Mosca, CO

Position Title: Zapata Preserve Caretaker

Organization: The Nature Conservancy

Location: Mosca, CO

Position Overview: The Zapata Preserve Caretaker will support The Nature Conservancy Colorado’s conservation team by providing day-to-day ranch management at the Zapata Preserve, a 20,000-acre nature preserve property in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. In this role, you will focus on the maintenance of the historic headquarters buildings, the agricultural and water infrastructure and will support with the management of TNC’s bison herd. The Caretaker position will be a blend of preserve management, maintenance and facilities management.  

Together with the Colorado Resilient Lands Team and local partners, this position will engage with visitors, representatives of Tribal Nations, local community members and volunteers to support our conservation and management projects. The Caretaker will be in charge of all maintenance and repairs to existing structures, vehicles, tools and equipment and will coordinate with contractors. This role will also support with grazing and livestock operations such as herding and roundups, and data collection of the bison and other livestock herds.  

This role will work under minimal supervision and will be in charge of various day-to-day operations and may work irregular hours and potentially long days depending on the season and associated work duties.  

Housing on the preserve is provided, but not required. This position will report to the Preserve Manager and is a 2-year term limited position.

Qualifications:

• The equivalent combination of 7 years’ facility management experience and high school diploma. 
• Experience completing tasks with little supervision, with respect to timeline(s). 
• Demonstrated skills in most of these areas: mowing, weed whacking, pruning, irrigation, small tractor work, basic carpentry, plumbing, electrical, general building maintenance (interior and exterior), janitorial and housekeeping. 
• Experience operating and maintaining various types of equipment in a safe and efficient manner (e.g., 4-wheel drive vehicles, tractors, ATV/ UTVs, lawn mowers, chainsaws, or similar equipment). 
• Experience engaging effectively with a range of visitors, including representatives of Tribal Nations, local community members, contractors, staff, or volunteers.   
• Proficient in English communication, both written and spoken; as well as Eexperience in written and verbal communication via Microsoft Platforms (Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams).  

Desired Qualifications

• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated. 
• 3-5 years’ experience in natural resource management, similar field or equivalent combination of education and experience.   
• Knowledge of ecological land management practices and current trends in conservation, land management and natural resource preservation. 
• Knowledge of building construction, repair and restoration, including HVAC, electrical and plumbing. 
• Knowledge of livestock, livestock grazing systems, and associated infrastructure (fence, corrals, and water), applicable to bison or other livestock herd management. 
• Knowledge of water rights and water systems used for agricultural irrigation, stock and/or domestic purposes. 

Salary/Pay: $49,000.00 – $54,000.00 for a 35 hour a week position

Application Deadline: December 30, 2024

How to Apply: Please use the online application to view the full job description as well as how to apply.