

Ideal Skills and Abilities:

• Genuine interest in MDLT’s mission and desire to make a positive impact in California conservation.
• Takes initiative and possesses problem solving skills.
• Positive attitude and a willingness to learn and improve.
• Ability to work collaboratively on a team and work efficiently in a professional setting.
• Strong writing and communication abilities.

Why our employees love working at MDLT

MDLT is the type of organization where you can balance great work with great life.  Every day we go to work filled with passion to be excellent, to creatively problem solve and to innovate.

We offer a competitive salary ($57 to $60K).  Along with an excellent benefit package including:

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Benefits
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with a generous company match
• Generous paid time off – extensive vacation, holidays, personal time, and sick time – (additional paid Winter Break between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day)
• Flexible work schedule
• Teleworking/Cell Phone Stipend
• Flexible Savings Account (FSA) Pre-tax savings for medical expenses not covered by insurance
• Dependent Care Savings Account Pre-tax savings for childcare services

Location

The Fellow would reside in the Joshua Tree area and occupy a workspace at MDLT headquarters.

How to Apply

Please email Lani Brown, Director of Operations & Human Resources (lani@MDLT.org ).  Include a thoughtful cover letter addressing your reasons for interest and how your experience prepares you for this position as well as a current resume.  Please include at least three professional references with contact information.  All applications are held in confidence; references will not be contacted until later in the search process with the candidate’s prior knowledge. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the successful candidate is selected.