Preserve Manager

Preserve Manager– Northern California

Location: Northern California – Sacramento/Davis area (preserves located in Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo counties, CA)

Position: Permanent / Full-time (1.0 FTE); Exempt (Salaried)

Compensation: $68,640 – $78,640 annually ($74,542 - $84,542 including home office and phone stipends) with benefits, including but not limited to 11 paid holidays annually; three weeks of vacation annually (progressive); sick leave; substantial employer contribution to health insurance plan; dental and vision plans; employer contribution to retirement plan

Reports to: Regional Preserve Manager – Northern California Region

Application deadline: The position is open until filled but for fullest consideration, please apply by June 19, 2026.

Position Summary and General Duties

The Preserve Manager – Northern California (Preserve Manager) will practice on-the-ground conservation of populations of rare and endangered species using science-based principles and adaptive management. This position integrates the full range of applied conservation activities: planning, implementing, budgeting, reporting, analyzing, interpreting, communicating, and problem solving! The Preserve Manager will play a lead role in the overall stewardship and management of a specific portfolio of preserves in northern California which have been permanently protected for conservation purposes. The preserves—that range in size from ~60 to1,400 acres—are characterized as annual and perennial grassland, vernal pools, seasonal and alkali wetlands, and riparian areas. These preserves support a variety of rare and sensitive species, including state- and federally listed plants and vernal pool invertebrates. This position offers the opportunity to make a meaningful and direct contribution to the conservation of rare vernal pool and grassland ecosystems and the species that depend on them.

The Preserve Manager will provide resource management in accordance with the onsite conservation values, any regulatory requirements of the preserves, CNLM's stewardship standards and practices, and the preserve-specific management plans. The Preserve Manager will contribute to CNLM's expertise and documentation of "best management practices" for managing rare and protected plant and animal species. There is a considerable degree of autonomy and responsibility associated with the position because of CNLM's organizational structure, which focuses on preserve management rather than high levels of administration and supervision.

The position of Preserve Manager requires maintenance of a home office for which CNLM provides a stipend. A company vehicle may be provided at management's discretion.

This is a unique opportunity to play a direct role in conserving some of California's most sensitive and biologically important landscapes while working with a mission-driven organization dedicated to long-term stewardship and conservation excellence.

About CNLM

The Center for Natural Lands Management (CNLM) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, created in 1990, whose mission is the perpetual stewardship of natural and created conservation lands, sensitive species, and their resident ecosystems. Conservation stewardship activities are practiced on preserves in California, Oregon, and Washington. CNLM currently has a preserve portfolio of over 110 preserves that combined represent more than 75,000 acres of high conservation value.

Central to CNLM's mission and fundamental to its success are the principles of rigorous cost estimation for managing conservation areas in perpetuity and application of appropriate scientific information for conservation and restoration. CNLM staff developed the iconic "PAR" software and makes it available (now through subscription to the app) to the conservation community to assist with determination of perpetual stewardship costs. CNLM is significant in its focus on rare and vulnerable species, small populations, and sensitive habitats. Stewardship staff have a strong background in natural sciences, applying principles from conservation biology, and a passion for contributing to conservation success through long-term, on-the-ground management. To fulfill its conservation mission, CNLM has a well-established practice of selecting and investing in excellent staff.

CNLM offers generous paid vacation and sick time, retirement contributions, and other financial benefits. Most importantly, we offer the opportunity to work with a team of talented and committed conservation professionals and to achieve a legacy of substantial conservation impact.

General Responsibilities

• Provide stewardship and adaptive management for the portfolio of preserves including planning, management, enhancement, (biological and other – e.g., weather, hydrological) monitoring, reporting, budget preparation and management, and other activities
• Conduct easement compliance monitoring on properties where CNLM holds conservation easements
• Develop and maintain a permanent record of preserve activities, decisions taken, and preserve conditions
• Prepare and implement annual work plans, budgets, and reports
• Review monitoring protocols, analyze and interpret the results of monitoring activities, and incorporate this information into management activities and plans
• Work collaboratively, productively, and professionally with other CNLM staff, landowners, regulatory agencies, consultants, contractors, and other conservation organizations and partners
• Identify any additional (beyond provided budget and work plan) important activities, develop plans, and participate in efforts to acquire additional resources
• Conduct biological monitoring, including occurrences and populations of native, listed, and nonnative species of plants and animals
• Implement vegetation treatment and management activities—that may include targeted grazing, selective herbicide use, mechanical methods, or prescribed/ecological burns—for high-priority nonnative invasive plant species and to maintain desired vegetative structure
• Occasionally participate in acquiring new CNLM preserves which includes conducting PAR (Property Analysis Record) analyses on new properties and conducting associated field surveys and due diligence as needed
• Participate in internal and external stewardship and conservation science events and, as needed, participate in the acquisition of new preserves
• Fulfill other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Master of Science (or Arts) degree (strongly preferred) in Botany, Natural Resource Management, Biology, Wildlife Ecology, Range Ecology, or related field OR – Bachelor of Science or Arts degree with strong emphasis in biology- related discipline and related work experience.
• Sound knowledge—identification, life history characteristics, management—of northern California native plants.
• Relevant experience in land stewardship, including application of good management practices, biological monitoring, restoration, and property protection, restoration, and management of rare or fragile species; at least three years of such experience is desirable.
• Ability to quickly learn monitoring protocols and gain experience that will lead to appropriate (State and federal, as appropriate) permits. Species of interest for this preserve portfolio include vernal pool tadpole shrimp (Lepidurus packardi), and vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi).
• Excellent communication skills; ability to write professional stewardship-related plans, reports, and other documents (without dependence on AI).
• Demonstrated effectiveness in working collaboratively and professionally with colleagues, committees, contractors, and landowners.
• Able to structure time effectively and meet deadlines.
• Able to prepare and manage annual Preserve budgets and implement scheduled work plans.
• Proven self-starter, able to work efficiently and effectively with minimal supervision, and able to appropriately use initiative to meet habitat management goals.
• Some familiarity with federal, state, and local environmental legislation and codes such as the California and Federal Endangered Species Acts and ability to work with appropriate discretion in a context involving listed species and regulatory requirements.
• Working knowledge of GIS and GPS technologies and associated software and of Windows operating systems and PC applications such as Microsoft Office Suite; familiarity with statistical analyses software.
• Possession and maintenance of a valid driver's license and safe driving record.
• Ability to operate from a home office, to provide a safe location for a CNLM vehicle if one is provided, and to make efficient use of the limited funds available for transportation in traveling to/from the Preserve and conducting other work-related responsibilities.

Additional Desired Qualifications

• Experience in management of annual grasslands, vernal pools, and seasonal wetlands is highly desirable.
• Experience in monitoring vernal pool species—particularly vernal pool branchiopods—and possession of appropriate permits is highly desirable.
• Experience in monitoring grassland plant species is highly desirable. Species of interest for this preserve portfolio include palmate-bracted bird's-beak (Cordylanthus palmatus) and Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop (Gratiola heterosepala), among others.
• Understanding of basic statistical principles for designing monitoring protocols, simple field trials, and analyzing resulting data is highly desirable.

Working Conditions

• Regularly required to hike through a variety of habitat types and terrain, walking over uneven ground, climbing over obstacles, and accessing remote locations.
• Regularly sits or