Land Partnerships Associate / Senior Associate
Living Carbon is a public benefit company that transforms marginal land into high-value environmental assets. Living Carbon’s team turns previously mined land and degraded agricultural land into diverse, thriving forests, and develops underperforming land for sustainable feedstock purposes. We’re backed by prominent investors including Temasek, Toyota Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Felicis Ventures, and YCombinator.
Living Carbon is seeking a proactive individual for its Land Partnerships team. This individual will primarily be sourcing land for Living Carbon’s renewable feedstock projects but may also be involved in land sourcing activities for carbon projects. Living Carbon is looking for someone with excellent engagement skills, who can quickly build positive and productive relationships with private landowners, land trusts, nonprofits, corporates, government agencies, and tribal nations.
The key activities relevant to this role include parcel identification and research, landowner outreach and engagement, proposal preparation, deal negotiation, and closing. The individual in this role should be comfortable both working independently and in partnership with a high-functioning team of land agents, foresters, carbon scientists, GIS specialists, finance professionals, and commercial strategists.
This role requires an entrepreneurial candidate, who can clearly and effectively communicate with both external partners and internal groups. The successful candidate will be conscientious, highly proactive, and capable of thinking creatively about project opportunities and how win-win solutions might be structured for the benefit of all stakeholders.
We highly encourage diverse candidates to apply and contact us with any questions about the application process.
Primary Responsibilities
Using Living Carbon’s land criteria and screening tools, identify and catalog land parcels suitable for use by Living Carbon
Establish contact with landowners, confirm site suitability, and create a pipeline of land opportunities with positive and professional early engagement
Prepare and present project materials and partnership proposals
Answer landowner questions and advance negotiations by increasing engagement while simultaneously conducting diligence
Close deals
Travel as necessary to achieve the above
Additional Responsibilities
Build and maintain relationships with land advisors, regional experts, and industry organizations, including state agencies, extension programs, and landowner groups
Master and continuously improve the Living Carbon site qualification and landowner engagement process
Synthesize and share feedback to improve Living Carbon’s landowner partnership proposals and project economics
Collaborate effectively with internal teams including forestry, finance, supply chain, and legal to develop workable project plans
Work collaboratively and productively in a remote role
Qualifications
5+ years experience in land management, land acquisition, agricultural leasing, business development, or sales with a track record of relevant successes
Demonstrated expertise in outreach, relationship building, and advanced negotiations
Must live within driving distance, or be willing to relocate, to the Midwest, Southeast, or US Appalachian Region
Able to communicate complex concepts, align stakeholders, receive feedback, and iterate quickly
Willing and able to travel multiple times per month, if necessary
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in natural resource management, environmental science, agriculture, economics, or business
Strong Pluses
Experience in the agriculture or forestry industries or farmland investment, planning, and management
Existing landowner and/or land advisor relationships
Mapping software, GIS data, and remote sensing expertise