Western Program Manager

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, provides professional development opportunities for young adults seeking to enhance their career experience. ACE’s Emerging Professionals in Conservation (EPIC) program has a national reputation for providing young adults and recent graduates with hands-on, professional development individual placement opportunities to work alongside and under the guidance of agency mentors as they apply their knowledge of resource management on their path to becoming the next generation of resource and land managers. The ACE EPIC National Park Service (NPS) program hosts over 300 members in individual placement projects each year across the country in National Parks, Monuments, Historical Sites, Recreational Areas, Trails, Rivers, Battlefields., and Heritage Areas. A wide range of Individual placement project scopes include but are not limited to cultural resource management, wildlife and physical sciences monitoring, environmental education, interpretation, social media and visitor services, trail work, historic preservation, physical sciences, GIS, and many more. 

Job Title: Western Program Manager 

Location: ACE currently has offices in Sacramento, CA; Ridgecrest, CA; Hurricane, UT; Flagstaff, AZ; and Asheville, NC. This position can also work remotely in the western continental US.  

Department/Division: EPIC Program / NPS Division (National Park Service)

Status: Regular Full-Time, Salaried (Exempt) 

Schedule/Hours: Full-time (Monday-Friday). 40 hours/week with additional hours as  needed.  

Reports To: Division Director, EPIC NPS 

Compensation: Starting annualized salary of $50,000-$55,000 based on experience. This full-time position is eligible for a comprehensive benefits package. 

Schedule/Hours: Full-time, 40 hours/week (Monday – Friday, flexible hours but expected to be on duty during ACE Core Business Hours of 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm Eastern time to accommodate business needs in all US time zones), with some adjustment expected to accommodate specific projects and program needs. Some evening and weekend hours may be occasionally required.

Position Summary:  
The ACE Western Program Manager is responsible for leading and developing programming within an ACE Emerging Professionals in Conservation, National Park Service (EPIC NPS) Division. Performing as lead representative for ACE agreements and partnerships for the NPS Western regions, the Program Manager guides projects through their lifecycle; ensures member, partner and programmatic and compliance needs are met; provides ACE management and supervision of individual placement members (AmeriCorps members, interns and fellows); collaborates with partners on program evolution. The Program Manager will work with the Division Director and Project Partners on project planning and growth. The Program Manager will collaborate across the EPIC NPS division, other ACE divisions actively contributing to and fulfilling the Division’s Western NPS regions. They will supervise and support the Western Member Managers.

General responsibilities include meeting multiple regional project objectives, managing key deliverables and outcomes of Division partnerships and member experiences including  supporting and mentoring ACE members, carrying out project management, developing project budgets and cost management, any associated staffing coordination, and  overseeing related project reporting and invoicing.  

Essential Functions and Responsibilities: 
With the primary direction and support of the EPIC NPS Division Director, along with team support, the Western Program Manager will oversee agreement management, recruitment, and member experience for ACE EPIC individual placements projects in National Park Service Western regions (Northwest, Southwest, and Midwest): 

• Supervise and support Western Member Managers.
• Regularly interact with ACE program Staff, Partners, and Members to ensure ongoing program communication in both an office and field setting.
• Facilitate and support the candidate screening and selection process, including: overseeing the editing and posting of position announcements, reviewing and interviewing candidates, conducting reference checks and making/confirming position offers.
• Communicate and collaborate with ACE’s recruitment team for outreach efforts.
• In collaboration with the Division Support staff, assure timely and accurate onboarding of new hires, including data collection/entry of new hire’s employment information in ACE’s internal database.
• Directly engage and support NPS agency partners, including:
  • Being the main point of contact for any new or existing Division projects in Northwest, Southwest, and Midwest regions.
  • Develop and monitor project agreement budgets.
  • Confirm project/agreement logistics, establishing expectations of project duties and schedule, communicating to the divisional team, and adjusting project needs accordingly.
  • Respond to requests for new projects, develop budget documents, and submit documents to partners via email or Grant Solutions.
  • Develop and review invoices.
  • Ensure that all project measurables and goals are met, including communicating and supporting project partners with project implementation.
• Work closely with Member Managers to support member and partner experience.
• Maintain the utmost professionalism and confidentiality in sensitive communications with members and staff.
• Engage, mentor and support EPIC members throughout their ACE experience with:
  • Beginning of term, mid-term, and end off term surveys. Biweekly timesheet review and approval, webinar training facilitation, incident response, processing reimbursement requests, conducting formal  and informal feedback and career development discussions, contribute to ACE and NPS social media efforts recognizing members’ accomplishments;  and any additional relevant member engagement or support needs that may arise during a member’s term.
  • Oversee budgeting and purchase of requested equipment/travel for agreements including, but not limited to, gear, transportation, per diems, training fees, and lodging.
• Participate in ACE staff trainings and events as well as NPS agency-led trainings  and events as appropriate.
• Maintain and improve current programmatic and operational strategies and develop new strategies to increase the productivity of the program.
• Collect and assemble project accomplishments and statistics for partnership  reporting needs.
• Conduct host-site park visits, attend offsite events, and professional development  conferences or trainings, as funds and timing allow.
• Understand and appreciate the uniqueness of the NPS Mission
• Adhere to ACE safety policies and procedures.
• Foster a culture and environment that positions ACE for success and ensures that  ACE is the program of choice for partners, members and staff.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Experience and Qualifications: 

• Ability to effectively work with a diverse range of people.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• A deep and continuing interest in the welfare and professional development of ACE participants.
• Commitment to ACE’s mission of public service through youth development & volunteerism.
• Highly organized, with the ability to maintain coordination of hundreds of applicants for positions nationwide, utilizing proprietary database tools.
• Ability to think creatively, organize tasks, work independently and as part of a team, and meet deadlines.
• Strong computer management skills including experience or willingness to learn applicant tracking software and personnel databases, iOS, MS Office, Google Suite, and webinar platforms such as Zoom, or equivalents to these.
• Must be flexible and eager to engage the highly mobile and predominantly remote teams that make up ACE.
• Effective time management skills, and the ability/desire to concurrently perform multiple deadline-driven tasks.
• Demonstrate sensitivity, understanding and the ability to effectively interact with individuals (internal and external) from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, ability and  ethnic backgrounds.

Other Requirements: 

• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
• Valid driver’s license and an insurable driving record
• Proficient in English
• Ability to pass a federal criminal background check
• Willing to abide by ACE Policy and Federal Drug Free workplace policies and laws. ACE reserves the right to drug test at any time.

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions 

• Physical Demands: Requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, using hands to handle or feel, reaching with hands and arms, talks and hears. Manual dexterity  required for use of computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment. Occasionally required to stoop, kneel, climb stairs, and/or crouch (all physical demands are required with or without reasonable accommodations).
• Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus.
• Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Frequently lifts up to 10 lbs., occasionally lifts up to 25 pounds.
• Environmental: Mainly indoor, office environment conditions; indoor air quality is good and temperature is controlled.
• Noise Environment: Moderate noise such as in a business office with equipment and light traffic.
• Travel: This position may require domestic travel as needed.

Medical/Health Benefits: ACE offers competitive medical and ancillary plans (health, mental health, dental, vision and other supplemental benefits). ACE Staff members are also eligible to participate in ACE’s 403b retirement plan with a 2% employer contribution.

Holidays, Vacation, and Sick Time: As an ACE staff member, you will be eligible to accrue up to 80 hours of paid vacation time annually during your first two years of continuous employment, then it increases to 120 hours annually. ACE observes 13 paid annual holidays (floating holiday flexibility). ACE provides 10 days (or 80 hours) of paid sick time annually.

Additional Benefits: Outdoor Perks – As an ACE staff member, you will be eligible to receive pro deals which include deep discounts on outdoor gear providing 30 – 50% off retail prices on 100’s of established outdoor gear brands.

Phone Provided or Reimbursement Option: You have the option to select one of the following options: ACE work phone device/number provided or monthly phone reimbursement for personal device/number use.