Virginia Pinelands Burn Boss & Land Steward - The Nature Conservancy

Wakefield, Virginia, USA

The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we develop innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world’s toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a commitment to diversity and respect for people, communities, and cultures. From a rewarding mission to career development and flexible schedules, there are many reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want to know more? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube   to hear stories from staff or visit  Glassdoor.

One of TNC’s primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe have a sense of belonging and feel that their unique contributions are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our mission by hiring and engaging a diverse staff that reflects the communities in which we work. Recognizing that people bring talent and skills that have been developed outside the scope of a job, we take a holistic approach to recruitment that considers life experience in addition to the professional requirements listed in our postings. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and you’ll stay for the people.”

The Virginia Pinelands Program is located in the rural southeastern coastal plain of Virginia and encompasses the northern range of the longleaf pine ecosystem, recognized as one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in North America.  Our work is focused on restoring fire-maintained pine savanna habitat to contribute to TNC’s nine-state conservation goals for the longleaf pine system.  Other TNC priority systems in the region include floodplain forests situated along the region’s river corridors and peatland forests of the Great Dismal Swamp.  All project work is highly collaborative with public agency partners.  TNC and partners have protected 160,000 acres in the region and are actively acquiring lands to expand the land base for fire management.  TNC’s anchor property,4,000-acre Piney Grove Preserve, serves as a regional hub for collaborative conservation.  The Virginia Pinelands Program is within an hour’s drive of the City of Richmond’s vibrant festival, food, brewery, museum and music culture

The Virginia Pinelands Burn Boss & Land Steward position is focused on prescribed fire management and forest stewardship.  The position will be stationed at TNC’s Piney Grove Preserve and will report to the Virginia Pinelands Program Director.  The position works closely with TNC’s Virginia Statewide Fire Manager/Longleaf Pine Specialist and collaborates with a wide range of state and federal agency partners, private landowners, volunteers and others to implement projects on TNC and partner lands.  

The Virginia Pinelands Burn Boss & Land Steward leads the Virginia Pinelands prescribed fire program.  The position directs prescribed fire operations and develops prescribed burn plans and site fire management plans, is responsible for safe and effective fire operations, administers physical fitness testing, trains and organizes crew, conducts annual refresher training, and maintains documentation files for crew member training and qualifications.  The position oversees seasonal fire crew members, volunteers and entry level staff. Responsibilities also include fire-line construction and maintenance, monitoring fuel conditions, equipment maintenance, data entry and compilation.  The position participates as a leader on the Conservancy’s statewide fire management team and effectively communicates between diverse teams of Conservancy and partner agency staff, volunteers, and interns.  Roughly 50% of the Burn Boss & Land Steward’s time will be spent on fire management-related activities.

The Burn Boss & Land Steward leads or assists with restoration of groundcover vegetation, invasive species control, endangered species management, conservation easement monitoring and volunteer programming within the Virginia Pinelands Program Area. Roughly 25% of the position’s time will be spent on stewardship-related activities.  The Burn Boss & Land Steward works closely with the VA Pinelands Program Director on landowner outreach and community engagement projects.  In that role, the position leads or assists with cultivating relationships with private landowners, community groups, local government and a wide range of public agency partners.  Work will involve public presentations and development of interpretive materials.  The position assists with fundraising efforts including leading donor field trips to TNC preserves and administering grant proposals.  Roughly 25% of the position’s time will be spent on non-stewardship related activities.  

• Establishes excellent working relationships with outside partners, state/local/federal agencies, land managers, private landowners and the academic community.
• Performs tasks with minimal supervision and makes independent decisions based on analysis, experience and context.
• Ensures program compliance with internal policies and external requirements.
• May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.
• Financial responsibility may include working within/managing a budget to complete projects, negotiating and contracting with vendors, and assisting with budget development.
• Makes decisions in rapidly changing and potentially hazardous conditions that may affect the safety of staff and resources. 
• Oversees staff and volunteers who serve as Burn Crew Members.          
• Supervises professional staff, with responsibility for performance management.

• Candidates meeting NWCG qualifications for RxB2 strongly preferred, but will consider equivalent experience or qualification from non-NWCG agencies and candidates meeting NWCG qualifications for Single Resource Boss (e.g. FIRB, ENGB) and additional progress toward burn boss qualification.  See the Conservancy’s Fire Management Manual for a full explanation of qualification requirements: http://tncfiremanual.org.
• Bachelor’s degree and 3 years’ experience in natural resource management or similar field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience building relationships with a variety of stakeholders, i.e., state, federal agency partners, non-profit organizations. 
• Must achieve physical fitness standards as set by local Fire Manager.
• Experience completing tasks independently with respect to timeline(s).
• Experience with communication via written, spoken and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.
• Experience using common software applications such as Word, Excel, web browsers, etc.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Fully meets NWCG qualifications for RxB2, including coursework and experience requirements. See the Conservancy’s Fire Management Manual for a full explanation of qualification requirements: http://tncfiremanual.org.
• Bachelor’s degree and more than 3 years’ experience in fire operations or natural resource management, similar field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience training and supervising staff and burn crew members or volunteers.
• Demonstrated ability and interest in private landowner outreach and community engagement.
• Familiarity with ecological management of longleaf pine ecosystem.
• Experience with grant proposal writing and administration. 
• Experience with GIS mapping software such as ArcMap or ArcPro.
• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world! 

TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our Culture Tab on nature.org/careers.

We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports of the health and well-being of the people we employ.

This position requires a valid driver's license and compliance with TNC’s Auto Safety Program.

Employees may not drive Conservancy-owned/leased vehicles, rental cars, or personal vehicles on behalf of the Conservancy if considered "high risk drivers." To learn more about the Auto Safety Program, visit https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/careers/recruitment/ under the FAQ section.

Employment in this position will be contingent upon completion of a Vehicle Use Agreement, which may include a review of the prospective employee's motor vehicle record.

The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $53,000 – $73.000 for annual base salary. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate's location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Please note countries outside the USA would have a different pay range in the local currency based on the local labor market, and not tied to USA pay or ranges. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment.

To apply for job ID 54758 , submit your materials online by using the Apply Now button at https://careers.nature.org/. Need help applying? Visit our recruitment page or contact applyhelp@tnc.org.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.

Do you have military experience? Visit our U.S. Military Skills Translator to match your military experience with our current job openings!

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

An attractive salary and benefits package is part of TNC’s value proposition to our employees. TNC strives to provide competitive pay and bases salaries on the geographic location of the role committing to being equitable across groups and providing hiring salary ranges when possible.

Since we support flexible and remote work for our employees, many positions have a flexible location within countries where we’re registered as a Non-government Organization and established as an employer. This may mean we’re unable to provide a hiring salary range in the posting for some of our positions. However, candidates invited to be part of our interview process will be provided their location specific range upon request.