Hiring

Stewardship Director

‍Posted June 22, 2026

Genesee Valley Conservancy is seeking an individual to oversee the organization’s stewardship department, responsible for maintaining protected lands: nature preserves, conservation easements, and cooperative conservation projects.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a successful and well-established organization as it expands its role of environmental stewardship in the Genesee Valley.  This position will afford leadership opportunities within the organization, collaborative teamwork with a passionate staff and meaningful impact on the organization’s growing stewardship work.

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Overview

The Stewardship Director will oversee a full-time steward, two part-time stewards, and a seasonal field team.  The stewardship department manages 226 conservation easements, six nature preserves, and on average four cooperative conservation projects.

This position will maintain these protected places, incorporate our ever increasing newly protected places, as well as explore enhanced stewardship possibilities for larger scale restoration projects.

Duties

Conservation Easement & Landowner Stewardship (60%)
This position will work with our stewardship staff to ensure 100% of easements are monitored annually and current condition reports are completed at least every 10 years.

Work with landowners of properties protected by conservation easement to uphold protections conveyed via these easements.

• Respond to landowner inquiries. ‍

• Resolve all easement related concerns.

• Assist buyers of conservation easement properties to ensure they understand the obligations of the easement.

The Stewardship Director will ensure baseline documentation for all to-be-acquired conservation easements is completed to facilitate proper future stewardship of those properties.
Collaborate with the Acquisitions Department on potential conservation easements.

Nature Preserve Stewardship (25%)
Create and implement management plans for preserves by coordinating trail, infrastructure, and habitat maintenance. This work will include overseeing:

• Annual work plan development to implement management plans.

• Creation of management plans for new nature preserves and cooperative conservation projects.

• Coordination of staff, contractors, and volunteers to complete projects, including regular trail maintenance volunteers, volunteer programming, and larger group (> 5 people) events.

• Project budgeting.

• Collaborate with Acquisitions Department on potential preserve acquisitions.

General Stewardship (10%)
Represent the organization as Stewardship Department director. This work will include:

• Participate in regular staff meetings and lead 1:1 meetings with direct reports

• Engage the stewardship committee: develop agendas and distribute minutes for bi-monthly meetings. Determine projects and assign work.

• Actively network with other organizations to enhance capacity through collaboration, including participating in the Statewide stewardship working group via virtual monthly meetings.

• Develop grant applications to fund projects that further the work of stewardship priorities.

• Keep stewardship supplies in shed organized and ensure tools are maintained.

Administrative (5%)
This position will assist other areas of the organization, including:

• Staff workdays

• Fundraising and community events (hikes, Oak Tree Race)

• Office assistance

Other

All work will be completed in accordance with the Employee Handbook, relevant organizational policies and procedures, and up to the standards of Land Trust Standards and Practices and the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

Required Qualifications 

• Excellent interpersonal skills including writing, email, phone, and in-person communication 

• Managerial experience

• Organized with attention to detail  

• Ability to have a flexible schedule and willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends 

• Must have valid NYS driver’s license and reliable transportation to be used during work 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Three or more years within the environmental field 

• Experience with cloud-based software: Office 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, Sharepoint), Constant Contact, Monday.com 

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in an environmental related field 

• Environmental and/or agricultural background 

• ‍Experience with non-profits, land conservancies, and Genesee Valley Conservancy, Inc. 

• Living within the Genesee River watershed

Location
This position is based out of Geneseo and will require travel throughout the Genesee Valley region (counties of Livingston, Wyoming, Ontario, Monroe, Steuben, Allegany, Genesee, and Erie).  Remote work possible part-time after a 6-month probationary period

Supervisor
Executive Director

Oversees
Stewardship staff and temporary staff (as needed) including interns and volunteers

Hours
Full-time, 40 hours/week (exempt position)

Starting Benefits

• Salary: $55-70k, based on related experience and qualifications

• Paid vacation (1hr per 26 worked), nine paid holidays, 40 hours NYS Sick Time upon hire

• $5,000 towards a company health plan

• 3% match to company Simple IRA

• Mileage reimbursed at Federal rate

• $2,000 stipend for training opportunities via webinars and in-person State and national conferences as desired

Conditions of Employment
The Employee Handbook[1] lists all policies, procedures, benefits, and working conditions to be followed as a condition of employment.

Start Date
Position is open until filled.  Ideal start: August 1

Application Review
Begins July 13.  Applications received before July 13 are assured full consideration.

To Apply:

Send a cover letter and resume to:
hiring@geneseevalleyconservancy.org

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[1] Employee Handbook will be made available upon request which has employment details.