Trails Program Manager

Gallatin Valley Land Trust; Bozeman (MT); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Gallatin Valley Land Trust is seeking a Trails Program Manager to drive the planning and execution of community trails projects in the Gallatin Valley. You will coordinate with government agencies, nonprofits, landowners, and user groups while also directing on-the-ground construction and maintenance efforts.

The role prioritizes recreation planning, natural resources, and community-building experience, with leadership across staff and volunteers and a strong focus on partnerships and program

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required or applicable experience.
• Minimum of three years of program/project management experience in community planning, recreation management, natural resources, or trail development.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with partners to identify priority trail projects and opportunities to advance GVLT’s mission.
• Manage new trail construction and assist with maintenance, including permits, budgets, timelines, and contractors.
• Secure and manage grant and private funding for land, easement acquisitions, and trail construction.
• Oversee trails staff including full-time, seasonal, AmeriCorps members, and volunteers.

Skills

Systems thinker

Integrator

Analyzer

People Manager

Investigator

Collaborator

Initiator

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a field applicable to the position

Tools

GIS mapping

Job description

The Staff and Board of GVLT seek a highly motivated, creative, organized self-starter with a passion to bring people together to accomplish community trails projects. In this role, you will help facilitate trail and recreation planning initiatives across the Gallatin Valley, while also managing on-the-ground trail construction and maintenance projects. This individual will represent GVLT to diverse constituents and stakeholders and will be responsible for helping to develop and maintain strong community partnerships with governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, private landowners, and trail user groups. The Trails Program Manager will be responsible for oversight of GVLT’s current trail projects as well as helping to plan, prioritize, fund, and implement new trail projects. This position reports to the Trails Director and will work closely with the Trails Project Manager and the entire GVLT team. While having trail-building experience is helpful to this position, we encourage professionals with proven recreation planning, natural resources, project management, landscape design, and community-building experience to apply.

Job Duties

Project Development and Implementation (45%)

• Collaborate with community partners, stakeholders, recreational users, and landowners to identify and pursue priority trail projects and strategic opportunities to achieve GVLT’s trails mission.
• Manage new trail construction projects and assist with contracted trail maintenance projects, including management of permits, budgets, timelines, and contractors.
• Secure and manage grant and private funding to complete land and easement acquisitions, and trail construction projects.
• Oversee trails staff including full-time, seasonal, part-time, AmeriCorps members, as well as volunteers.

Community Relationships (25%)

• Identify, pursue, and engage in collaborative partnerships to help accomplish GVLT’s trails mission.
• Assist in GVLT’s efforts to help local communities and private landowners across the Gallatin Valley plan for and implement recreation and trails infrastructure.
• Represent the trails program at a variety of citizen advisory boards, stakeholder, and other groups, including outside of normal business hours.
• Provide leadership and education in the community regarding the importance and value of trails, including reviewing community trail plans and proposed residential subdivisions, as appropriate.

Oversight and Stewardship of GVLT Recreational Lands and Trails (20%)

• Support the Trails Project Manager in conducting spring trail assessments, assisting with the development of annual maintenance plans reflecting responsibilities detailed in land use licenses, trail easements, MOU’s, and other agreements.
• Ensure compliance with easement requirements and incorporate maintenance, signage, and monitoring needs into Trails work plans.
• Perform hands-on stewardship work including physical trail work, recreational lands stewardship, routine trailhead maintenance, amenity improvements, natural resource enhancements, etc.
• Support volunteer project coordination and on-the-ground volunteer projects. Provide technical training to seasonal workers and volunteers.

Other (10%)

• Support the Trails Team and collaborate with other departments and partners on GIS mapping, trail infrastructure database, and analysis.
• Assist the Trails Director with Committee meetings and administration.
• Assist with the preparation of the organizational budget.
• Organize and manage weekly Trails team meetings.
• Participate in bi-weekly staff meetings and bi-monthly Board meetings to keep colleagues and directors apprised of issues as they arise.
• Assist with donor support activities and events as needed.
• Assist with administrative and office responsibilities as needed.

Preferred Knowledge

• Subdivision plats, parkland dedication, trail and other easements.
• Grant management and donor development.
• Project management and collaborative planning across a wide variety of partners including local governments, nonprofit organizations, and community stakeholders.
• Building sustainable trail projects, including maintenance and management best practices.
• Intermediate to advanced level GIS mapping and analysis, including experience in vector GIS.
• Developing and implementing community needs assessments and evaluating outdoor recreation trends.

Preferred Skills

• Systems thinker - Connects trail work to the mission and strategic plan; sets and tracks program and project budgets; crafts strategic priorities with an eye toward efficiency, best practices, sustainability, and processes.
• Integrator - Identifies opportunities to streamline strategies and integrate streams/functions.
• Analyzer - Uses rigorous logic around aggregate data; performs a variety of analyses to inform decisions with broad impact and solves problems requiring diverse perspectives. Synthesizes data; identifies and prioritizes risks to mitigate, opportunities to pursue, and problems to solve.
• People Manager - Coaches and develops staff; sets, communicates, and manages expectations; leverages self and social awareness to communicate effectively, empathize, build relationships, resolve conflict, and inspire others.
• Investigator - Independently finds resources to solve problems, raises questions or concerns in a timely manner, conducts due diligence, documents accurately, and ensures compliance.
• Collaborator - Engages and communicates with internal and external partners professionally.
• Initiator - Looks for opportunities to consider and launch new projects or programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree in a field applicable to the position and/or applicable experience.
• Minimum of three years of experience with program/project management, preferably in the area of community planning, recreation management, natural resources, community trail development, or another applicable field.

Values Alignment

GVLT team members are expected to align with and support our values (see GVLT values).

Working Conditions

• Work from GVLT office in Bozeman and/or satellite office as needed. Position is partially office-based with regular opportunities to be in the field as required.
• Flexible schedule and strong work-life balance culture. Following a probationary period, staff have the option to work one day per week from home plus flexibility for appointments and modified hours.
• May have overnight travel ~1-3 times a year for professional development and/or key partner meetings.
• The Program Manager role includes significant time in the field, so must be comfortable navigating uneven and steep terrain on and off trail.
• Occasional evening hours (on average 2 evenings a month) for partner meetings. Flex time use is encouraged if 40 hours per week is exceeded.

Please see our website for full details including details on generous benefits package and application process. We begin reviewing applications September 7th.