Position Posted: February 11, 2025

Application Deadline: March 5, 2025. Applications may be reviewed on a rolling basis until filled.

Position Type: Full-time, exempt

THE ORGANIZATION

Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVLT) is the only locally based, nonpolitical, non-government land conservation

organization dedicated to protecting private lands in the Roaring Fork and middle Colorado River valley.

Located in Carbondale, Colorado, AVLT has been protecting open space and special places for the benefit of

wildlife, agriculture, and community throughout the region since 1967. We are seeking a motivated and

responsible Deputy Director to support the Executive Director and our growing team.

In 2020, AVLT adopted a 5-year strategic direction through a comprehensive visioning and planning process,

which included a robust community engagement process, and charted a path toward transformational growth.

This strategic plan identified four pillars of our work: 1) protecting key land in perpetuity; 2) stewarding

conserved land to remain vital in the future; 3) engaging our diverse community in conservation; and 4)

building organizational capacity and resilience to carry out our mission in perpetuity.

AVLT’s conservation priorities and goals are guided by a 10-year Strategic Conservation Plan that sets forth a

goal of doubling the amount of private land conserved by AVLT by 2032. It establishes priorities for both

landscape-scale conservation to protect climate resiliency, biodiversity, and agriculture, as well as community centered conservation projects that benefit and engage our communities.

AVLT currently holds and stewards 225 conservation easements and 14 fee owned properties that protect

nearly 48,000 acres of agricultural, recreational, and natural lands. A new “ambassador lands” program brings

children, schools, partner nonprofits, and the community to special places like AVLT’s Coffman Ranch and

Marble Basecamp to help strengthen the conservation movement and our community over time. To support

the breadth and depth of its work, AVLT has undertaken a multi-million-dollar capacity-building and capital

campaign known as Conserving Land and Connecting Community. Its desired outcomes include growing AVLT’s

capacity to conserve land at scale, growing its presence in the community by building a forever home at

Coffman Ranch, and making its ambassador properties safe, welcoming, and accessible to local schools,

partners, and the public.

THE CULTURE

AVLT is an energetic and growing team of 10 staff guided by a 12-member volunteer board of directors. We

are tight-knit, collegial, and committed to a culture of respect, trust, inclusion, work/life balance, and yes, fun!

We establish realistic but ambitious goals and objectives based on our strategic plan, which are determined

and tracked by annual and quarterly work plans rather than by micro-management or rigid schedules. We

provide a flexible work environment based on a high degree of trust for staff with regular check-ins.

AVLT is committed to making conservation more impactful, inclusive, equitable, and responsive to community

needs, which means we value building trusting relationships across all demographics of our communities. This

requires AVLT and the Deputy Director to embrace change, listen to and respond to our community, honor

relationships, and innovate new conservation tools and solutions. Personal and professional growth is

encouraged and required.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Deputy Director is fundamental to the long-term success of AVLT and essential to overseeing the day-today functions of the organization, maintaining effective communication within the organization, assisting the

Executive Director and Board with long-term planning, and ensuring that AVLT fulfills its conservation and

stewardship goals. The role supports the Executive Director primarily in managing and guiding staff, enhancing

interdepartmental communication, developing and implementing organizational strategies, leading key

initiatives and special projects, streamlining project management, and supporting fundraising efforts. The role

is critical to advancing the land trust's mission and accelerating land conservation efforts in the region.

This position has opportunity for growth, creativity, innovation, and bold leadership as our dynamic team

grows to take on a more challenging and important role in the community. We are looking for someone who

has leadership and/or management experience, is willing to help evaluate and improve existing programs,

work with the team to develop and implement new tools, challenge assumptions, and work collaboratively

with our team and grow network of partners to achieve the goals of our strategic plan. This position requires

an individual with the initiative, sensitivity, enthusiasm, and skills to manage a team, grow relationships, and

coordinate multiple programs, projects, and partnerships.

This is a new, full-time, salaried position. It may be structured to best suit the successful candidate’s

strengths, qualifications, and experience. Basic duties of this position may include:

Leadership and Management

• Support the Executive Director (ED) in developing and implementing organizational strategic plans,

policies, procedures, and goals.

• Assume essential function of ED during ED’s absence or when assigned.

• Oversee and manage approximately 4-6 staff positions, providing leadership, guidance, regular check-ins

and professional development opportunities.

• Participate in hiring, onboarding, and training of staff.

• Help staff develop annual and quarterly work plans with measurable outcomes to support strategic goals

and objectives, with oversight from ED.

• Ensure effective internal communication and coordination among teams in alignment with AVLT’s culture

commitment.

• Facilitate decision-making by helping to gather information, structure decisions, and ensure follow-up on

action items across departments.

• Assist ED in managing select board committees. Help ED coordinate relationships with board members,

set agendas, and present at meetings as appropriate.

Advancing Conservation Goals

• Work with partners, consultants, and advisors as necessary to develop programs and projects.

• Monitor and report on progress toward organizational objectives, ensuring that staff have the support

and capacity necessary to attain objectives.

• Oversee data collection and analysis for conservation outcomes, helping the team measure and

communicate the project impact.

• Stay up to date on the latest strategies and tools in land conservation and stewardship. Work with ED

and staff to continuously integrate emerging information to respond to evolving challenges and advance

long-term conservation goals.

• Assume role of or oversee staff Project Manager for AVLT’s Coffman Ranch and/or Marble Basecamp

infrastructure development and program management.

Support Fundraising and Development

• Collaborate with the development and communications team to identify and pursue funding

opportunities, including grants, individual donors, and corporate sponsors.

• Assist with Conserving Land and Connecting Community campaign activities and relationship building.

• Supervise grant applications, tracking, and reporting for the organization.

• Oversee data collection and analysis for fundraising and event outcomes. Provide general support for

events, fundraising, communications, and other AVLT duties as appropriate.

• Represent the land trust at public events, meetings, and in communications with media, donors, and the

community.

Finance and Operations

• Assist Executive Director, Finance Director, and staff to develop program and grant budgets aligned with

AVLT's strategic plan and assist in the regular reporting and evaluation of those budgets.

• Maintain working knowledge of operating budget and financial performance of AVLT.

Skills and Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years’ experience in land or water conservation, natural resource

management, land planning, agriculture, non-profit or business management, leadership, or related field.

• Proven leadership and management experience, with the ability to motivate and manage staff.

• Meeting facilitation and team-building skills.

• Project management experience; ability to coordinate multiple partners and goals.

• Ability to organize people and tasks efficiently, identify the best systems for getting things done and

evaluating success. Know what to measure and how to measure it.

• Experience and/or willingness to engage in fundraising, including grant writing and donor cultivation.

• Sense of tact, awareness, compassion, and humor when working with others.

• Comfort with public speaking on behalf of AVLT.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both verbal and written, with experience engaging

diverse stakeholders. Ability to communicate vision, passion, and inspiration, while also being clear, kind,

and constructive.

• Proficiency with MS Office, including Sharepoint, PowerPoint and Excel, and Google Business Suite.

• Basic understanding of employment and human resources principles and practices helpful.

• Bilingual fluency (English/Spanish) preferred.

Other Information:

This position is based out of the main AVLT office in Carbondale. Occasional weekend and evening

commitments are required (4-6 weekend days per year and occasional evenings). Valid driver’s license and

personal transportation to occasional meetings and site visits throughout AVLT’s service area.

Reporting: This position will report to the Executive Director.

Salary and Benefits: Full time, exempt position. Salary range $90,000-$120,000 depending on experience.

Flexible work schedule; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; retirement plan; employee health insurance

and HSA contributions (with options for dental and vision insurance); professional development

opportunities and trainings; travel and expense reimbursements.

Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Please email your cover letter, resume, and writing sample to

Melissa Sumera (Melissa@avlt.org) by March 5, 2025. Start date negotiable, desired by April 15, 2025.