Nature conservation, preservation, stewardship

Position Title: Executive Director
Reports to: Board of Directors
Organization: Northumberland Land Trust
Location: Northumberland County, Ontario
Hours: Full time, 40 hours per week, with some evenings and weekends required

About Northumberland Land Trust

The Northumberland Land Trust (NLT) is a Canadian not-for-profit charitable corporation focused on the preservation of the natural heritage of Northumberland County, Ontario. It currently protects 15 nature reserves comprising more than 1500 acres of ecologically diverse lands across Northumberland County in Southern Ontario. It has eight properties in its acquisition pipeline and recently completed a fundraising goal to acquire another 300-acre property. NLT’s Board of Directors (the Board) is made up of individuals who also volunteer for various aspects of the land trust’s operations. NLT has ambitious goals to at least triple the acreage of its protected areas under management, and significantly increase its members, donors and conservation partners by 2030.

Position Overview

As the Executive Director, you are responsible and accountable for the management of NLT’s operations and stewardship activities to fulfill the objects of the corporation, and for supporting the Board in its governance responsibilities including the development, implementation, and adoption of multi-year strategic plans. You abide by and implement board-approved decisions, policies, procedures and protocols and collaborate with board committees and other volunteers/staff, as required. In this role, you work closely with the Board, foundations, donors, government agencies, supporters, contractors and landowners.

The long-term purpose of the role is to grow NLT’s revenue and conservation impact to fund more full-time staff in order to move operations from the Board to a management team. A key aspect of the Executive Director’s role is to be the chief relationship officer, expand NLT’s donor base, and build deeper relationships with the existing donor base.

Direct Reports: Stewardship and Operations Coordinator (active) and future NLT staff hires (current projections are to hire a Land Acquisition Manager, Stewardship Manager, Office administrator, and Communications and Public Outreach Manager).

Key Responsibilities

1. Fundraising and Revenue Generation (40%)

1. Lead fundraising campaigns, including cultivating donor relationships, seeking grant opportunities and developing annual campaign efforts in order to realize a fundraising goal of at least $1 million/annum by 2028. Campaigns include, but are not limited to, the Birding Marathon, major donor campaign, the Gala, donor and volunteer engagement events, and matching gift campaigns.
2. Develop and maintain strong relationships with major donors, and foundations
3. Maintain the donor management system to ensure up-to-date donor information and donation data;
4. Seek out new funding opportunities to support ongoing and new projects;
5. Give presentations to donors, governments and other audiences on behalf of NLT;
6. Coordinate activities with the Fundraising Committee of the Board.

2. Organizational and Program Management (40%)

General

1. Provide effective leadership and supervision for all direct reports and the effective engagement of volunteers.
2. Oversee financial management, budgeting and reporting, with the Board’s Finance Committee;
3. Provide guidance and oversight for all direct reports;
4. Conduct annual performance reviews for NLT staff and report results to the Board of Directors.

Land Securement and Stewardship

1. Oversee and support the work of NLT staff in managing all land acquisition opportunities and the implementation of stewardship programs in accordance with board-approved policies, procedures and protocols. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Working through municipal land use approvals, completing the Eco-gift Program, contracting surveyors, appraisers and other services, as required, and seeking appropriate funding for the project;
• Supporting the development and implementation of a priority lands map that demonstrates the lands most appropriate for acquisition;
• Developing a land acquisition outreach program;
• Coordinating activities with the Land Acquisition Committee of the Board.
• Reporting on the status of projects and following-up on issues or concerns raised by the stewardship committee of the Board of Directors; Coordinate, supervise, and support volunteers, interns, and contractors in relation to work carried out on the nature reserves;
• Reviewing all property management plans and updating if necessary, identifying specific projects from these plans that can be completed by the Stewardship Committee each year in order to reach the conservation goals for each property.
• Overseeing MFTIP, CLTIP and other incentive programs and renewals, as required.

3. Communications and Public Outreach (5%)

1. Working with the Board’s Communications and Public Outreach committee to implement and coordinate NLT’s communication strategy, to ensure:

• Creation and/or support of the development of content for various communication channels, including website, social media, newsletters, press releases, and promotional materials;
• Consistent messaging and branding across all communication platforms;
• Updating of marketing collateral including brochures, educational materials, and signage to effectively communicate the Land Trust's work and impact;
• Collaboration with graphic designers, printers, and vendors to ensure high-quality production of materials;
• Drafting and sending out notifications to volunteers and members about upcoming events.

4. Governance Support (10%)

1. Collaborate with the board of directors, supporting their efforts in strategic planning, policy development and governance oversight.

5. Indigenous Relations (5%)

1. Work to build strong relationships with local First Nations and seek opportunities for engagement and collaboration.

Skills and Qualifications:

We are seeking an individual who will enthusiastically engage in the work of NLT by developing our organizational capacity and competency. The successful candidate will strive for excellence in achieving NLT’s goals by exhibiting the highest standard of care for our community of volunteers, donors, partners and staff.

This role requires a self-starter who thrives on resolving challenges with a collaborative, solution-oriented approach, as well as being capable of thriving in a dynamic work environment. Our ideal candidate will eagerly engage our partners and help build strong and long-lasting relationships with volunteers, land owners, donors, and staff. This person has an entrepreneurial mindset that also respects the power of consultation and working in a team.

NLT is based in Northumberland County and does not have an office at the present time. Meetings will primarily be in-person while some meetings can be held remotely.

Required:

1. Post-secondary degree(s)/certificates or equivalent experience in the areas of business development, marketing, management, resource management/conservation or other related fields.
2. Minimum of five years of relevant work experience leading or developing teams, programs, staff and collaboratives;
3. Valid Ontario driver’s license and ownership of a vehicle (required); position includes a mileage allowance
4. Proven track record in growing an organization's financial position and/or donor base;
5. Demonstrated strong interpersonal and effective team leadership skills with proven success in developing a strong and dynamic team – including staff and volunteer teams;
6. Proven effective time and project management skills and experience;
7. Effective verbal and written communication skills, including public speaking/presentation skills and experience an asset;
8. Willingness to work flexible hours and accommodate unplanned requests;
9. An exhibited passion for the conservation of nature.

Would be helpful to the role:

1. Professional designation in resource conservation, fundraising, land use planning, resource management, project management or similar is an asset;
2. Knowledge and experience in volunteer recruitment, training, retention and recognition;
3. Proven ongoing professional development including designation(s)/courses of special interest such as strategic planning, project management, fundraising, and development;
4. Knowledge and experience in leading land conservation/organizational planning, policy and project development and delivery.

Compensation: A competitive compensation package includes benefits, and mileage allowance. $90,000 to $115,000 depending on qualifications.

Application Process:

Please email your cover letter and resume in one document to Northumberland Land Trust at info@nltrust.ca by 12:00 noon on Saturday, March 1, 2025 with the subject line “Executive Director”.

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While we appreciate all applicants taking the time to express their interest in joining the Northumberland Land Trust team, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.