Flint Hills Stewardship Coordinator

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 includes a Commitment to Diversity and Respect for People,
Communities, and Cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding
mission, there’s lots of reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC
Talent playlist on YouTube or on Glassdoor.
For the past five decades, The Nature Conservancy has been working to conserve the Flint Hills, the last
landscape expression of tallgrass prairie. Only about four percent of this once vast expanse of grass
remains, making tallgrass prairie the most altered ecosystem in North American in terms of acres lost.
Roughly two‐thirds of what’s left is found in an approximately 50‐mile‐wide band of native rangeland
that runs north to south across east‐central Kansas and Oklahoma. To conserve the tallgrass prairie that
remains, The Nature Conservancy works cooperatively with ranchers, landowners, and other
stakeholders to address habitat fragmentation, woody plant encroachment, and invasive species, and to
support sustainable grazing and fire management. The Flint Hills Stewardship Coordinator will lead
implementation of land stewardship on four TNC properties in the Flint Hills: Skyline Preserve (723
acres), Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (10,876 acres), Flint Hills Tallgrass Prairie Preserve (2,188
acres), and a newly acquired property on Grouse Creek (320 acres). The Stewardship Coordinator will
work closely with partner agencies, organizations, and neighboring ranchers to develop and coordinate
conservation programs, identify high‐impact leverage opportunities, and maintain and manage TNCowned
lands as part of TNC’s Flint Hills Initiative.
What We Can Achieve Together:
The Flint Hills Stewardship Coordinator (Coordinator) will be responsible for the management of and
partnership opportunities pertaining to TNC‐owned lands within the Kansas portion of the Flint Hills. The
Coordinator will be responsible for a wide range of job duties related to TNC properties, and must be
able to balance effective property management with planning, maintenance, and relationship building.
The FHSC will identify challenges, threats, and opportunities unique to each TNC property to develop
effective and cohesive management strategies. Further, the FHSC will work with partners and ranchers
local to each property to model stewardship practices and concepts that help address critical threats to
the larger Flint Hills landscape.
Maintaining and building capacity for equipment and facilities will be critical to successfully
accomplishing the position goals. The Coordinator will lead work teams to ensure the coordination,
community support and implementation of preserve management plans. The Coordinator will maintain
preserve areas frequented by the visiting public, control exotic species and/or monitor and research
species, maintain tools and equipment, operate heavy machinery, and serve as an ambassador to the
visiting public. Further, the Coordinator will cooperate closely with the National Park Service (NPS) on all
projects related to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, a flagship property that TNC co‐manages with
the NPS.
We’re Looking for You:
Do you love working outdoors and with people? Are you interested in stewarding one of the most iconic
landscapes in Kansas for future generations? We’re looking for a someone who is equally comfortable
working in the field, supervising field staff, and networking with a wide variety of groups in the Flint
Hills. We’re also looking for someone who is eager work on projects like prescribed burns and to take
the related trainings. This is a great opportunity for a highly motivated, capable individual interested in
joining the world’s leading conservation organization and a fantastic team in Kansas!
What You’ll Bring:
 Bachelor’s degree and 3 years’ experience in natural resource management or similar field or
equivalent combination of education and experience.
 Experience managing staff or volunteers.
 Relationship building experience to work closely with a variety of partners, i.e., media,
government officials, internal scientists.
 Qualified as, or able to meet the qualifications of, the National Wildland Fire Coordinating Group
(NWCG) FireFighter Type 2 (FFT2) qualification. Requirements for FFT2 can be found in the
Conservancy Fire Management Manual at: https://www.tncfiremanual.org/FIrefighter.htm
 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.
 Experience in training.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
 3‐5 years’ experience in natural resource management, similar field or equivalent combination
of education and experience.
 Ability and willingness to apply science to decision‐making and guide activities.
 Familiarity with principles of land acquisition or similar asset acquisition.
 Knowledge of ecological land management principles.
 Knowledge of current trends and practices in conservation, land management and natural
resource preservation.