Who We Are :
Founded in 1891 by a group of visionary volunteers, The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) is Massachusetts’ premier conservation and preservation organization. The Trustees’ preserves, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts. Our properties are open to all, and we thrive by involving as many people as possible in all that we do. We aim to protect special places for future generations to enjoy in perpetuity, and have helped protect more than 50,000 acres, including 27,000+ acres on more than 120 reservations that are open to the public. As a non-profit conservation organization, we are funded and supported entirely by our visitors, supporters, volunteers, and our 100,000 Member households. We encourage you to learn more about The Trustees on our website, www.thetrustees.org .
Posting Information :
Salary / Hourly Rate : $65,000 - $75,000
Hours per week : 40
Job Classification : Full-Time, exempt
Job Type : Onsite
Location : Westport, New Bedford, Osterville, Fall River, Dartmouth, Rochester, Marion, Bourne, Plymouth, Wareham, Mashpee, Sandwich
What You’ll Do : Your Impact :
Are you ready to serve as a hands-on leader for a diverse portfolio of Trustees properties along the South Coast—ranging from woodlands and river corridors to historic gardens? In this role you’ll help ensure that these places are resilient, well cared for, and accessible to the public, while supporting staff, infrastructure, and ecological integrity.
The Role :
As Stewardship Manager, you will be responsible for the care and management of a diverse portfolio of Trustees properties across the South Coast, including Copicut Woods, Westport Town Farm, Slocum River Reserve, Cornell Farm, Allen C. Haskell Public Gardens, Eastover Reservation (Hales Brook and Sippican River), Lyman Reserve, Lowell Holly, Mashpee River, and Armstrong Kelly Park. Your primary focus will be on land and ecological stewardship—ensuring that forests, rivers, meadows, wetlands, and coastal habitats remain healthy and resilient through habitat restoration, general landscape care, invasive species management, trail maintenance, and prescribed fire work. You will spend much of your time in the field, directly overseeing stewardship activities, coordinating seasonal projects, and monitoring ecological health across these landscapes.
In addition to ecological stewardship, you will oversee the regular care and upkeep of landscapes across the South Coast portfolio. This includes tasks such as mowing, trimming, brush clearing, and general grounds maintenance that keep our properties safe, welcoming, and accessible. While you won’t spend the bulk of your time on a mower or weed whacker, you will be responsible for training full time and seasonal staff in safe and effective techniques, setting quality standards, and ensuring that routine landscape work is carried out consistently and to a high standard. Your ability to balance ecological goals with daily maintenance and staff safety will be essential to providing an excellent visitor experience.
Facilities care remains a smaller but important part of the position. You will take responsibility for the upkeep of key infrastructure, including historic structures at Westport Town Farm and Allen C. Haskell Public Gardens, as well as irrigation systems at Haskell and Armstrong Kelly. For these projects you’ll work alongside the regional facility steward and contractors as needed, ensuring that buildings and systems function properly and support the broader stewardship mission.
Supervision and leadership are also core aspects of the role. You will directly manage one full-time steward, as well as seasonal field staff and rangers—hiring, onboarding, and training them to uphold best practices in land care, landscape maintenance, and visitor engagement. You will also support volunteer efforts and work closely with colleagues in horticulture at Haskell and Armstrong Kelly to ensure that these signature public gardens remain welcoming and vibrant.
Finally, you will serve as the primary liaison with a number of partners and stakeholders who are essential to the long-term health of these places, including Trout Unlimited, the Bioreserve Working Group, the Westport Food Bank, and local farmers with hay leases. While community partnership is not the central focus of the role, your ability to build and maintain these relationships will help ensure that our South Coast properties continue to thrive as valued ecological, cultural, and community resources. Based at Westport Town Farm and traveling regularly between sites in Trustees work trucks, you will be the leader who ensures that this collection of beloved landscapes, farms, gardens, and historic places remains well-stewarded for the public and for future generations.
Specifically, you’ll :
We provide modest funding to support certifications and offer ongoing internal, skills-based training. We encourage lifelong learners to apply.
This is a full-time, exempt position (40 hours / week) reporting directly to the Senior Regional Stewardship Manager.
Requirements
What You’ll Need :
Skills and Experience :
Eligibility Criteria :
Don’t quite have all the skills and experience listed above? We still want to hear from you! Research shows that historically marginalized groups are less likely to apply if they do not meet every single requirement. We are committed to building a diverse team and encourage you to apply even if you are missing some of the skills and experience above.
Questions? Contact our People team at people@thetrustees.org .
Benefits
Your Benefits :
Equal Opportunity and Diversity :
The Trustees is a proud equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any protected status including, but not limited to, age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual preferences, nation of origin, religion, or disability status and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with varying abilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants. We aspire to reflect and effectively serve the residents and communities of Massachusetts, who are at the core of our mission.
The Trustees’ commitment to advancing the organization’s vision for this work may be found here : Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion and Equity .
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible work environment. To request reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact us at people@thetrustees.org .
Stewardship Manager • Westport, MA, US