Position Title: Community and Outreach Program Manager

Status: Full Time, Salary, Non-exempt

Supervisor: Executive Director

Office Location: Golden, CO (with option to work remotely in CDT State or community)

Desired Start Date: September 1, 2022

The mission of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition is to complete, promote, and protect the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. The CDTC will do this by building a strong and diverse trail community, providing up-to-date information to the public, and encouraging conservation and stewardship of the trail, its corridor, and surrounding landscapes.

Summary of Position:

The CDT Gateway Community program serves to connect trailside communities with the Continental Divide Trail Coalition. CDTC partners with Gateway Communities to raise their profiles as welcoming destinations for people wishing to experiencethe CDT, while also raising awareness locally about the trail’s benefits as a recreational resource and economic driver. In the longer term, the CDT Gateway Community program aims to create advocates and stewards of the Continental Divide Trail in communities along its length by providing learning and development opportunities for local leaders to be the voice of the trail.

The Community and Outreach Program Manager will work to elevate, grow, and strengthen the network of CDT Gateway Communities, build grassroots support for the CDT throughout the Rocky Mountain region, and strengthen partnerships with communities, organizations, and advocates along the trail’s length. This includes assisting new communities in the designation process, supporting communities that are already part of the network, developing and maintaining strategic partnerships with local and regional organizations, and facilitating leadership development opportunities for advocates along the trail’s length. The Community and Outreach Program Manager will build relationships with volunteers, chambers of commerce, tourism boards, conservation and advocacy organizations, and other stakeholders in order to build support for the CDT. They will also serve as a strategic thinker in the long term development and growth of the overall program and work to support CDTC Regional Representatives to assume day to day relationships while providing overarching strategy, direction and guidance for the program.

The CDTC Outreach Program is a newer program that supports CDTC’s goal to create a broad and diverse network of people interested in supporting the CDT. The Community and Outreach Program Manager CDTC’s broader outreach and education efforts, including supervising the Community Engagement Specialist and managing CDTC’s internship program in partnership with the American Indian College Fund. They will leverage opportunities as they arise to engage new partners and share with them the benefits of using and protecting the CDT.

Much of this work will be community-driven, and the ability to work as a collaborative partner and adapt to each community’s unique needs and opportunities is vital. Due to the nature of the CDT, almost all of the communication with Gateway Community volunteers will be via email and phone, requiring excellent written communication skills, a high level of responsiveness and internal motivation, and an ability to form connections despite distance.

General Administration

The Community and Outreach Program Manager will assume responsibility for the overall administration of CDTC’s Gateway Community and Outreach programs, including:

● Managing CDTC’s Gateway Community and Outreach budgets

● Leading the grant writing process for funding requests for Gateway Community and outreach programs, tracking,and responsibility for grant deliverables

● Coordination of programs and development of strategic priorities with other program managers, directors, and regional representatives.

● Maintaining agency partnerships through biannual CDT Connect Meetings and other opportunities to connect with agencies as they arise.

● The Program Manager may also assist with candidate search and selection teams to fill organizational vacancies.

● Supervision of staff associated with Gateway Community and Outreach programs.

● Annual reporting of program accomplishments and achievements, challenges and opportunities.

Program Direction

Gateway Communities: The Program Manager provide oversight to CDTC’s Gateway Community program by:

● Directing annual planning and scheduling of program work plans, events, community site visits, training and leadership development opportunities, and community connection opportunities, including annual Gateway Community Summits.

● Supporting new community designations by leading the team that reviews designation applications, performing an annual assessment of the efficacy of the application process, and updating the application documents and process as needed to ensure designations are creating long-lasting and mutually-beneficial partnerships with Gateway Communities.

● Developing processes, policies, resources, and initiatives that help CDTC work to realize a thriving grassroots community-based organization, including supporting the completion of the bi-annual Small Business Survey.

● In cooperation with Regional Support, maintaining consistent, regularly scheduled check-ins and communication with existing partners.

● Oversee the Gateway Community Ambassador program to ensure Gateway Community residents have access to welcoming, safe, and inclusive group experiences on the CDT.

● Fostering and developing new relationships with Gateway Community partners, which may include communities, organizations, or individuals.

● Manage relationships with community members in order to support grassroots community organizing efforts and provide advocacy opportunities for residents of Gateway Communities.

● Write, edit and disseminate Gateway Community communications, including the Gateway Community newsletter, community webpages, and digital and print resources about accessing the CDT in Gateway Communities.

Outreach: The Program Manager will provide oversight to CDTC’s Outreach program by:

● Identifying opportunities to promote the CDT to broader audiences and ensuring CDTC presence at outreach events including Latino Conservation Week, Get Outdoors Day, National Trails Day, National Public Lands Day, Black History Month, Latino Heritage Month, Latino Advocacy Week.

● Developing and maintaining relationships with affinity groups and organizations working to diversify conservation and outdoor recreation.

● Supporting the development of educational materials and opportunities to partner with education organizations along the trail.

● Managing CDTC’s Internship Program in partnership with the College Fund, ensuring a positive and safe learning environment for one Native intern each summer, ensuring the intern has appropriate supervision and spearheading internship assessment.

● Supervising the creation of new outreach materials to introduce new audiences to the CDT.

Volunteer Management: The Program Manager will manage a trail wide team of over 150 volunteers, including Gateway Advisory Committee members, Gateway Community Ambassadors, outreach volunteers, and others by:

● Recruiting and onboarding prospective gateway community volunteers to serve as Gateway Advisory Committee members or Gateway Community Ambassadors.

● Encouraging volunteer engagement through regular virtual and in-person training, meet-up opportunities, and check-ins.

● Maintaining records of volunteer hours served and reporting hours through the appropriate channels.

Partnerships and Coalition Building: The Program Manager will drive CDTC’s broader partnership and coalition-building efforts by:

● Developing and stewarding local, state, regional and national partnerships with: conservation and recreation organizations including the American Hiking Society, the Partnership for the National Trails system, and others; state tourism departments; state outdoor recreation offices; and economic development organizations.

● Support state and national outdoor equity programs.

● Represent CDTC in coalitions, including Next 100 Colorado, the Colorado Outdoor Equity Coalition, and other regional coalitions as opportunities arise.

● Maintain CDTC’s relationship with the American Indian College Fund by supporting the recruitment, hiring, onboarding, development, and supervision of 1 College Fund intern each year.

● In cooperation with regional staff, develop relationships with Tribal and Native partners.

Team Management

● The Program Manager will be responsible for the recruitment, supervision, and assessment of Gateway Community and Outreach staff and interns.

Strategic and Vision Setting: The Program Manager will spearhead long-range planning for the Gateway Community and Outreach programs by:

● Strategizing, planning, and advising CDTC on how the Gateway Community program can be leveraged to support other program goals.

● Developing and implementing strategic efforts to ensure that Gateway Community and Outreach programs remain central to CDTC’s mission.

QUALIFICATIONS & PREFERRED SKILLS

EDUCATION

Minimum of two years of relevant professional experience or five years of comparable experience and/or education in natural resource or environmental management, outdoor recreation management, planning, grassroots/community organizing, public administration, environmental studies, geography, landscape architecture, environmental education or related fields will be viewed positively.

Advanced study in these areas or training in specific areas through agency or professional training programs is welcomed.

REQUIRED SKILLS

● Requires outstanding and highly proactive communication skills, both written and oral, and the ability to communicate with partners remotely.

● Must work well both alone and in a team environment

● Must be a self-starter with good judgment, initiative to work without close supervision, and ability to follow through on projects. Community volunteers are busy people with other priorities – be ready to do a lot of “just following up on my previous email” and gently nudging projects along

● Must be flexible/adaptable to new situations. Much of this work is driven by the interests of community volunteers, and could vary widely from town to town.

● Strong organizational and project management skills and experience managing staff and contractors.

● Proficiency using Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and WordPress – or a willingness to learn.

● Understanding of design and layout principles for print and web products - or a willingness to learn.

● Ability to develop positive relationships with local governments, community organizations, and community members.

● Ability to facilitate and lead meetings both virtually and in person.

● Ability to work as part of a small team and ability to ask for help and support others when help is needed.

● Excellent organizational skills.

● Excellent written and verbal communications skills.

● Ability to work independently.

● A willingness to support Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) efforts of CDTC. Training and expertise in JEDI practices is welcomed.

● Ability and willingness to travel and work a variable schedule including weekends, and willingness to travel throughout the Rocky Mountain West for work with some regularity (15%).

● Computer proficiency.

● Valid driver license.

HIGHLY DESIRABLE SKILLS

● Experience working with public land managing agencies.

● Professional or volunteer experience with event planning and/or grassroots organizing.

● Experience in working as a volunteer and with volunteers.

● Experience with budget management, grant writing, and/or grant management.

● Experience with Adobe Creative Suite.

● Experience working with diverse communities including Indigenous, Black, Hispanic, Asian and LGBQTIA+ communities in rural and urban settings, and with a broad range of stakeholders of all backgrounds and experiences.

DESIRABLE SKILLS

● Spanish fluency.

● Familiarity with the culture of the Rocky Mountain West, particularly the challenges facing its rural communities.

● Conflict Resolution skills and experience.

SUPERVISION AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The Community and Outreach Program Manager works under the direct supervision of the Executive Director; however, they will be expected to prioritize their work in order to effectively meet day-to-day demands and ongoing assignments. Additionally, they will work with other CDTC staff members to achieve successful programs in their work. The Program Manager will supervise the Outreach Coordinator and support Interns recruited through various programs, including the College Fund.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to do physical labor in outdoor and backcountry environments including overnight camping. Work will include travel in personal vehicles (travel reimbursement included), so individuals must have a valid driver’s license and operative vehicle. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. CDTC is an equal opportunity employer. All individuals are encouraged to apply.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Annual Salary will be $42,000.00. CDTC also provides benefits including company sponsored health insurance, cell phone reimbursement, 403(b) retirement plan contributions, and a generous time off policy. A relocation stipend of $500 for applicable candidates.

TO APPLY

Interested individuals should send a cover letter, resume and three references to sshattuck@continentaldividetrail.org with subject line “Community and Outreach Program Manager”. The application deadline is August 8th, 2022.

EOE Statement:

CDTC provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or other protected status. For information about CDTC, please visit our website at Who We Are | Continental Divide Trail Coalition