Coastal Partnerships and Projects Manager

What We Can Achieve Together:

Building nature-based solutions (NBS) for coastal resilience in Massachusetts and beyond.

The Nature Conservancy envisions a future where people and nature thrive together. It is one where communities protect and restore the coastal ecosystems that shield them from flooding and erosion while creating habitat for fish and wildlife and protecting biodiversity. Oyster reefs, once nearly gone, return as natural powerhouses that clean the water, shelter marine life, and buffer shorelines. Towns that once spent millions on emergency flood response find their marshes and dunes doing that work for free. Reaching this future means helping how coastal communities respond to climate change and its impacts.  We work with communities and partners across habitat types, restoration and nature-based design approaches (NBS), operating at system scale for meaningful results.

In Massachusetts, our coastal resilience initiative rests on two intertwined pillars — Climate-Prepared Communities and Protected & Restored Coastal Habitats — delivered by combining expert capacity, on-the-ground projects at scale, and strong partnerships. We are working to protect and restore nature so that systems become self-sustaining: when oysters clean the water, eelgrass returns; when shorelines are naturally protected, marsh erosion slows. 

We're Looking for You:

The Coastal Partnerships & Projects Manager is a key team member who will help create enabling conditions, advance and accelerate saltmarsh migration corridor land protection and coastal nature-based solutions to achieve TNC’s mission and 2030 goals addressing the climate and biodiversity crises.  An example workstream will likely include connecting prioritized salt marsh migration corridor parcel owners with protection/conservation partners, creating efficiencies in processes to accelerate and scale project delivery, and identifying and securing funding for land acquisition and marsh restoration.  Additionally, a part of this role will be to support effective coordination and information sharing among the active saltmarsh restoration community in MA, across TNC’s Northeast Division, and beyond.  The Coastal Partnerships & Projects Manager will also offer project support to multi-intervention estuary scale NBS deployment.  This newly created interdisciplinary position will work in close collaboration with MA TNC teams including Oceans and Coasts, Rivers and Lands, and Policy and Partnerships and other internal staff and external stakeholders at the nexus of coastal land protection, saltmarsh restoration, and NBS that result in system scale coastal recovery and function.

The Massachusetts Chapter believes in flexibility and as such, team members are working in a hybrid model: splitting workdays between home and utilizing TNC offices as needed. Our work has proven successful with a deliberate blend of virtual and in-person connections, as well as independent and collaborative work. This is considered a hybrid position and may work out of the Boston office or a home office. This position is initially offered for a term of three years with the possibility to transition to a permanent staff role. The majority of the work will take place in Eastern Massachusetts with travel expected for meeting attendance, partner engagements, and field visits.  Occasional regional or national travel may be necessary/appropriate. This position may work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, in difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.

RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

The ideal candidate should be a strategic systems thinker who has exceptional communication and project management skills as well as experience building meaningful professional relationships and convening and a variety of cross-functional colleagues and partners. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to The Nature Conservancy’s mission by accelerating coastal land protection and nature-based solutions! Specific responsibilities include:

Coordination and Facilitation:

• Build and manage relationships and complex partnerships including municipal, state, and federal agency staff, land trust and NGO staff, community members, contractors, researchers, and TNC staff at multiple scales of the organization.

• Schedule, plan, effectively facilitate, and follow up with groups, large and small.

• Coordinate and gain cooperation from governmental and non-governmental partners to advance specific land protection and coastal NBS projects.

• Support identifying and securing funding for land acquisition and restoration, including developing funding proposals or responding to public grant solicitations.   

Project management:

• Manage budgets, public and private fundraising, financial tracking and reporting, contracts, and vendors.

• Engage in conceptual project planning including the development of budget estimates, supply and logistics requirements, and projected timelines.

• Coordinate and synchronize project activities across multiple partners and stakeholder groups to achieve project objectives within a project’s life cycle.

• Develop detailed scopes of work and proposal requests for all required contract support.

• Identify, define, track, execute, and report on project deliverables.

• Under minimal supervision, make independent decisions based on analysis, experience, and context.

What You'll Bring:

• BA/BS degree and 5 years of experience in natural resource management, habitat restoration, land protection, coastal ecosystem processes, or policy.

• Demonstrated project management experience including managing multiple/various activities and deadlines.

• Impeccable organizational skills with accuracy and attention to detail.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and experience working across teams and communicating tactfully with a wide range of people.

• Experience working within/managing budgets and contracts.

• Requires a valid driver’s license.

​

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 the Auto Safety information page. 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 $76,000- $96,000 annually.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.

Who We Are:

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube   to hear stories from staff or visit  Glassdoor.

One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”

What We Bring:

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 and Perks here.

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

Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization 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 [email protected] with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.