Preserves & Facilities Manager
Location: Based in Asheville, NC, with regular travel to properties throughout SAHC’s 10-county conservation focus area in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee
Supervisor: Associate Director
Salary: $58,000-$65,000, depending on experience
Duration: Full-Time, Exempt
Work Environment: Mix of office work and hands-on time at SAHC properties; hybrid flexibility for office-based tasks in accordance with organizational policy, with flexible scheduling available as needed
Do you love keeping properties running smoothly and making people feel welcome the moment they arrive? The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) is looking for a Preserves & Facilities Manager to care for cabins, pavilions, campsites, meeting spaces, and grounds across our preserves and community properties, and to help ensure every visitor, volunteer, and partner has a great experience on the land we protect.
The Preserves & Facilities Manager is the go-to person for facility operations and property management at SAHC. You’ll ensure our sites are safe, functional, and welcoming through coordinating maintenance, groundskeeping, capital improvements, contractor relationships, visitor reservations, and property logistics, while balancing public access with conservation stewardship.
Key Responsibilities
Facility Operations & Safety
- Oversee day-to-day operations of SAHC facilities and visitor-use properties, including routine inspections, preventative maintenance schedules, and seasonal opening, closing, and winterization.
- Keep facilities compliant with safety regulations and organizational standards, conduct regular safety inspections, and maintain emergency procedures and documentation.
Contractors & Grounds
- Serve as the primary contact for contractors and vendors — soliciting bids, overseeing work quality and budgets, and managing relationships with landscaping, cleaning, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and other service providers.
- Coordinate mowing, landscaping, signage, trailheads, parking areas, and general grounds care so the properties look professional and welcoming.
Reservations & Guest Experience
- Manage reservations and scheduling for cabins, campsites, pavilions, and meeting spaces — including evaluating tools like reservation software or short-term rental platforms — and support guests before, during, and after their stay.
Projects & Budgets
- Coordinate facility improvement projects from planning through completion, including budgeting, contractor selection, and tracking timelines and costs.
- Help develop and manage facility and maintenance budgets, track expenditures, maintain records, and support grant-funded facility projects as needed.
Occasional evening and weekend work may be necessary. Additional responsibilities as required.
Qualifications
SAHC recognizes that strong candidates bring diverse professional and lived experiences. We encourage individuals passionate about our mission and who believe they can succeed in this role to apply.
Required Qualifications
- Three or more years of experience in facilities management, property management, hospitality operations, construction management, preserve or park operations, or a related field
- Experience coordinating contractors, vendors, and maintenance projects
- Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to juggle multiple projects and priorities
- A knack for troubleshooting facility and operational issues independently
- Excellent customer service and communication skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and cloud-based software systems
- Valid driver’s license and the ability to travel between SAHC properties
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in a nonprofit, conservation, park, recreation, campground, hospitality, or land
management setting - Familiarity with reservation and property management systems, or experience overseeing short-term rentals, event venues, or visitor accommodations
- Working knowledge of building systems, landscaping, grounds maintenance, budgeting, capital planning, and vendor management
If you take pride in well-kept places, enjoy solving practical problems, are comfortable wearing many hats on a small team, and love making people feel welcome, we’d love to hear from you.
Working Conditions
This position blends office work with hands-on time at SAHC properties. Physical requirements include:
- Ability to drive a vehicle to SAHC properties for site visits, projects, and guest support
- Ability to perform light house and land maintenance
- Ability to lift and carry up to 25 lbs. of equipment, supplies, and materials
- Ability to sit or stand at a desk, type, bend, and twist
- Ability to walk uneven terrain and trails and tolerate a range of weather conditions
The above statements describe the general nature and level of work performed by people in this position. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.
These are the essential functions of the position; reasonable accommodations will be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform them.
Compensation & Benefits
- SAHC pays 100% of the employee premium for basic medical insurance and a portion of dependent coverage; a health savings account with an employer match
- Dental, vision, and life insurance
- Retirement plan with employer match
- Generous leave policy, including paid holidays, and scheduling flexibility
- Professional development support
To Apply
Please submit a cover letter and resume to Associate Director Kristy Urquhart at kristy@appalachian.org. Include “Preserves and Facilities Manager” in the subject line. References will be requested from finalist candidates. Position open until filled.
We’re unable to take phone inquiries, but we read every application. If you need an accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please contact Kristy Urquhart at the email above.
About Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) is an established land trust serving a 10-county region in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Since 1974, we have conserved more than 95,000 acres of the region’s most important lands, including places that offer opportunities to all people to enjoy outdoor recreation, protect scenic beauty, protect rivers and streams that serve the region’s water needs, connect places for wildlife and plants to ensure resilient landscapes in the mountains, and preserve working farmland that supplies local foods.
Equal Opportunity Employer
SAHC is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We recognize historic inequities in the conservation field, including in access to and ownership of land, and we are committed to building an organization where people of widely diverse backgrounds, experiences, and identities can lead and contribute. However you identify, and whatever your background, if this position excites you, we encourage you to apply.
