Boston Senior Program Manager

Trust for Public Land (TPL) creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 3.7 million acres, connected 9.3 million people to the outdoors, created or transformed more than 5,100 parks, playgrounds, and gardens, and developed more than 2,000 miles of trails across the United States. TPL has also helped states and local communities generate over $84 billion in new public funds for parks and open space. With over thirty offices across the country, TPL’s vision is to connect everyone to the outdoors.
Position Summary
The Boston Parks for People Program Manager directs Parks for People priorities with local communities in Boston and Massachusetts Gateway Cities to create and transform urban parks, schoolyards, trails, and green spaces, with a focus on addressing climate, equity, and health issues. The Program Manager manages all phases of development to create and transform urban parks, schoolyards, and green spaces. In partnership with community leaders, neighborhood residents, public agencies, non-profit partners, and others, the Program Manager engages community members to identify, shape, and realize green space projects that meet residents’ needs and align with TPL’s Parks for People mission. Reporting to the Massachusetts State Program Director, the Program Manager is responsible for activating and maintaining local support for existing and/or new Parks for People projects. The Program Manager is a key member of the Massachusetts team and oversees/monitors the process of park and playground installation and assures that projects are fully funded and completed. The Program Manager supports the development and continued growth of the program in support of TPL’s goal to create and revitalize green spaces within a 10-minute walk of 100,000 people. To accomplish this goal, s/he/they will be expected to maintain our standard for equitable, community centered mission fulfillment by drawing on TPL’s expertise in technology and outreach to help communities plan their conservation goals, and using our finance, legal, and transaction expertise to accomplish them.
Essential Functions

• Explore, identify, vet, initiate, manage, and successfully complete park-creation, park-rehabilitation, trails, and urban open space projects.
• Take primary responsibility for project schedules, project budgets, and day-to-day project oversight.
• Lead, organize, and facilitate community-led participatory design sessions with a particular focus on involving local stakeholders (adults and children) in both site design and stewardship.
• Travel regionally (up to approximately 20%) to advance projects within and around Greater Boston.
• Assume primary responsibility for engaging community members to understand and advocate for the parks and open spaces they want, within the context of available funding, public agency priorities, and other marketplace realities.
• Build public awareness through outreach events, leading meetings, public speaking engagements, fundraising efforts and creates a public presence for TPL in the community.
• Oversee all aspects of the park, schoolyard, and urban trail development and design process including oversight of design consultants, engineering firms, environmental consultants, and construction contractors.
• Write and design promotional pieces including the creation of graphic displays, signage, and posters.
• Collaborate with TPL’s matrixed internal organization including legal, finance, and marketing staff.
• Additional duties as required to support the work of a dynamic and growing program.
• Convene public and private stakeholders to build coalitions of support for projects and the implementation of public/private stewardship models to optimize the maintenance, programming, and use of completed sites.
• Guide strategy and visioning, program development, and budgeting to inform the broader MA program.
• Identify and secure sources of private and public funds including the development of fundraising materials, grant applications, and proposals.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Superior oral and written communication, comfort with public speaking and media relations.
• Ability to attend meetings/events during evenings and on weekends, as required.
• Five years of experience in urban park design and site development (with actual design work completed by outside landscape architects), including planning, capital improvements, materials selection, and construction administration.
• Proven experience in community organizing and engagement, meeting facilitation, and community-led design.
• Previous successful fundraising and grant writing experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in community development, urban planning, park design, or related field is preferred.
• Budgeting and expense management.
• Computer Proficiency: Microsoft Office

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Experience managing design and/or construction projects, including oversight of design and construction professionals, public bidding, budgets, and project schedules.
• Familiarity with geographic information systems (GIS).
• An understanding of community, public agency, and green space priorities—and the enabling conditions for successfully creating and transforming urban green spaces.
• Spanish language (written and oral).
• Prior experience with diverse stakeholder groups, underserved communities, and communities of color.
• A Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, or a related field is desirable.
• Experience with environmental assessment and remediation.
• Experience in or knowledge of current urban issues, such as planning, parks, climate, public health, and equity.
• Able to work on complex projects with moderate level of supervision.
• Proficiency in Illustrator, InDesign, Canva, Premiere, or other design tools.

Compensation
As a full-time exempt employee, you will be eligible for TPL’s comprehensive benefits program, which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, vacation days, sick days, a personal day, a day of service and ten + holidays, and a 403(b) retirement plan, currently with an up to 7% company match. We anticipate the hiring range for this position will be $80,000-95,000 annually. The offer will be commensurate with experience.
TPL is committed to cultivating diverse staff that is representative of the communities we serve. Applications from individuals having diverse backgrounds and life experiences are strongly encouraged. We are open to the possibility that a great candidate for this job may not precisely meet all of the above criteria; if you believe you are the right person for this job and can persuasively make that case, we encourage you to apply.