Campaign Associate

The Northern Sierra Partnership (NSP) is a collaborative initiative to conserve, restore, and expand opportunities to enjoy the magnificent natural landscape of the northern Sierra Nevada, and build the foundation for sustainable rural prosperity. We work with private landowners, public agencies, nonprofit groups, and local communities to:

• conserve the sweeping natural landscapes that define us as a region;
• restore the ecological vitality of our forests, meadows and rivers, and the landscape’s resilience to natural disturbance like fire and flood;
• expand opportunities to enjoy our region’s extraordinary natural assets through recreation, sustainable tourism, and environmental education;
• support the growth of vibrant rural communities that sustain—and are sustained by—the healthy natural landscapes that surround them.

The Northern Sierra Partnership’s five partners are The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land, the Feather River Land Trust, the Truckee Donner Land Trust, and the Sierra Business Council.  The Partnership has a small Palo Alto-based staff that coordinates the Partnership's work including strategic planning, project planning, campaign planning and implementation, public funding strategies, and communications. NSP's fiscal sponsor, Community Initiatives, provides additional services to the Partnership including financial oversight and management, accounting, and payroll services, among others.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Campaign Associate (CA) is a member of the core team that supports the smooth functioning of the NSP campaign.  The CA maintains the Partnership’s financial and administrative systems, coordinates meetings of the Governing Council and Partners and organizes special events and other development activities. Reporting to the President, the CA has the following responsibilities:

FINANCIAL & ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEMS

Financial tracking and management: The CA serves as the primary liaison with NSP’s fiscal sponsor, Community Initiatives (CI). Responsibilities include coding expenses and submitting expense reports, coding all gifts received, reviewing monthly financial statements to ensure that all expenses, donations and fees are accurately reflected, and following-up with CI as needed to ensure that any needed corrections have been made. The CA also maintains internal financial trackers including the NSP operations funding tracker and re-grant fund ledger, as well as trackers for each campaign that reflect current prospects, gifts solicited, pledges made, and donations received.

Contract management: The CA prepares vendor contracts at the direction of the NSP President, and works with CI to secure signatures on those contracts by other parties. The CA collects invoices and W-9s from vendors and submits check requests to CI, ensuring payments are made.

Office management: The CA keeps the Palo Alto office fully supplied and operational, with equipment in good working order, files organized, and supplies on hand for current and anticipated work. As part of this work, the CA maintains the NSP photo archive.

MEETING COORDINATION

Governing Council meetings: Working with the President, the CA schedules and coordinates tri-annual meetings of the NSP Governing Council. Duties include confirming meeting locations and attendance, planning meeting logistics, drafting meeting notes, and helping with other prep and follow-up, as needed. With guidance from the Deputy Campaign Director, the CA also prepares financial reports, presentations and AV material for Governing Council meetings.

Partner meetings and communication: Working with the President, the CA schedules and coordinates regular meetings of the NSP Partners, distributing meeting agendas and materials, taking notes and following up as necessary with all participants. The CA also maintains a schedule of grant reports due from partners and sends reminders to partners at least one month in advance of report due dates.  The CA receives, reviews, and files grant reports, and forwards all reports to the President and Client Services Manager at CI.

DEVELOPMENT & SPECIAL EVENTS

Gift acknowledgements and administration: The CA processes donations, making deposits with CI, filing paper documentation, and updating the Salesforce database. The CA also drafts thank you letters for the President and ensures that all donors are thanked promptly and properly for their contributions.

Event planning and implementation: The CA works with the President, Deputy Campaign Director and Partners to plan and execute field tours, receptions, the NSP Annual Celebration, and other special events to brief donors on the NSP campaign and/or thank them for their support.

Campaign support: The CA supports the President and Deputy Campaign Director, as necessary, in executing the Partnership’s multi-pronged fundraising strategy and performs other duties as assigned.

The Campaign Associate is a full-time (32 hours/week) position, requiring four days in the office per week. The position is based in Palo Alto, California and requires occasional travel to other parts of the Bay Area, Sacramento, and the northern Sierra Nevada.

BACKGROUND & QUALITIES REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Previous administrative or office experience.
• Previous bookkeeping or financial experience.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Strong computational skills and comfort working with Microsoft Excel.
• Strong computer skills including comfort working on a MacOS platform, Microsoft Office, Salesforce, Google Apps and other Internet cloud applications.
• Ability to troubleshoot minor IT problems.
• Strong interest in NSP’s mission and commitment to conservation.
• Some design experience using Adobe Creative Suite (preferred)
• Familiarity with WordPress CMS and basic HTML (preferred)

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Focused, detail-oriented person
• Friendly, professional manner
• Enjoys working independently but seeks guidance when appropriate
• Can be counted on to complete tasks fully and within deadlines
• Flexibility to respond to new tasks and challenges as they arise
• A person of proven personal integrity and trustworthiness
• A passion for conservation, outdoor recreation and the Sierra Nevada

COMPENSATION

The compensation package includes full medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k) match, and vacation and sick leave. Salary commensurate with experience.

TO APPLY

Email resumé, short cover letter, and writing sample to Lucy Blake, NSP President, at

info@northernsierrapartnership.org. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.