Legal Project Manager
As part of VLT’s legal team, you will operate at the center of our exceptional service to our communities, landowners, and donors. As a member of the land protection team, your legal expertise, attention to detail, and project management skills are key to the success of real estate transactions and stewardship activities that advance our mission. Working in collaboration with the full project team, as well as landowners and their legal representatives, you will bring conservation and stewardship transactions to successful completion.
You will coordinate and carry out a wide range of legal and technical support functions related to the preparation and closing of all conservation and stewardship projects, including fee acquisition and sales, conservation easement purchase and donation projects, and stewardship. You will provide consistent and accurate information to VLT staff and external customers on the diverse array of conservation projects in process.
In this position you will:
Provide technical expertise in legal drafting and execution:
- Coordinate, evaluate, draft and review legal documents associated with conservation easement, fee lands and stewardship transactions, as well as lending and other types of transactions.
- Order, review, and track title reports, commitments, and Communicate with contracting attorneys to ensure that title documents are accurate and timely.
- Review and prepare tax forms for a variety of transactions and calculate property tax prorations.
Lead legal policy and system improvements
- Keep abreast of and maintain compliance with current VLT policies, procedures, programs, systems, and goals, plus legal trends and state and federal regulations and
- Confer with staff and partners to coordinate and evaluate shared processes, mechanisms, systems, and
- Assist the legal team and other staff with various policy, administrative, and organizational projects.
Project manage with a legal lens to ensure smooth closings
- Coordinate with staff attorney, internal staff, landowners, outside attorneys, partners, consultants, funders, contractors, buyers, and sellers to ensure that conservation project closings go off without a
- Coordinate internally and externally to guide stewardship approvals and amendments to completion.
- Review grant agreements and other funder-related documentation. Prepare closing documentation in compliance with funder requirements and in collaboration with
- Perform liaison functions with landowners, government agencies, community organizations, and other
Provide organized and thoughtful administrative support
- Manage, track, process and disseminate all legal documents in accordance with VLT standards.
- Maintain documents, forms, and records related to conservation easements, title clearing, fee lands transactions and stewardship
- Coordinate with financial department to report information to the
- Provide administrative support to staff
Champion principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion
- Collaborate with other staff to deepen and build our culture of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- As needed, participate in recruiting and onboarding new
- Participate in learning and development and team building activities to enhance technical competency and team
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:
Consideration will be given to candidates demonstrating comparable qualifications acquired through a different combination of education and experience than what is outlined below.
Bachelor’s Degree preferred. Completion of an Associate’s Degree in Business, Legal Studies, or a similar discipline required. 1-3 years of legal or real estate experience, or paralegal training, required.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Broad, in-depth technical knowledge and skills in real estate law, including title searches, title insurance, deed preparation and execution, mortgages and other liens, and general real estate closing
- Strong planning, administrative, organizational, data entry, record-keeping, filing, and general office
- Strong time management skills with ability to meet deadlines while working under
- Excellent attention to detail, accuracy, quality, confidentiality, and a strong customer service focus.
- Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, including excellent grammar and
- Good math and general analytical
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and collaboration,
- Ability to represent VLT and interact effectively with a wide range of organizations and individuals, both inside and outside the organization, and to work cooperatively with all VLT staff and Board
- Ability to effectively operate computers and assigned software, including Microsoft
- Valid driver’s
- Good general understanding of and interest in the land conservation work of the Vermont Land Trust
WORKING CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL DEMANDS
- Work will be primarily performed in an office or home-based office environment. A mix of office-based and remote-work is possible, with regular presence in the Montpelier office to be determined.
- Work is performed in a normal office environment not subject to extremes of noise, temperature, odor, Operates computers, printers, multifunction machines, and other office equipment. Work requires extended sitting and repetitive motion in the use of computer, keyboard, and mouse. Occasional lifting is required.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
$ 62,800 annual starting salary Generous benefits package, including:
- A cafeteria plan equivalent to $23,600/year to cover the cost of the following benefits:
- Medical and dental coverage
- Flexible Savings Accounts
- 403b retirement program with match
- 6 weeks annually of Combined Time Off
- 8 hours of paid volunteer time
The Vermont Land Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage people of all backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. We recruit, employ, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic or family medical history, marital, parental, veteran, or military status, unfavorable military discharge, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
ABOUT THE VERMONT LAND TRUST
Vermont is a place where the well-being of land and people is entwined. With families, communities, and partners, the Vermont Land Trust conserves land and fosters life-long connections to the farms, forests, and natural areas that define us.
The Vermont Land Trust is a nationally recognized leader in conservation. Rooted in Vermont since 1977, we have protected more than 620,000 acres of farmland, forestland, and community lands, covering over 11% of the state. Much of this land is privately owned and contributes to our abundance of local food, maple and timber products, tourism and recreation, and the vitality of our towns and villages.
OUR VALUES
Trust is in our name, and it lies at the center of who we are. Taking the time to listen and learn is in our bones. In every interaction, we strive to be reliable, communicative, and fair. Our core values, co- created with staff, continue to guide our intentions, actions, and culture.
Service: We value service through high-quality work and bring integrity to what we do. We keep our communities, landowners, partners, and donors at the forefront of our minds; and we apply this same mindset to our colleagues who rely on us to deliver results, together.
Trust: We value building and maintaining the trust of the communities and people with whom we work. This means following through on our commitments, taking time to build relationships, believing good intent, and making decisions closest to the work.
Communication: We value transparency, listening, curiosity, candor, clarity, and patience. We take time to slow down, inquire, and ensure shared understanding. Providing and receiving feedback is a natural and necessary part of our culture.
Fairness: We value the equal application of internal practices and policies, and we serve people regardless of their status. Transparency in decision-making, fairness in recognition, and parity in pay are some ways in which fairness is embedded in our culture.
Community: We value a supportive and collegial environment based on teamwork and mutual respect. All colleagues contribute to VLT’s success. We offer one another cooperation, flexibility, good humor, and support.
Learning & Growth: We value growth and improvement that challenges us and fosters learning, creativity, and flexibility. This means that we are curious about other perspectives, take time to reflect, share our learnings, and improve as we go