Job Details

CONSERVATION FINANCE DIRECTOR

Save the Redwoods League
San Francisco, CA - Hybrid

Save the Redwoods League seeks a strategic, driven, and collaborative Conservation Finance Director to design and implement financing strategies for League landscape-scale conservation initiatives. This pivotal role is charged with advancing the League's Landscape-Scale Business Plan, ensuring large, complex redwood forest conservation efforts are long-term, financially sound investments for the League and its partners. In the decade ahead, we aim to accelerate progress toward our Centennial Vision by advancing the permanent protection and restoration of 100,000 acres of commercial timberland, thereby creating healthy ecosystems, thriving communities and lasting benefits for generations to come.

This individual will serve as the lead financing expert for landscape-scale transactions—working closely with internal teams and external partners to evaluate, design and build a capital stack, model future costs and revenues, and partner with our land protection project managers to close these high-priority deals. While our land protection team will lead the deal project origination, design and real estate functions, the Conservation Finance Director will position deals externally to structure and secure funding for the capital stack and be primarily responsible for the financial and resource modeling of the projects. In addition to being the League's expert in conservation finance, the Director will provide built-in accountability and cross-functional leadership, ensuring our conservation ambitions translate into executed projects on the ground.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary driver for implementation of the League's Landscape-Scale Business Plan.
• Collaboratively design and build cross-team work processes for originating, financing, acquiring and managing landscape-scale commercial forest transactions. Ensure timely advancement of these high-impact transactions, managing all moving parts across departments.
• With Legal and outside counsel, lead the development of special purpose vehicle(s) or other corporate entity formation necessary for long-term risk management of held lands.
• Act as the internal project lead for landscape-scale conservation financing initiatives, accountable for execution and progress across program, finance, legal, and operational teams.
• Coordinate closely with the Executive Team and outside partners to ensure the successful implementation of the landscape-scale strategy.

Capital Stack Development and Fundraising Coordination

• Design and implement funding strategies for both acquisition and long-term stewardship.
• Collaborate with the Development team to recruit philanthropic elements of the capital stack and with the Finance, Legal, and Conservation Programs teams to design blended finance funding models that may include grants, impact capital, commercial equity, loans, carbon finance, and timber revenue where applicable.
• Work with the Public funding team and external funders to secure public and private investment.

Transaction and Deal Support and Expert Advising

• Collaborate with the Director of Land Protection to structure large-scale transactions, including timber contracts, public access, and other elements.
• Build business planning and financial modeling tools to support landscape-scale acquisitions and long-term stewardship, including ecological forest management and carbon projects.
• Position the League for future landscape-scale opportunities and engage key partners such as timber companies, financing experts, modeling experts, carbon project implementation partners, and recreation/public access partners.
• Identify, assess, and implement landscape-scale acquisition opportunities aligned with strategic priorities.

Property and Stewardship Assessment

• Coordinate with the Land Protection team to assess acquisition targets for fundability, capital-stack structures, land and timber value (consistent with Land Trust Alliance Standards), and operability and cash flow potential to support conservation management.
• Support post-acquisition stewardship planning with forest management planning, silvicultural assessments, and financial modeling for sustainable land management, including forecasting timber and other revenue under varying market conditions and exploring new revenue opportunities (e.g., carbon, ecosystem services).

Cross-Functional and External Collaboration

• Collaborate with stewardship staff, contractors, and consultants to integrate financial, ecological, and operational considerations into each project.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with funders, investors, public agencies, and landowners.
• Represent the League in coalitions, working groups, and industry forums related to conservation finance and landscape-scale restoration.

Qualifications

• Strong commitment to the mission of Save the Redwoods League
• 5–10+ years of experience in conservation finance, large-scale land transactions, natural resource impact investment, public-private partnerships, or related fields
• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree in finance, conservation, public policy, or related field preferred
• Demonstrated success leading complex conservation or natural resource deals (ideally timberland) involving multiple funding sources
• Deep understanding and proven track record of land and forest conservation, conservation forest practices implementation, stewardship planning, and the full range of conservation finance mechanisms
• Experience sourcing financing, financial modeling/investment underwriting, understanding of capital markets, cultivating investor/lender relationships, and investment negotiation
• Familiarity with public funding programs (e.g., GGRF, Forest Legacy, CARB, water quality programs, rural community benefit programs) and nonprofit capital campaigns
• Proven ability to work across teams and disciplines to drive multi-faceted projects to completion
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and project management skills
• Outstanding written and oral presentation skills, with the ability to organize and synthesize complex scientific and technical information succinctly
• Demonstrated aptitude for initiating and building relationships with prospective corporate and foundation donors
• Self-starter, able to work independently as well as in a team, with a track record of collaborating successfully with program staff in a complex environment
• Highly organized with excellent project management, prioritization, flexibility, and deadline-management in a fast-paced setting
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
• Demonstrated cultural competency and ability to communicate across cultures; language skills other than English are desirable

Working Conditions

• Periodic travel within California
• Some weekend and evening responsibilities
• Valid driver's license and safe driving record
• Regularly sits or stands at a desk or computer workstation; may hike through forest land off-site on uneven terrain

Work Schedule

This role is hybrid with a minimum of 2 days in the office. Our weekly all-staff in-office day is Tuesday (SF Bay Area). Additional days are based on departmental norms and business needs.

Compensation And Benefits

Full-time salaried position with eligible benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance; three weeks of vacation annually plus holidays; and a 401k retirement plan with up to 8% company match. Salary range: $143,000–$160,000 per year.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Save the Redwoods League is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals. The League welcomes candidates with diverse backgrounds and multicultural skill sets. We encourage applicants who can persuasively make their case even if they do not meet every listed criterion.

Note: This description reflects current responsibilities and requirements and is subject to change at any time.