Regional Program Manager

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Regional Program Manager (RPM) oversees BCM programming in the Twin Cities, managing seasonal day trips, overnights, and weeklong expeditions for youth. This includes recruiting and selecting partners in the fall and winter, handling registrations, surveys, and instructor recruitment, and managing the regional budget. RPMs also support and hire seasonal instructors, coordinate logistics, and occasionally lead programs.

The RPM reports to BCM’s National Program Director, working remotely but needing to be based in or near the Twin Cities area. Travel includes regional visits, 2-3 annual trips to BCM headquarters in Colorado, and occasional trips to other regions for instructor orientations. Additionally, the RPM will visit the basecamp near Tower, MN, 5 times between May and September, working with part-time seasonal staff to manage Canoe Camp.

Key Responsibilities:

• Community Engagement / Youth Agency Partner Relations: Develop and maintain partnerships with youth agencies, volunteers, and community supporters. RPMs conduct outreach, organize recruitment activities, manage partnerships, and support fundraising efforts.
• Program Design, Delivery, and Evaluation: Ensure high-quality outdoor programs consistent with BCM’s mission. RPMs handle logistics, secure necessary resources, and hire, train, and manage instructors. They collaborate with the national team to improve the program model and evaluate its effectiveness.
• Risk and Safety Management: Manage program risk by reviewing key documents, conducting briefings and debriefings, inspecting equipment, and overseeing emergency response. RPMs work with the National Program Director to update safety protocols and trainings.
• Program Administration: Track participant data and maintain records using Salesforce. RPMs create and manage the regional budget in collaboration with the program team and Executive Director.
• Basecamp Support: While onsite visits to the basecamp are not frequent, the RPM is responsible for supporting site management, assisting with setup and takedown, and identifying capital improvement needs to communicate to the national team.

Full job description found here: https://www.bigcitymountaineers.org/about-us/careers 

Role Requirements

• Personal and professional values consistent with BCM’s mission, values, and principles, centering the unwavering belief in the power of nature-based experiences to help youth strengthen life skills and build community
• Residence in or near Minneapolis/St. Paul
• Current Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification, or equivalent, as well as training and experience managing and responding to physical, emotional, and situational risks inherent in youth outdoor programs, including experience serving in an on-call capacity
• Personal or professional experience, familiarity, and comfort in backcountry and outdoor settings that involve canoeing
• Demonstrated experience in outdoor program development, facilitation, and management, specifically managing backcountry canoeing trip logistics for groups (preferably in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, preferably with youth groups)
• Experience working from a home office and/or remotely, including capacity to work independently as the sole full time staff member in a geographic region with remote supervision and comfort with technology platforms that enable effective remote collaboration with a national team
• Clean driving record and reliable transportation to travel locally to meet in-person with agency partners and to BCM’s canoe camp in Tower, MN. As well as a willingness and ability to travel regionally to Headquarters in Colorado as job and duties require.
• Prior professional experience working with youth from disinvested communities and racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse groups, ages 12-18, preferably in outdoor, educational, or outdoor education settings

Qualifications

• Familiarity with the local communities BCM works in, and the natural areas BCM utilizes on its courses
• Prior or current experience working in youth-serving nonprofits of BCM’s general size
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently, and to know when each is required
• Interpersonal awareness, ability to cultivate trusting interpersonal relationships and connect with people across lines of difference
• Demonstrated capacity to manage complex administrative details, including maintaining accurate and complete data
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in multiple formats (written and verbal) and to diverse audiences
• Track record of successfully problem solving and responding when challenges arise in the field
• Comfort giving and receiving feedback up a supervisory hierarchy
• Ability to set priorities and manage multiple projects and accountabilities simultaneously
• Ability to inspire passion for BCM’s work and programs, internally and externally
• Strong understanding of current outdoor industry / outdoor education safety standards and best practices for organized backcountry travel
• Willingness to hold self and others accountable for all program and organizational policies

Employment & Compensation

This is a full-time, exempt position, with a starting annual salary range of $55,000 – $65,000 per year. Please note that the initial contract for this position will run through September 2025. Based on performance and a thorough evaluation of organizational needs, there is strong potential for the incumbent to continue in the role beyond September.

Benefits include:

• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance (with options for coverage to be 100% employer paid).
• 34 paid days off per calendar yea
• 401k program
• Pro discounts (usually 40%) on outdoor gear and other member rewards

The anticipated start date for this position is April 28, 2025, and will begin with an in person onboarding and orientation.