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

Living Carbon PBC offers competitive compensation, and generous healthcare, dental, and vision insurance.

Living Carbon PBC is an equal opportunity employer.

Living Carbon believes the best solutions are created by diverse teams. Living Carbon is focused on building a multicultural and inclusive team with strong representation from many diverse communities. As a public benefit corporation, ensuring solutions are widely distributed to all peoples is critical to the success of our mission.