Land Acquisition Coordinator

Job Summary:

The Milwaukee Land Acquisition Coordinator is responsible for implementing, in cooperation with the Milwaukee Program Director, the Metropolitan Sewerage District’s (MMSD) Greenseams® and Working Soils® programs. Greenseams is an acquisition program for flood management that protects hydric soils and connects publicly owned parcels of land along river corridors in a four-county area. Working Soils, a complimentary program to Greenseams, aims to permanently conserve working lands to protect water retention abilities and improve water quality in collaboration with the Milwaukee River Watershed Conservation Partnership. The Land Acquisition Coordinator works as part of a team to identify, guide, and manage conservation acquisition land transactions.  The Coordinator works in collaboration with a team of professionals within MMSD; outside contracted real estate service providers; local municipality, county and state government staff; area land trusts; community nonprofits; and The Conservation Fund’s staff.  The position involves traveling frequently in the Milwaukee area and surrounding counties.

Duties:

• Coordinate and administer the Greenseams and Working Soils programs in collaboration with The Conservation Fund’s Milwaukee Program Director and MMSD’s Program Managers;
• Act as  primary contact and lead on outreach and initial meetings with landowners of priority parcels within Greenseams® and Working Soils® project areas;
• Respond to and track inquiries about potential conservation projects, providing landowners and other interested members of the public with information about the Greenseams® and Working Soils® programs;
• Engage with landowners to evaluate potential land acquisition projects, including field assessment of potential sites for the conservation values important to program goals;
• Identify and cultivate viable take-out partners throughout the service area as needed to meet program goals;
• In coordination with Program Director and Managers, negotiate transaction terms, and in coordination with legal counsel, review draft option agreements, purchase contracts, conservation easements, and baseline reports to secure site control of the land to be protected;
• Identify and suggest improvements related to the land transaction activities, processes, and procedures;
• Review due diligence products and make recommendations for addressing any issues or concerns; work with Program Director, landowners, contract and in-house legal counsel, and vendors on resolutions;
• In coordination with the Milwaukee Program Coordinator and Milwaukee Program Assistant, manage process for organizational approval of transactions through MMSD and The Conservation Fund;
• Support team in meeting program goals for annual conservation easement monitoring and land management and restoration projects;
• Assist with or assume lead on projects and other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor degree required; preference for advanced education in applicable field such as Master in natural resources fields; paralegal certificate; real estate license; or similar; and minimum of 4 years of experience.
• To be successful in this role, an individual must possess excellent communication skills and be able to create and maintain great working relationships with partners of all sectors and landowners throughout our region.
• Must have experience with real estate purchasing and knowledge of land negotiation process, with ability to negotiate independently; and knowledge of principles and practices of real estate title; land use planning; ecology and agriculture; legal description standards; and pertinent federal, state, and local laws and ordinances related to planning, zoning, and natural resource protection.
• Strong technical skills with GIS and ESRI products, handheld Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Microsoft Office Suite, and ability to learn new and advanced technology.
• Willingness to travel extensively in the four-county area surrounding Milwaukee.
• Ability to work effectively as part of the Greenseams and Working Soils teams.
• Ability to work nights as needed.
• Must be attentive to detail and meet deadlines, multitask on multiple projects, and work well under pressure.
• Ability to work effectively with a wide range of people and organizations, and political climates.
• Ability to establish new partnerships to further program goals and initiatives.
• A valid driver’s license with a good motor vehicle record is needed to travel throughout the state.

Apply online at link included