Project Manager

Project Manager – Maine Coast Heritage Trust

Join a premiere conservation organization dedicated to protecting the character of the Maine coast. We are seeking a strategic and community-minded Project Manager to oversee land protection efforts in a vital coastal region spanning from Camden to Ellsworth, including the iconic Merchant Row islands. In this role, you will be the primary bridge between private landowners, partner agencies, and local communities, transforming conservation goals into permanent reality. You will work in a high-impact environment where real estate expertise, creative fundraising, and relationship-building intersect to preserve Maine’s natural legacy for future generations.

Essential Job Functions

• Plan for, prioritize, initiate, and complete conservation projects in the designated region. This includes identifying important conservation opportunities; initiating contact and negotiating with landowners; responding to incoming opportunities; developing and implementing effective conservation strategies; providing education and consultation to the landowners, family members and their advisors; supporting project fundraising activities and successfully negotiating and closing multiple real estate acquisitions and transactions ranging from simple to complex in nature within the confines of authority from the Board of Directors and with guidance from our General Counsel.

• Work directly with MCHT’s Stewardship Department to develop stewardship budgets for active land protection projects and assist with management planning for protected properties. Be MCHT’s expert regarding current work in land protection. Serve as a knowledgeable and respected land protection leader, advisor and spokesperson for MCHT and for partners including local, statewide, and national land trusts and organizations.

• Represent MCHT at local, regional, state, and national levels at conferences, industry gatherings and committees, events, and with the media to highlight MCHT’s mission and projects, in coordination with the Communications Department.

• Develop, maintain, and enhance the productive, strategic working relationships that are a hallmark of MCHT’s conservation programs, and form alliances with new partners.

• Develop and present brief written updates on specific projects or land protection priority areas to relevant MCHT Board Committees.

• Oversee multiple contractors, ensure completeness and quality, and maintain professional relationships with surveyors, attorneys, and other contractors who perform various duties for MCHT in relation to land projects.

• Perform special projects and other related duties as required, directed, or as the situation dictates.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Provides general oversight and supervision to outside contractors.

About the Role

As Project Manager, you will handle a diverse portfolio of land protection projects, managing the entire lifecycle from initial landowner outreach to final closing. You act as a multifaceted leader, balancing the technical demands of real estate negotiation and financing with the interpersonal nuances of community engagement and donor relations. By collaborating with MCHT’s Stewardship and Communications departments, you ensure that every project is not only successfully acquired but also sustainably managed and celebrated. You will serve as a respected spokesperson for MCHT, representing our mission at regional and national levels while managing the specialized contractors necessary to complete complex land transactions.