JOIN US!
Marin Agricultural Land Trust is a nonprofit land trust created in 1980 by a coalition of ranchers and environmentalists to permanently protect Marin County farmland. Some of the Bay Area’s most highly acclaimed dairy and cheese products, grass-fed meats and organic crops are produced on farmland protected by MALT’s 92 agricultural conservation easements.
MALT has permanently protected over 55,000 acres of West Marin’s diverse mosaic of coastal grasslands, oak woodlands, rangelands and pastoral open space. MALT is committed to supporting sustainable management, climate-beneficial and regenerative agriculture in Marin County, including farming and grazing practices that rebuild soil organic matter and improve soil biodiversity to draw down carbon and improve the water cycle.
Marin Agricultural Land Trust welcomes people of all backgrounds, identities, and beliefs to join us in achieving our mission to permanently protect Marin’s agricultural land for agricultural use. MALT is committed to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace in which everyone is welcomed, valued, and supported. We are a team that works together to achieve our goals and we recognize that diverse teams make the strongest teams and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.
We invite you to join the MALT team—a dynamic and passionate staff who care deeply about our mission and one another.
THE POSITION
The Stewardship Associate is a full-time non-exempt position that reports to the Associate Director, Stewardship. The Stewardship Associate participates in MALT’s easement monitoring program, and contributes to MALT’s stewardship work and strategic initiatives. The position also participates in supporting the easement acquisition program by conducting site evaluations, providing mapping and grant applications support, drafting baseline documentation reports and coordinating field visits. The Stewardship Associate is actively engaged in the conservation team’s cross departmental initiatives and represents MALT’s easement stewardship program with speaking engagements, presentations, and participation in local stakeholder groups.
This position requires 2-3 days/week in the field and the remaining time is a combination of work from home and office (Pt. Reyes Station)
Compensation commensurate with experience (see salary range below).
ABOUT YOU
You are passionate about the environment and land conservation and have a combination of education and experience that gives you an understanding of conservation easements and land trusts.
Ideally you have a bachelor’s degree in a related field such as agricultural or natural resource management, environmental science, ecology or urban planning, with 1+ years of work experience in land stewardship monitoring agricultural conservation easements and providing stewardship support for an easement acquisition program.
Your education and/or work experience will have gained you the following:
- Understanding of agriculture and rangeland management; knowledge of Marin agriculture preferred.
- Familiarity with conservation easements and land trusts.
- Familiarity with California flora and fauna, grassland ecosystems, and invasive species management.
- Understanding of the principles and practices of watershed management on agricultural land.
- Ability to work collaboratively to build MALT’s relationships with Marin’s agricultural community and MALT’s programmatic and policy partners.
- Experience creating maps and managing data with the current generation of ArcGIS software products.
- Familiarity with applications such as Google Workspace, Microsoft Word, Excel, and other project management tools.
- Outstanding project management and analytical skills with the ability to work independently on multiple complex projects.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Must be able to hike up to 6 miles per day over steep and rugged terrain, and be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds (additional physical requirements attached).
- Must have experience driving an off-road vehicle on steep and rugged terrain.
- Reliable transportation and a valid driver’s license required with acceptable DMV record and automobile liability insurance.
- A commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Easement Stewardship, Monitoring and Compliance (60%)
- Conducts annual monitoring visits to MALT conservation easements properties according to MALT policy and Land Trust Alliance (LTA) standards and practices.
- Establishes and maintains positive relationships and communications with landowners, agricultural producers, and organizational partners.
- Documents easement compliance matters and issues of concern identified in the field.
- Prepare easement-monitoring reports, including mapping, photo documentation, funding agency reporting, letters to landowners, and online database document retention.
- Assist with permitted uses and reserved rights requests.
Conservation Program Support (15%)
- Conduct field visits and prepare site evaluations of potential easement acquisition projects.
- Prepare baseline documentation reports for new easement acquisition projects.
- Work with acquisitions staff to prepare easement grant applications for prospective projects.
- Coordinate landowner site visits with funding agencies and donors.
- Support MALT’s stewardship grant program work.
Cross-Departmental Collaboration, Community Engagement and Partnerships (25%)
- Assist in reviewing and updating stewardship policies and procedures.
- Work with Outreach, Communications and Development Team to produce communications and events about MALT’s conservation easement stewardship work.
- Assist with MALT’s strategic initiatives.
- Respond to and document inquiries from the public, partners and landowners Represent MALT through speaking engagements, presentations and participation in local stakeholder groups.
PAY & BENEFITS
We offer competitive salaries; paid vacation and sick time; health, life, dental, and vision insurance; retirement benefits; family-friendly policies, and a commitment to honoring work/life balance.
Salary: $55k – $70k, DOE
HOW TO APPLY
→ CLICK HERE
No phone calls, no walk-ins, no recruiters.