Overview

Office Location:
Columbia, South Dakota, United States

#Li-Onsite

The primary workstation will be with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Columbia, SD; The Nature Conservancy’s Ordway Prairie Preserve in Leola, SD; and surrounding areas. Shared TNC housing may be available on the onsite at the Ordway Preserve on a temporary basis. This position may be eligible for relocation assistance/reimbursement depending. This position also qualifies for a performance bonus (after a 90-day assessment).

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.

Our 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. We know we’ll only achieve our Mission by hiring and engaging a diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we work. In addition to the requirements in our postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of inclusion! Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote myriad TNC staff members, “you’ll join for our mission, and you’ll stay for our people.”

What We Can Achieve Together:
The Missouri Coteau is a North American glacial moraine of roughly 17 million acres which includes our Ordway Prairie Preserve. Characterized by large tracts of native prairie and high-density potholes and lakes, the Missouri Coteau is vital and renowned for its breeding waterfowl (hence the name North America’s Duck Factory.) The patchwork landscape of Ordway Prairie combines grasslands, woods, and wetlands in a mosaic representation of millions of acres in the Great Plains and Midwest.

As the Conservation Technician, you will provide program support to staff and partners working toward the achievement of protection, conservation, and stewardship goals. You will assist The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and partners such as U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) with delivering conservation programs such as grassland and wetland easements. You will be responsible for establishing contact with private landowners interested in conserving native prairie and wetlands with conservation easements. You will also develop written evaluations (including maps using GIS) for lands to be considered in the easement program. Due to the nature our partnership with USFWS, overall supervision will be provided by TNC, but day-to-day direction and training will be provided by the USFWS regarding easement work.

As the Conservation Technician, you may assist TNC with biological surveys, data management, prescribed fire, land management practices, and outreach/education programs. You may work with a variety of partners to develop proposals and implement conservation projects focused on priority conservation goals identified in the Missouri Coteau conservation area of South Dakota.

You may be required to work some evening and weekend hours to accommodate landowners when they are available and when conditions are conducive for activities. The primary workstation will be with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Columbia, SD and/or The Nature Conservancy’s Ordway Prairie Preserve in Leola, SD. Shared TNC housing may be available on the onsite at the Ordway Preserve.

This position may be eligible for relocation assistance/reimbursement depending. This position also qualifies for a performance bonus (after a 90-day assessment.)

We’re Looking for You:
Are you looking for a career to help people and nature? Guided by science, TNC creates innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that people and nature can thrive together. We’re looking for someone with strong communication and collaboration skills as well as a desire to learn and grow professionally.  Come join TNC and apply today!

What You’ll Bring:

  • AS/Technical or vocational degree in science-related field and 2 years related experience in custodial and ecological land management or similar field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Experience with natural systems.
  •  Experience in ecological land management principles.
  • Experience operating and or repairing various types of equipment and machinery (such as ATVs, pickup trucks and trailers).
  • Must have a valid driver’s license.

In addition, the following skills and/or experiences would be an asset for this role but are not required. For applicants without these, please view these as areas or skillsets where you will have opportunities for growth and professional development:

  • Knowledge of wetland/grassland ecology of the Prairie Pothole Region, habitat management techniques, and knowledge of migratory birds and local wildlife.
  • Working knowledge of GIS programs.
  • Working knowledge of common software applications (e.g.; Word, Excel, Web browsers).
  • Ability to operate ATVs/UTVs and 4×4 pickup trucks with trailers
  • Ability to plan, administer and record or present results of work-team.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities, with assignments coming from multiple sources.
  • Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
  • Experience managing volunteers or entry level staff.
  • Ability to recognize plant and animal species to complete surveys.
  • Ability to complete tasks independently with respect to timeline(s).
  • Communicating clearly via written, spoken and graphical means in English and other relevant languages.

What We Bring:
Since 1951, The Nature Conservancy has been doing work you can believe in protecting the lands and waters that all life depends on. Through grassroots action, TNC has grown to become 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, we impact conservation throughout the world!

The Nature Conservancy offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including: health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan including employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work wellbeing benefits. Learn more about our benefits at in the Culture Tab on nature.org/careers.

We’re proud to offer a work-environment that is supportive of the health, wellbeing, and flexibility needs of the people we employ!

Additional Information:
TNC also fosters an environment supportive of empowering our employees, amplifying an equitable workforce, and creating opportunities to participate in our nine Employee Resource Groups.

In alignment with the global organization, the Tri-State chapter is making an intentional effort to creating a community of inclusivity and belonging through collaboration and feedback. We’re committed to building a culture based on trust, transparency, empathy, and accountability. We value individuality and difference of backgrounds and ideas, and we encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply.

Auto Safety Policy:
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 https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/careers/recruitment/ under the FAQ section.

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.

Salary Information:
The starting pay range for a candidate selected for this position is generally within the range of $22.75 – $25.00 hourly. 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.

 Apply Now:

To apply for job ID 56014, submit your materials online by using the Apply Now button at https://careers.nature.org/. Need help applying? Visit our recruitment page or contact applyhelp@tnc.org.

Candidates are encouraged to apply by 01/17/25. We review applications as they are received. As long as the posting is active we are accepting applications. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the job description will be removed from the website.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character 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 applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

An attractive salary and benefits package is part of TNC’s value proposition to our employees. TNC strives to provide competitive pay and bases salaries on the geographic location of the role committing to being equitable across groups and providing hiring salary ranges when possible.

Since we support flexible and remote work for our employees, many positions have a flexible location within countries where we’re registered as a Non-government Organization and established as an employer. This may mean we’re unable to provide a hiring salary range in the posting for some of our positions. However, candidates invited to be part of our interview process will be provided their location specific range upon request

This description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required for this job.