Easement Specialist - Remote

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 of DU’s partner, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), particularly their conservation easement programs under the Farm Bill. The NRCS’s Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and Emergency Watershed Protection Program Floodplain Easements (EWPP-FPE) restore and conserve thousands of acres of wetland and grassland habitat annually. In partnership with NRCS, DU assists in delivering these programs to increase NRCS’s capacity to meet growing funding levels. This is a remote position, though travel for team meetings and trainings will be required.

Responsibilities

• Provide support to NRCS’s Easement Programs Division (EPD) to assist with the implementation of easement projects in assigned states, working with EPD teams and DU leadership.
• Ensure program applications include all required documents, such as land eligibility and preliminary restoration plans to maximize program benefits.
• Maintain expertise in NRCS ACEP, RCPP, and other easement program policies, bulletins, and national guidance.
• Manage multi-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 for 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 orders, and assist in review/acceptance.
• Review state-specific easement compensation methodology and complete valuation reviews.
• Draft and evaluate programmatic waiver requests for compliance 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.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in wildlife, environmental science, restoration ecology, or a related conservation field; a master’s degree is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, manage multiple assignments with different deadlines, and work independently while maintaining focus and productivity.
• Reliable high-speed internet access sufficient to support daily remote work, virtual meetings, file sharing, and cloud-based applications.
• Willingness and ability to travel as needed, including some overnight travel.
• No fieldwork required; this is an office-based position.

Skills

• Knowledge of Farm Bill conservation easement programs and 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 (Microsoft Office, Excel, Word, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat).
• 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.

Benefits

• 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 with partial employer match.
• Tuition reimbursement.

Pay

Salary range: $65,000 to $77,000, commensurate with experience and education.

This position reports directly to DU’s Manager of Conservation Programs – USDA Partnerships and is funded with a federal agreement expiring September 30, 2028, with potential for extension based on funding availability.