Land and Water Policy Manager

Conservation Voters of South Carolina is the political voice of South Carolina's environmental community.  CVSC is a bipartisan, non-profit organization that, along with its sister organization the CVSC PAC, passes laws that protect our environment, elects pro-conservation candidates, and holds elected officials  accountable. The CVSC Education Fund also works to educate and engage South Carolinians “to protect the South Carolina we love.” We effectively fight for our air, land, and water through bipartisan and pragmatic political action.  

Scope of Position: CVSC seeks a highly motivated person with experience in environmental policy and advocacy for a project management position focused on land and water conservation. The position will develop and implement various campaigns that include increasing land protection tools and funding in support of doubling the protected lands in SC, and protecting water from source to tap. The right candidate will be a self-starter with excellent written and oral communication skills, demonstrated experience initiating projects and advancing them successfully. The position reports to the Land and Water Policy Director and coordinates with lobbyists, and the Land & Water Team. The Project Manager is also expected to perform other duties as needed to support the successful operation of a non-profit organization.  

Location: Based in South Carolina, with option for remote working from within the state. CVSC has a physical office in Columbia. Occasional day and overnight travel may be required.  

Specific Responsibilities:  

• Develop and Manage Advocacy Campaigns – the Project Manager will assist the Land and Water Team in developing and managing advocacy campaigns, including online actions, earned media, website and social media content, one-pagers, and other items as needed to achieve CVSC’s land and water goals. 
• Serve as the Liaison Between Land & Water Policy and Communications Team – The Project Manager will collaborate closely with the Communications Team to build robust communications campaigns in support of land & water advocacy efforts. The Project Manager will integrate Land & Water Policy Campaigns with Communications project management processes and serve as the team’s liaison with the Communications team.
• Organize and Build Coalitions – the Project Manager will initiate, facilitate, and manage grassroots and grasstop organizing, coalition building, and mobilization to support advocacy campaigns.
• Provide Policy Expertise  – the Project Manager will serve as a policy resource at CVSC, coordinate with Legislative staff, write and present testimony, provide message guidance and talking points, and assist in legislation drafting on key issues. May serve as registered lobbyist for CVSC to provide clear and consistent information to elected leaders.
• Land and Water Policy Research and Analysis – the Project Manager will perform research and analysis on specific land and water policy topics to support the work of the Land and Water Team. This will require the Project Manager to absorb new information quickly, effectively communicate this knowledge in verbal and written form, and understand how it applies to CVSC’s land and water policy priorities. This includes researching legislation and policies at the state and local level, and from other states, analyzing the impact of legislation, and assisting in legislative drafting.
  
  

Preferred Skills and Qualifications:   

• Bachelor’s degree in land use, environmental policy, political science, communications, or other relevant field and three to five years of related experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Strong communication skills, an ability to communicate and present complex information in a clear,  concise, and persuasive manner in person, over video conferencing, and over the telephone.
• Proven experience developing communications strategies in support of advocacy and policy campaigns.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, an ability to follow up and meet deadlines, attention to detail and confidentiality, resourceful, and a fast and willing learner.
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion – a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion,  ability, and socio-economic circumstance. 
• An ability to think critically, take leadership roles with a strategic mindset, build consensus,  prioritize, delegate, and manage coalitions with self-awareness and confidence. 
• A passion for conservation and environmental efforts to protect our air, land, and water. 
• Deep justice analysis and understanding of structural and institutional inequity and interpersonal power dynamics, and proven ability to analyze situations to engage and address them.
• Emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, humor, humility, compassion, patience, self-awareness,  adaptability, and persistence. 
• An ability to multitask and to creatively and proactively solve problems and make decisions. 
• Experience working in politics, campaigns, or working within and building diverse coalitions to accomplish shared goals.  
• Proven ability to work well within a team, and with individuals, both internal and external, from diverse backgrounds.  
  
  

Work Environment: CVSC is a mission-driven organization whose staff are deeply passionate about advancing environmental policy in a just and equitable way. We are seeking another effective, productive, enjoyable, and highly ethical member of the team who will take responsibility and leadership for implementing assigned tasks. 

Terms of Employment: The position is full-time, contingent on continued funding (grants and individual donations). This includes a 40-hour workweek with the need for flexible scheduling, depending on the nature of an issue or timeframe. Occasional out-of-town and overnight travel will be required.  

CVSC is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a racially just, equitable, and inclusive workplace. 

Salary/Benefits: CVSC offers a competitive non-profit sector salary for this position in the $65,000-$70,000  range, depending on qualifications. CVSC also offers a robust benefits package that includes full health, vision, dental, and short-term disability insurance, retirement contributions, and generous vacation and state holiday schedules.

Please note that as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, CVSC employees are not eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Application Instructions: Please submit your resume and a cover letter that addresses how your expertise matches the job description and why you want to work to protect the air, land, and water of South Carolina through CVSC’s hiring system at cvsc.org/careers. The position will remain open until filled.