Easement Specialist - Remote

Easement Specialist

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 with the delivery of conservation easement programs to increase NRCS’s capacity to meet growing funding levels. This position will be home-officed, however, will be expected to travel for team meetings and trainings held by DU and NRCS as necessary. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Easement Specialist will be responsible for providing support to NRCS in coordination with their Easement Programs Division (EPD) staff to assist 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 will be responsible for ensuring that program applications have all required documents including land eligibility along with preliminary plans for how the site will be restored to achieve maximum program benefits. This position requires someone that is detail oriented, highly organized, has a strong background in wildlife biology or related field, has exceptional communication skills, and is highly motivated to be a part of a large-scale conservation effort. 

• Maintain expertise in NRCS ACEP, RCPP, and other easement program policies, bulletins, and national guidance. 
• Manage multiple-state easement portfolios, tracking projects from application through acquisition and completion. 
• Analyze project timelines and identify actions needed to achieve timely acquisition. 
• Review land and landowner eligibility documentation to ensure federal compliance and coordinate with NRCS State Offices to resolve deficiencies. Review maps, restoration plans, conservation plans, and grassland management plans to ensure they meet program objectives. 
• Determine the need for easement due diligence, request due diligence orders, and assist in review/acceptance of due diligence.
• Review state-specific easement compensation methodology and complete valuation reviews.
• Draft and evaluate programmatic waiver requests for compliance with criteria and work with NRCS State Offices to address incomplete submissions. 
• Ensure land eligibility criteria align with conservation easement deeds and are accurately entered into easement business tools. 
• Conduct preliminary reviews of Title Commitments and legal access documentation to support Realty Specialists. 
• For Wetland Reserve Easements (WRE), verify that preliminary restoration plans are documented in Conservation Desktop and align with enrollment purposes and state Wetland Restoration Criteria Guidelines (WRCGs). 
• Ensure ranking criteria and awarded points are accurately reflected in restoration plans and conservation easement deeds. 
• Draft, review, and quality-check easement agreement packages for completeness and accuracy in accordance with NRCS policy. 
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and participate in recurring meetings as needed.

Minimum Qualifications: 

Preferred candidates must have a bachelor's degree in wildlife, environmental science, restoration ecology or related conservation field, preferably a M.S. The successful candidate must have demonstrated the ability to think strategically, manage multiple assignments with different deadlines, work independently while maintaining focus and productivity, and adopt new approaches in response to changing circumstances. Must have reliable high-speed internet access sufficient to support daily remote work, virtual meetings, file sharing, and cloud-based applications. 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:

• Knowledge of Farm Bill conservation easement programs, with a passion for conservation and working landscapes.
• Experience partnering with private landowners and NRCS.
• Field experience in wetlands, grasslands, aquatic systems, or related natural resources preferred.
• Background in conservation planning, wetland restoration, or land management planning preferred.
• Ability to review and evaluate restoration, grassland management, and conservation plans.
• Familiarity with deeds, title work, and real estate transaction documents.
• Familiarity with land surveys and legal descriptions.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to prioritize competing deadlines and keep projects moving forward.
• Proficiency with ArcGIS, database management tools,and common business software, including Microsoft Office with particular emphasis on Excel, Word, Outlook, and Adobe Acrobat—and the ability to accurately create, edit, organize, manage, and troubleshoot spreadsheets, PDFs, correspondence, and database records.
• Proven ability to build partnerships, collaborate across diverse teams, and foster a positive, solutions-focused work environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to organize and manage a large workload.
• Strong interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills, with a collaborative approach to problem-solving.
• Self-motivated and highly organized, with the ability to thrive in a remote work environment while maintaining productivity and accountability.

This position will report directly to DU’s Manager of Conservation Programs – USDA Partnerships. This position is funded with a federal agreement that expires September 30, 2028. There will be an opportunity to extend based upon funding availability. 

Benefits/Salary: Salary $65,000 to $77,000, commensurate with experience & education. DU offers an exceptional benefit package, including comprehensive group medical, prescription, dental and vision insurance, including spouse and dependent coverage; three weeks paid vacation, paid sick leave, and ten paid holidays; 401(k) plan (including partial employer match); and tuition reimbursement.

Application: Please complete all 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 filled.

Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted until a qualified applicant is identified. Qualified applications will be batched for interviews. DU would like to fill this position as soon as possible.