Land Stewardship Administrator, Land Preservation
Mercer County (NJ) Planning Department serves 12 diverse municipalities within urban, suburban and rural settings in Central New Jersey. Mercer County has had an aggressive land preservation program for over 30 years. The Mercer County Planning Department is seeking an individual with 5 plus years of experience in the preservation of open space and farmland. This position is a supervisory level position overseeing entry level staff and working with senior staff on implementing and supporting all aspects of the County’s open space program.
Required Experience:
- A working knowledge of the New Jersey Green Acres acquisition program and regulations, including acquisition, park development, compliance and stewardship of Green Acres funds;
- A working knowledge of the New Jersey Farmland preservation program and the State Agriculture Development Committee regulations, including farmland preservation, annual monitoring and right to farm compliance;
- Supervisory experience;
- Experience working with numerous state and local governments and nonprofit land preservation organizations on cooperative preservation goals and projects;
- Understanding of funding resources and financial strategies and budgeting involved in land preservation;
- Ability to negotiate land purchases with landowners and other funding partners;
- Knowledge of regional comprehensive master planning and familiarity with planning issues and concepts relevant to regional planning and land use;
- Ability to work in the field to oversee stewardship, annual monitoring and compliance issues that relate to preserved farmland and public open space;
- Ability to hire and manage outside professional consulting firms and personnel;
- Ability to develop, evaluate and implement policy proposals related to open space, farmland preservation, parks and trail development;
- Willingness to work with volunteer boards to advance program objectives;
- Experience in identifying and writing grant applications for funding land preservation and stewardship, and parks and trails development Required Skills:
- Analytical experience and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment;
- Self-motivated and able to work independently and on several projects at a time;
- Exceptional communication, organizational, time management and interpersonal skills;
- Strong interpersonal and cross functional collaborative skills;
- Excellent attention to detail and the ability to collect and organize data in a way that improves the Department’s ability to plan and implement projects;
- Ability to prepare clear, technically sound accurate and informative planning reports and studies;
- Proficient with Microsoft access, Excel, word, PowerPoint;
- Working knowledge of GIS
Educational Requirements:
The candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Degrees and major coursework in, planning, environmental planning, agriculture, environmental science, geography, landscape architecture, and other related fields will be considered with relevant experience. Must possess a valid driver’s license.
Candidate must be a Mercer County resident within one year of employment. Candidate will be subject to all Civil Service regulations and processes.
Salary Range : $65,000 – $80,000
Send application, resume and cover letter to: Raissa Walker, Personnel Director, Mercer County Administration Building,
640 South Broad Street, PO Box 8068, Trenton, NJ 08650-0068 or via e-mail to personnel@mercercounty.org.
Click here for the County Application for Employment
EEO/AA/ADA Employer
