Associate Regional Director SORO

Organizational Mission:

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail – ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come.

Position Summary

The Associate Regional Director (ARD) represents ATC in the region from Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia to the Tennessee/Virginia border, providing leadership, direction, and management for the regional office including regional staff management, volunteer empowerment, partner engagement, seasonal program administration, and Trail management. The Associate Regional Director leads ATC’s overall regional capacity, priorities, strategies, resources, and ensures their successful execution within the region, exercising considerable independence and autonomy in the day-to-day implementation of such programs.

The Associate Regional Director reports to the Senior Regional Director-South and supports other Department Directors on land protection, advocacy, natural resource management, and volunteer policy.

The ARD will participate and build conservation alliances and partnerships to achieve ATC’s strategic goals. They nurture ATC’s critical relationships with volunteer clubs, agency partners, local communities, and cultivate relationships to support effective A.T. management. The ARD is responsible for ensuring all Trail management projects align with policies and standards. This position serves as ATC’s spokesperson with key local and state elected officials, and stakeholders.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Operations and Administration

• Manages the operations of the regional office and other regional facilities.
• Creates, negotiates, manages the regional budget.
• Ensures compliance of field-office operations with all ATC policies and procedures.
• Implements ATC’s response to emergencies and Trail-related incidents in the region.
• Negotiates and oversees negotiation of agreements; and oversees preparation of contracts and subsequent tracking, dispute resolution and reporting.
• Provides written comments, offers testimony and negotiates conservation outcomes with industry executives and government officials to address threats posed by a myriad of development projects; serves as primary spokesperson for ATC in the region.
• Ensures appropriate and adequate training for staff and volunteers.
• Supervise, train, and mentor a team

Trail Operations

• Provides oversight for all Trail management projects including agency engagement, technical Trail design, scoping and other requirements.
• Works closely with Trail management volunteers to develop project proposals and ensures consistent standards are implemented.
• Provides technical guidance to seasonal Trail-crews as needed.
• Oversees staff to direct Trail project selection and design in cooperation with affected clubs and other partners; and works cooperatively with agency partners to ensure adequate financial resources; oversees contracts and project reporting.
• Working closely with regional staff to hire and train seasonal crew staff.
• Ensures seasonal crew operations are efficient and effective in addressing high priority trail rehabilitation and relocation projects.
• Furthers ATC’s visitor use management program and goals (working with ATC’s Director of Visitor Use Management).

Land and Resource Protection

• Collaborates with Senior Regional Director to develop and implement strategies to mitigate short and long-term threats to the Trail experience and maximize the potential influence of the Trail and its stakeholders on conservation along the corridor.
• Works collaboratively with the Senior Regional Director and Landscape Department to develop land protection priorities and provides support for land acquisition and other conservation projects.
• Works collaboratively with the Vice President of Conservation and Policy to ensure adequate compliance with regional ATC easement monitoring.
• Supports the work of the Science and Stewardship department through collaboration, partner development and volunteer engagement.

Education and Outreach

• Supports regional strategies to implement A.T. Community program with the Landscape Conservation department.
• Builds ATC and Trail awareness among strategic partners in the region.
• Assists with preparation of annual congressional briefing materials; schedules and participates in congressional-briefing visits and prepares follow-up correspondence.

ATC Operations

• Fosters and facilitates the cooperative partnership among ATC, regional or national Trail organizations, conservation organizations, local communities, and agencies in the region.
• Provides staff support as appropriate to ATC board committees and the regional partnership committee; participates, as requested, in Board committee meetings, including but not limited to the Stewardship Council.
• Collaborates with ATC staff to implement organizational objectives.
• Contributes to management-related, membership, and visitor publications by providing articles, manuscripts, review or editorial services, and/or photos.
• Provides regional leadership and support for fundraising and ATC’s Centennial Campaign
• Works with ATC’s Program Director on Volunteer Relations to make volunteering open to all and easy to do.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in forestry, environmental science, conservation, resource management, or related area preferred
• 5 – 10 years of relevant experience required.
• Strong fiscal management experience with track record ensuring program accountability and legal compliance.
• Demonstrated strength managing people with significant supervisory experience and proven ability to lead and coach a multi-disciplinary team of staff and volunteers.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Superb facilitation skills with experience engaging diverse stakeholders, resolving conflicts and inspiring collaboration with diverse partners.
• Self-starter, able to organize, track, report on a diverse program portfolio and complete projects amidst a dynamic and changing organizational context with patience, perseverance, and minimal supervision.
• Proven talent developing constructive and effective relationships inside and outside the Trail and conservation communities as well as with donor and government institutions.
• proficiency in Trail construction and maintenance
• Demonstrated proficiency with utilizing a map and compass.
• Familiarity with the A.T. community, hikers, volunteers, natural resource management and park and land management.
• Experience with conservation easements and land planning.
• Experience writing grants.
• Advanced ability with Microsoft Office suite and able to learn new systems quickly.
• Analytical, strategic and systematic thinker with experience developing and implementing multi-year strategies and plans.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Extensive travel and weekend work will be required.
• Frequently communicates with individuals by phone, video, email and in person.
• Requires visits to Trail locations for inspections and assessments.
• Travel to organization-wide meetings and to project site offices across the East coast
• Flexibility to work long hours during deadlines or special event periods.
• Occasional field work in all outdoor weather conditions traversing uneven/rugged terrain.
• Field work is in remote wilderness conditions, varied weather conditions, and exposure to various pests (ticks) and wildlife is possible
• Shared office environment with modest noise level.

Additional Details

• This position has a salary range of ($63k-70k)
• Health, dental, and vision insurance available
• Company paid long-term disability and life insurance provided.
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with up to 7% match after 1 year of service

ATC Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) encourages collaboration, flexibility, and fairness with all employees and volunteers to enable participation and contributions to their fullest potential.

We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive organization and recognize that diversity contributes to an effective and successful organizational culture and mission.

The ATC prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and/or expression), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, political affiliation, union membership, or any other status protected by the laws and regulations in the locations where we operate.

Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Identity Statement

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