PROGRAM MANAGER

JOB DESCRIPTION

Responsibilities: The Program Manager is directly responsible for the management of the Wilderness Volunteers (WV) service trips program including identifying projects, development of projects in cooperation with public land managers, setting the annual service project schedule, recruiting volunteer leaders for the projects, producing supporting project documentation, registration of participants, monitoring program quality, maintaining related spreadsheets and databases, preparation of materials for project promotion, ordering and management of program equipment, ensuring that WV policies are followed by project leaders and participants, and representing Wilderness Volunteers and its mission to diverse audiences. The Program Manager serves as a primary contact for volunteer staff, project participants, public land agencies, and the general public. Additional duties include identification of potential volunteer staff, organization of training programs for potential and current leaders, ensuring that WV complies with land agency guidelines and requirements, preparation of Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU’s) for each land agency for each project, serving on a management team (to address issues such as wilderness risk management, marketing, fundraising, and program quality), management of the WV photo gallery, and representative attendance at outdoor events.The Program Manager may also assist with organizational fundraising, hiring, advertising, staff evaluations, grant writing and social media.

This position is located in Flagstaff, AZ.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications Required: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's Degree with major coursework in a forestry, biology, geology, botany, parks and recreation management, outdoor recreation, or other related natural science.

Special Requirements: Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license. Availability to work a flexible schedule, including some weekend and evening hours.

Preferred Qualifications: Previous experience in an outdoor leadership role, current certification in wilderness first aid/wilderness first responder/etc., familiarity with HTML/PHP/CSS coding, significant experience camping/backpacking.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Communication: Communicates with WV staff, volunteer leaders, and land agency representatives in order to develop and arrange week-long service projects across the country. Maintains goodworking relationships with public land agencies. Acts as a liason between volunteer leaders, land agencies, and project participants. Communicates with project applicants in order to evaluate project applications and register applicants for projects. Communicates with the public and news media to increase awareness of WV and its mission. Facilitates open dialogue. Prepares written project descriptions and write-ups. Explains WV policies, rules, and regulations. Presents ideas clearly, both verbally and in writing, to share knowledge, negotiate outcomes, discuss alternatives, and address problem/conflict situations. Communicates and coordinates work activities with the Executive Director and other staff to ensure timely completion of objectives and goals. Operates a personal computer and uses hardware (e.g. printers, scales, scanners, etc.) and software (e.g. word processing, databases, spreadsheets, graphics design, etc.) to prepare documents and record information. Maintains excellent documentation.Possesses effective interpersonal skills to effectively manage daily communications and potentially difficult situations.

Manual/Physical:Maintains ongoing physical fitness. Uses common outdoor tools such as Pulaskis, McClouds, saws, shovels, rock-bars, etc. to build and maintain trails on projects. Operates a vehicle. Duties may include carrying a pack weighing 35-60 pounds several miles over steep and uneven terrain at elevation, heavy lifting, and strenuous physical exertion in variable weather conditions.

Mental: Passionate for the outdoors, wilderness, and stewardship of our nation’s wild lands.Plans, organizes and directs program activities. Prioritizes and manages work to complete assigned goals and objectives. Effectively manages personal time on a dailybasis.Assesses project proposals with special attention to risk management. Reads, analyzes and interprets complex environmental information and data. Makes effective and timely decisions. Developspresentation materials. Adapts to new information, changing conditions or unexpected obstacles.Resolves procedural, operational, and other work related problems. Reviews evaluations and trip reports to ensure compliance with procedures. Applies knowledge to select suitable projects. Assesses trails, portages, etc. to determine work required and plans, supervises, and reviews the work completed. Finds creative solutions to address organizational needs.Manages and resolves conflicts. Learns job-related materialthrough on-the-job training, attendance at training seminars, and continuing education.Seeks opportunities to develop partnerships or collaborative opportunities that will further accomplishment of WV’s goals and objectives.

Knowledge and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

Familiarity with the Wilderness Act and framework for public land management in the US

Conservation issues relating to public lands in the United States

Wilderness First Aid and CPR

Trail building and maintenance

Safety hazards and precautions related to projects

Ability to:

interact with staff, volunteer leaders, land agency representatives, project participants, and the public to establish and maintain effective workingrelationships;

communicate clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing;

accomplishdefined goals and tasks by assigned due dates;

exercise independent judgment and act decisively;

assess and assign priorities to problems and work assignments when confronted with several pressingdemands at one time; and

foster a positive, respectful and friendly work environment

The duties listed above are intended only as general illustrations of the various types of work that maybe performed. Specific statements of duties not included does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. Job descriptions are subject to change by WV as the needs of the organization and requirements of the job change.