Volunteer and Education Program Manager

Volunteer and Education Manager

The Friends of the Blue Hills (FBH) is a dynamic and growing non-profit organization devoted to preserving, promoting, and protecting the Blue Hills Reservation’s natural beauty, diverse natural habitats, and many recreational opportunities. You are the perfect candidate if you are outgoing and passionate about caring for our public land. You will be a great fit if you are excited about developing relationships to connect people of all ages to nature and educating and engaging people in helping to improve the Blue Hills for generations to come. 

The Blue Hills Reservation, a DCR managed park, is twenty minutes south of Boston.  Within its borders lie 7,000 acres of forest, 125 miles of hiking trails, ponds for paddling, fishing and swimming, camps for young people, and visitor centers for all. 

Position Overview

The Volunteer and Education Manager (VEM) will report to the Executive Director. This is a hybrid position with approximately 50% of its time spent in the park (mostly early spring-through late fall), 25% work from our offices in Canton, and 25% work from home. The VEM helps FBH to expand its reach through developing engaging programs and experiences in the park and building a base of volunteers and engaged members who will not only physically care for the park by maintaining the trails and helping control invasives, but also advocate for the park. The VEM will work to continually build the organization’s capacity by putting in place systems and processes to ensure sustained program and volunteer growth while also recruiting new volunteers and cultivating future leaders.

Core Responsibilities

Education and Engagement

• Develop program themes and curriculum for public guided hikes and outdoor education programs for all ages
• Develop and lead service learning programs for participating schools/youth groups 
• Schedule program work, oversee daily program operations, and set priorities for managing programs
• Manage and train volunteer program staff and seasonal staff/interns
• Create inclusive and collaborative working environment for all staff and volunteers
• Lead guided hikes and other outdoor education programs in the Blue Hills
• Implement marketing plans for all educational programs
• Serve as staff liaison on board Education and Programs Committee
• Event promotion via social media, canva flyers, press releases, website updates

 Volunteers

• Recruit, train, supervise, and build relationships with volunteers to help with various aspects of the organization’s work including: trail work, litter removal, invasive species removal, programming, marketing, tabling, and administration
• In partnership with our Director of Advancement, recruit and steward relationships with our growing corporate volunteer program
• Lead corporate volunteer work days
• Partner with the executive director to develop standard operating procedures (SOP) for tracking recruitment, training programs, and volunteer management  for all volunteers
• Serve as staff liaison on board Stewardship committee

Program Management and General Administration

• Develop volunteer training program and SOP
• Implement and manage systems for tracking program and volunteer participation 
• Track and evaluate program outcomes
• Develop and manage SOP for all educational programs and experiences including volunteer led programs
• Ability to step in and help across departments as needed

Required Experience, Skills, and Qualities

• A people person
• Passion for protecting and preserving the outdoors
• A love for being out in nature
• Community organizing experience
• Experience recruiting and managing volunteers
• Demonstrated project management skills
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills
• Enthusiasm to take on a variety of projects as they arise
• Self-motivated and self-starter
• Excellent oral and written communication skills

Desired Prior Experience and Education

• Familiarity with the Blue Hills
• Experience teaching, leading, and designing outdoor education programs strongly preferred
• 2-5 years of experience in program implementation or volunteer management 
• Passion for small mission driven nonprofit organizations
• Volunteer experience in related areas such as conservation, outdoor engagement/education, youth development, community building
• Degree in conservation, education, environmental studies, hospitality or related field preferred

Job type and conditions: 

• Full-time position with health insurance, 401K, 10 vacation days and 10 holiday, 2 personal days. Annual salary $50,000-$56,000 .  Part-time possible for the right candidate
• Willingness to work some evenings and occasional weekends, to accommodate volunteers’ and program schedules
• Physically able to hike 4 to 5 miles in the Blue Hills, carry equipment, remove invasives and perform trail maintenance (raking, digging and cutting branches) 
• Access to a car is necessary

Application:
Please email a resume and cover letter outlining how your experience, skills and qualities align with the position, to jobs@friendsofthebluehills.org by Friday October 18th, 2024. The review of applications will begin immediately so early applications are recommended. All applicants will receive a personal acknowledgement of their application. FBH would like for the successful candidate to start by December 1st at the latest. 

Friends of the Blue Hills  Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Inclusion
FBH embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are dedicated to forming a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. People of color are strongly encouraged to apply. We recognize that the environmental movement and field of conservation have been affected by societal systems that have limited opportunity and access for many people. As a result, FBH is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. We are engaged in an ongoing process of organizational assessment and change, designed to remove barriers and create a workplace where all forms of diversity are recognized and valued.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Friends of the Blue Hills  is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. FBH prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.