The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) is a mission-driven non-profit dedicated to ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage. Since our founding in 1984, we have helped conserve nearly one square mile of elk country every day. In partnership with others, we have conserved or enhanced more than 9.2 million acres, including improving public access to more than 1.6 million acres. Our impact will extend to 10 million acres by 2030.

RMEF is a leader in conserving land that provides big game habitat. The Director of Land Conservation is a vital and key leadership role within RMEF. The position is responsible for providing leadership for, and management of, RMEF's land conservation and access program. Responsibilities encompass setting geospatial strategies and maintaining strategic partnerships. Leading a team, the Director will effect organizational impact through completion of priority projects, such as gifts of real estate, acquisition and conveyance of lands, public access transactions and voluntary conservation easements. The Director will lead management, program direction, budget and regional landscape plans in accordance with RMEF policy, legal, compliance and contract management requirements. The position delivers operational standards, practices and regulations as needed.

The Director of Land Conservation is a part of the Mission Division, setting clear goals for mission field staff and maintaining partnerships with external partners regularly and proactively. Internal operations are essential to effectively administer plans and strategies that ensure quality and program support effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities

• Effectively lead and report to Executive Staff and Board of Directors on RMEF's land conservation and access program, ensuring technical expertise and compliance, for communication of impactful mission delivery and strategy.
• Maintain and lead a high-performing conservation team with attention to cross-layer mission program success. Maintaining a solution-focus approach to challenges, lead team with clearly defined roles and expectations while developing expertise and identifying resource needs to accomplish objectives.
• Supervise land conservation and access staff. Occasional supervision of a contractor may be necessary.
• Develop and maintain program strategy and project pipeline of land conservation and access projects sufficient to deliver on RMEF's strategic and operating visions.
• Collaborate with RMEF divisions on a consistent and initiative-taking basis to deliver the critical connections between mission impact, science, support operations, legal, accounting and compliance, and revenue.
• Oversee the management of program activities, data and procedures within RMEF policies, industry standards and regulations.
• Lead the program team's incoming grant strategy and collaborate with Revenue Division fundraising strategies. Provide budget projections and monitor program financial impacts for quality and accuracy.
• Manage and maintain productive relationships with conservation partners, landowners, agencies and technical experts. Represent RMEF mission programs, and specifically the land conservation and access program, in conservation priority planning and at stakeholder meetings and events.

Location

• The Director of Land Conservation position is based at RMEF Headquarters in Missoula, Mont., full-time.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in natural resources or a related field required
• Five-plus years of professional experience in managing a team within areas of real estate, wildlife conservation, land/resource management, legal services, operations leadership or equivalent field
• Thorough knowledge and demonstrated experience of lands realty transaction processes, legal requirements, required documentation, tax ramifications and the relationships between the parties involved
• Demonstrated critical thinking skills to find innovative solutions to complex challenges and experience in partnership development with landowners and stakeholders
• Strong experience with local, state, and federal agencies, non-profit land trusts, land management contractors and private landowners
• Ability to perceive and establish long-term goals to develop and implement projects that are cohesive, progressive and mission priority oriented
• Ability to train, motivate and educate department staff. Must have strong supervisory, leadership, management and teambuilding skills
• Must have strong computer skills including Microsoft Teams, ArcGIS and NetSuite programs and apps. Must have a fundamental understanding of working with relational databases and cloud file storage

Physical Demands

• Office work will require sitting or standing for extended periods of time, frequent use of office equipment and light lifting, bending and physical exertion.
• Travel by automobile, airplane, horse, foot or mechanized ORVs may be required.
• Evening work and weekend work may be required.

To apply, please refer to www.rmef.org/careers.

RMEF offers competitive compensation including a generous benefit package. RMEF is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer M/F/D/V.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Now in its fifth decade of Conserving America's Big Game, RMEF will extend its impact on habitat and public land access to 10 million acres by 2030. RMEF conserves and enhances habitat for elk and a variety of big game, opens and improves access for hunting and other outdoor recreation, conducts science-based wildlife research and ensures the future of our hunting heritage through advocacy, outreach and education. Members, volunteers and supporters nationwide help RMEF further its mission. Find out more and join the movement at rmef.org or 800-CALL-ELK.