Conservation Easement Boundary Support Staff

Conservation Easement Boundary Support Staff – 3-YR Term

2 Positions / Remote Work

Ducks Unlimited (DU) is an American nonprofit conservation organization 501(c) with a mission to conserve, restore, and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl. This mission closely parallels the goals and mission of one of DU’s biggest partners, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and specifically their conservation easement programs administered through the Farm Bill. The NRCS’s Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and the Emergency Watershed Protection Program Floodplain Easements (EWPP-FPE) restore and conserve thousands of acres of wetland and grassland habitat each year. In partnership with NRCS, DU is assisting NRCS with the delivery of conservation easement programs to increase NRCS’s capacity to meet growing funding levels. These positions will be home-officed; however, they will be expected to travel for team meetings and training held by DU and NRCS as necessary.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Conservation Easement Boundary Support Staff position will be responsible for helping NRCS in coordination with their Easement Programs Division (EPD) staff in the review and assessment easement boundary survey deliverables and plotting legal descriptions from ownership documents, as well as assisting with the implementation of easement projects in the States they are assigned. Positions will provide service to multiple States by working with EPD teams and their DU team leader.  This position requires someone that is detail oriented, highly organized, has a background in legal land surveying or related field, possesses exceptional communication skills, and is highly motivated to be a part of a large-scale conservation effort.

As part of the US-Held easement acquisition process, the boundary of the easement area must be delineated in a manner that is suitable for recording in the public record.  This position will provide technical assistance to NRCS staff to ensure that easement boundaries are completed and digitized according to the NRCS easement program’s land survey specifications, NRCS policy, and State statute, rules, and standards of practice. Duties will include, but are not limited to the following:

• Assist NRCS in the preparation of documents to obtain legal boundary surveys, including independent cost estimates. NRCS Staff will handle the contracting process.
• Assist NRCS in plotting(drawing land ownership and overlaying proposed easement shapefile) boundaries in AUTOCAD(Civil 3D),based on legal descriptions provided in ownership or title documents.
• Assist NRCS in drawing legal descriptions from deeds to verify power lines, accretion lands, exceptions, and grazing rights.
• Ensure the final shapefile deliverables are complete and meet all requirements and specifications to upload to the National Easement Geodatabase upon the easement closing.
• Assist in the re-establishment survey processes as requested by EPD, including checking re-establishment survey deliverables for meeting NRCSS land survey specifications.
• Set up cost estimate forms and prepare estimates & review the cost estimates to prepare the NRCS contracting officer representative for negotiating the final contract costs.
• Review preliminary survey deliverables and communicate revisions based on preliminary review using developed processes and forms.
• Conduct a final review of land survey deliverables to ensure that it accurately and correctly describes the area of enrollment and satisfies the requirements of the land survey specifications; communicate with NRCS and the survey or regarding revisions based on final survey review.
• Provide NRCS with a report documenting the status of the legal boundaryreviews.

The applicant should be highly motivated to be a part of a large-scale conservation effort and team that includes real estate specialists, land title experts, and biologists. These positions will be home-officed; however, they will be expected to travel for team meetings and training held by DU and NRCS as necessary.

Minimum Qualifications:

Candidate should have a 2-year technical degree in a related field, but B.S. is preferred.  Relevant experience in the engineering field of 5-10 years is preferred.  Preferred candidates must have an extensive knowledge of boundary surveying and surveying processes. The successful candidate must have demonstrated the ability to think strategically, manage multiple assignments with different deadlines, and adopt new approaches in response to changing circumstances. The candidate must be willing and able to travel as needed, including some overnight travel. This position will consist of office work; no fieldwork will be required.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Extensive knowledge of general survey practices andprocedures.
• Extensive knowledge of GIS softwareand the abilityto import and manipulate shapefiles.
• Knowledge of AutoCADand Civil 3D.
• Knowledge ofreading anddrawing oflegal descriptions.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as a member of a team.
• Ability to effectively plan, organize and prioritize work activities and complete tasks to meet deadlines.
• Possess strong personal skillstoeffectively communicate with USDA staff,DU staff and entities working with USDA on conservation easement projects.
• Possess good verbal skills to communicate project status and updates as needed.
• Ability to work independently andmaintaina high levelof productivity in a remote work environment.

These positions will report directly to DU’s Manager of Conservation Programs – USDA Partnerships. These positions are for a 3-year term with the opportunity to extend based upon funding availability.

Benefits/Salary: Salary $65,000 - $77,000, commensurate with experience & education. We work hard to encourage everyone at Ducks Unlimited to bring their authentic selves to work every day. DU offers an exceptional benefit package that includes comprehensive group medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance, including spouse and dependent coverage; three weeks paid vacation; paid sick leave and 10 paid holidays; 401(k) plan (including partial employer match); and tuition reimbursement.

Application: Please fill out the application materials and attach a cover letter and resume indicating your qualifications and why you are interested in the position. The position will be open until it is filled.

Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted until a qualified applicant is identified. Qualified applications will be batched for interviews.

DUCKS UNLIMITED, INC. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER It is the policy of Ducks Unlimited, Inc. to afford equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, military status, disability, age, or genetic information, except where age or gender is a bona fide occupational qualification as allowed by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is the policy of Ducks Unlimited, Inc. to afford equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 or over), disability (physical, mental or visual), genetic information, marital status (including registered domestic partnership status), military and veteran status, immigration status, or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.