About us

Trust for Nature is a not-for-profit conservation organisation that works to protect native plants and wildlife in cooperation with private landholders. Created in 1972 under the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972 (Vic), Trust for Nature has a proud history of working across the government, not-for profit and private sectors to achieve permanent protection of important conservation land across Victoria.

We have a culture that supports and inspires conservation achievement and personal development, both within the workplace and beyond.

About the role

As Area Manager, you will be integral to delivering Trust for Nature’s key conservation work across Southwest Victoria. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role leads a small team to achieve more and better private land conservation outcomes across the Glenelg Hopkins and Wimmera catchments. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Area Manager plays an active role in supporting the organisation to achieve its strategic objectives.

As Area Manager you will be expert at stakeholder management, actively cultivating relationships with new and existing funding partners to leverage funding opportunities and expand delivery of statewide corporate and conservation goals and to oversee the delivery of strategic conservation programs and projects. Success in this role requires familiarity with conservation and land management principles. Strong local knowledge and community connections are also important, whether gained through living or working in the region.

The role is based within the South West Area, covering the Glenelg Hopkins and Wimmera catchments, with team members located in Horsham, Dimboola and Warrnambool. Halls Gap or Ararat are the preferred locations for the successful candidate, however applications from elsewhere within the catchment will be considered.

To read the detailed responsibilities of the role, please review the attached Position Description.

What’s on offer

This is a full-time, ongoing position offering a base salary of $114,683 per annum, plus 12% superannuation.

Our team benefits from an annual 3% salary increase, along with additional opportunities for performance-based progression.

You'll have the opportunity to enjoy a varied role, combining time in the field, stakeholder engagement, team leadership, and desk-based work.

In this role, you will travel throughout the South West area. Access to fleet vehicles and travel reimbursement is provided.

About you

We are seeking a candidate who brings a combination of people leadership, conservation experience, service delivery, and strong stakeholder management skills. The successful candidate will have;

• Degree in environmental science, natural resource management or similar
• Strong understanding of conservation principles and practices, with ability to translate these into strategic documents, and project proposals.
• Strong understanding and relationships within the Area, with preference provided to candidates who have lived and worked extensively within the region. 
• Demonstrated leadership skills and experience managing teams
• Experience leading a team of people to work safely and in line with an organisation’s OHS system.  
• Experience managing projects/programs, including scoping, grant writing, negotiation, planning, implementation, budget management, variations, delivery, and evaluation.
• Proven ability to engage with stakeholders at all levels to achieve biodiversity outcomes at scale.