The Mid-Atlantic Director of Trail Development supports the Vice President of Trail Development in supervising and implementing RTC’s TrailNation™ projects in the Mid-Atlantic Region. This position will also lead organizational efforts to provide equitable trail-development technical assistance and resources internally as well as through RTC’s national channels, which support the nationwide movement to grow trail networks. TrailNation is RTC’s innovative program to catalyze the rapid development of regional trail and active-transportation networks, from concept to implementation, across eight cities and regions. We take a systematic approach, applying RTC’s depth of expertise and collaborative strategies to reflect local realities and new opportunities.
This is an excellent opportunity for a strategic, creative and results-oriented professional with exceptional people management, trail, active-transportation, and/or equitable planning and project implementation skills to join a successful organization in a leadership position.The director supervises the Baltimore Greenway Trails Network Project Manager as well as RTC’s Circuit Trails (Philadelphia Region) Project Manager. The director also has responsibility for overseeing RTC’s technical and strategic contributions to the Capital Trails Coalition in the Washington, D.C., region.
- Supervise multiple Mid-Atlantic TrailNation projects at the strategic and operational levels to develop, lead and implement strategies that advance the initiatives through all phases of development.
- Guide and collaborate with staff across the organization on priority project opportunities, and develop solutions, related to: diverse coalition building and partner engagement; active transportation and trail network planning; political-will building; GIS mapping; public finance and project funding; external project communications; and equitable trail development.
- Provide content expertise and technical assistance to project staff and partners in equitable development planning and community development focused on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in support of advancing equitable trail-development strategies.
- Maintain and cultivate relationships with key stakeholders and decision-makers throughout the Mid-Atlantic to raise the profile of the organization within the region, especially to stakeholders of interest to RTC (including but not limited to: public health, local government, elected officials, equitable development and economic development).
- Translate lessons learned into resources and materials that can be applied to and shared with other internal and external initiatives via RTC’s TrailNation Playbook, blog, webinar series, etc.
- Serve in an advisory capacity on specific initiatives related to TrailNation and other priority projects outside of the Mid-Atlantic Region.
- Provide oversight and assume responsibility for creating, monitoring and evaluating project and program budgets to ensure their success.
- Partner with other trail development directors to develop and implement processes/tools for effective TrailNation project management and impact reporting.
- Work collaboratively with the following internal RTC teams to achieve organizational goals:
- Development Department to support the creation of successful fundraising proposals to support TrailNation projects
- Communications Department to increase project visibility and utilize communication channels to advance TrailNation project goals
- Policy Department to activate advocacy channels and increase public funding available for the development of TrailNation projects
- Operations Department to develop and manage complex TrailNation project budgets
Supervisory Responsibilities
This position will supervise 2–4 staff and report to the Vice President of Trail Development. This individual will:
- Provide leadership and guidance to staff in managing consultants, interns and part-time staff
- Ensure staff understand RTC’s strategic plan and how it relates to specific TrailNation project work plans
- Collaborate with and support Mid-Atlantic staff to develop and track annual project workplans and budgets
- Assist staff with the management and implementation of grants and funding agreements
- Further deepen and support a culture of shared leadership, accountability and clear expectations
- Mentor staff in meeting their workplan goals and career development
- Conduct semi-annual performance reviews and provide constructive feedback to staff
- Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience managing complex, multidisciplinary projects in any of the following: equitable development, community development/organizing, political advocacy, active transportation or economic development
- Bachelor’s degree in urban/transportation/community planning, public administration, economic development, public health, environmental science/policy; real estate or a related field (In lieu of college degree, eight years relevant work experience is desired; apprenticeship experience may also be substituted on a year-by-year basis.)
- Expertise and extensive experience in inclusive and equitable community development and engagement
- Political savvy and demonstrated ability to engage and cultivate a wide variety of stakeholders both internally and externally (government, advocacy, business, elected officials), and experience building diverse coalitions to achieve support and buy-in
- Minimum of three years of supervisory experience in motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance of full-time staff
- Advanced project management skills and experience, including the ability to set and achieve short- and long-term planning goals in line with program priorities and to creatively leverage internal and external resources
- Experience working with or for local government(s)
- Outstanding oral and written communication, and strong interpersonal skills
- Ability to design, execute and facilitate forums, workshops and other content-rich convenings with diverse stakeholders
- Consensus-building skills, with the ability to read an audience and be decisive
- Experience developing and managing foundation grants, including proposal development, management of deliverables and budget reporting
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively and tactfully with a wide range of people and personalities to establish collaborative partnerships
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office
- Experience managing programmatic budgets in Microsoft Excel
- 25% travel required, including non-traditional work hours (i.e. evenings/weekends)
- Must possess valid driver’s license
- Preferred:
- Master’s degree in urban/transportation/community planning, public administration, economic development, public health, environmental science/policy, real estate or a related field
- Experience using ESRI products (ArcMap, ArcGIS Online) for GIS mapping
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. To apply, please email careers@railstotrails.org with the following:
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The position you are applying for in the subject line
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A résumé (as a separate attachment)
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A cover letter that includes a brief statement about your personal background or experiences that demonstrate your potential to contribute to RTC’s commitment to create an inclusive and diverse workplace.