| Job Description: |
Department: Public Policy
Reports to: Public Policy Specialist
Location: Washington, D.C.
Overview
The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation organization working to save the places people love by strengthening land conservation throughout America. The Alliance is leading a national campaign to change the federal tax code and secure funding at the federal, state and local levels so that landowners can afford to choose conservation in the midst of enormous pressure to develop. We serve as a university for land conservation that trains the people who do the work to conserve your favorite farm, forest, park or trail. We strengthen community-based land trusts by providing workshops, online learning, research, standards, and support for accreditation services. Our conservation defense initiative ensures that land, once protected, stays protected for all time. Finally, we leverage national media to engage more Americans in the act of saving our most treasured places.
Summary Description
The Public Policy Associate serves as the information hub for a public policy team working to mobilize the Alliance’s grass-tops constituency. While the position includes substantial administrative support for the policy team, we seek a candidate with a demonstrated interest in conservation policy who is capable of proactively researching political relationships, drafting informational materials on conservation issues, and communicating directly with land trusts, coalition partners, and federal officials.
Specific Responsibilities
- Support a grasstops advocacy network by researching and maintaining a database of land trust relationships with federal officials. Develop procedures to make this information more accessible, actionable, and easily updatable for staff throughout the organization.
- Collaborate with the Public Policy Specialist to draft, update and re-purpose policy fact-sheets, action alerts, fundraising appeals, and other communications for a variety of internal and external audiences.
- Maintain the Public Policy content on the Alliance Web site, making sure that it is effective, accurate, and up to date.
- Collect and organize success stories and press clips related to our policy priorities.
- Schedule, prepare packets for, and occasionally attend meetings with government officials and partners to advance policy goals of the organization, secure increased federal funding and tax incentives for land conservation, and raise federal policymakers’ awareness of voluntary conservation techniques.
- Coordinate with other members of the policy team and field staff to mobilize land trust leaders in targeted districts to support federal policy efforts.
- Support state and local funding campaigns by facilitating coordination between local land trusts and national partners, and potentially, handling grant paperwork.
- Support logistics for Alliance events including Land Trust Lobby Day and policy-related activities at Rally--the National Land Conservation Conference.
- Provide administrative support to the entire policy team, including handling expense paperwork, lobbying disclosures, scheduling, travel arrangements, and maintaining contact lists.
- Respond to inquiries from the public and member organizations about federal legislation affecting land conservation and the policy activities of the organization generally.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in political science, communications, environmental studies, or a related field.
- 1-2 years experience in a fast paced, team oriented office environment, preferably at a non-profit, association, or advocacy-related organization where the ability to respond quickly to changing priorities is a must
- Experience with Microsoft Office applications, including familiarity with mail-merging. Database, web editing (Plone CMS), and/or GIS experience a plus.
- Must be able to work constructively with others from a broad range of political perspectives.
- Proven ability to handle multiple tasks and to organize and maintain information resources
- Ability to occasionally travel and attend evening events.
Compensation
Competitive salary and benefits provided commensurate with experience.
Contact
Send resume, cover letter and a brief persuasive writing sample (work-related, academic, or personal) via email to hr@lta.org. If email is not an option, applications will be accepted by mail to Human Resources Manager, Land Trust Alliance, 1660 L Street NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20036
The Land Trust Alliance’s mission is to save the places people love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Land Trust Alliance is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or marital status.
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