Trail Operations Manager

Posted by Trails 2000 on 02/08/2019

Job Basics

Industry Sector: Bike, Fitness, Lifestyle, Outdoor

Job Categories: Management, Operations, Outdoor Education, Trail Management

Company Type: NaturalResources, Recreation, Service, TravelandTourism

State: CO

City: Durango

Country: United States

Required Experience:

Job Type: Seasonal

Salary:

Required to Relocate: Yes

Required to Travel:

Employee May Telecommute: No

Job Seeker Must Live Within:

Job Description & Requirements

Are you interested in a unique opportunity to join a leading nonprofit organization in the outdoor industry? Do you want to live in a mountain town community, while making a significant positive impact on the lives of residents and visitors? Are you passionate about the outdoors and wish to combine your passion for trails and recreation with a career in the outdoor industry?

Trails 2000 seeks a full time, seasonal Trail Operations Manager interested in the planning, building, and maintenance of area trails; managing volunteers; laying out and mapping trails; and balancing cerebral office work with physical trailwork. 

The ideal candidate must be a hard worker with a love for the outdoors and creating great trail experiences for all types of trail users; know how to work with varying leadership styles, community members, and youth; have excellent written and verbal skills; and aptitude for using mapping software or Google Maps.

A typical work week includes a Monday morning meeting with the Executive Director to evaluate a work plan that you’ve prepared and updated, followed by Tuesdays through Thursdays in the field laying out trails, doing recon on maintenance projects, and coordinating and leading volunteer crews during weekly trailwork projects (Tuesday and/or Wednesday evenings and some weekends). Weekly duties also consist of meeting with and presenting to land managers (both in the field and in office meetings), creating maps for presentation or review, and maintaining tools and trucks. Head outside and enjoy the fruits of your labor during most three-day weekends; work includes 1-2 weekends a month and typical field months run from late March to late October. 

The position provides a fun and organized office space, work computer, and the opportunity to build on a three-decade history of organizational success while infusing your creativity and expertise into the organization. 

Salary based on experience.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Supervises crews of students, volunteers, and work groups
• Develops relationships and works with land managers across disciplines
• Tracks upcoming trail projects and schedules trailwork activities
• Lays out and flags trails (re-routes and maintenance)
• Creates maps for future trail alignment proposals and map trail maintenance areas
• Develops recon reports for crew leaders
• Assigns tasks and provides training for crews
• Works with marketing coordinator to schedule volunteer days one month out
• Oversees trail tools and truck maintenance, including management of tools, tool shed, trucks, and storage of all tools
• Manages and creates trail reports
• Attends land manager and public meetings as a spokesperson for the organization
  

TYPICAL DUTIES:  

• Prepares trailwork maintenance and construction projects
• GPS trail alignment with pin flagging 
• Oversees activities of volunteers with safety as a priority in order to provide direction and ensure completion of projects
• Works with TrailKids Educator as needed
• Establishes priorities and sequence of projects in order to coordinate and ensure efficient completion of the established project work schedule
• Assesses trail conditions and updates trail conditions report for the public 
• Maintains a variety of specialized hand and power tools in order to ensure and maintain continued working order of tools
• Communicates with volunteers, supervisors, and others in order to provide information, training, and motivation
• Interacts with land managers as needed to provide information and feedback
• Maintains work trucks, including keeping a clean truck, current oil change, maintenance and driving responsibly
• Properly accounts all expenses and receipts
  

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of trail construction and maintenance techniques including sustainable trail design and construction
• Strong sense of importance of representing a non profit in the community
• Understands trail use as determined by the land managers
• Knowledge of specialized tools and equipment used in trail construction and maintenance
• Comfortable with GPS software
• Understands grade, sustainable alignment and can provide trail layout and design
• Ability to plan, organize, assign and motivate crews of students and volunteers
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Ability to safely utilize and maintain specialized tools and equipment
• Proficient in Excel, Dropbox and Microsoft Office applications
• Ability to use mapping software and create maps a plus
• Valid Driver’s License
• Background check will be conducted
  

PHYSICAL QUALIFICATIONS: Must be able to hike, bike and endure vigorous exercise; carry and lift up to 50 pounds; expect to be on your feet daily.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Crew leader experience; physical fitness to hike, bike, work outside and get to work sites; lift heavy items; ability to positively interact with the community and create a safe working environment is the highest priority. Commit to entire season plus be available to answer emails/questions during the off season. Proficient in Word and Excel. Valid Driver’s License.

SALARY:  Monthly Salary (no benefits) based on experience

SEASON: March 2019 through October 2019

TO APPLY:

Please submit resumes online at Trails2000.org by February 14, 2019. A PDF resume is required when applying. No phone calls, visits or mail please.

About Trails 2000

Durango Trails 2000 - based in Durango, Colorado - is a 501c3 organization that plans, builds and maintains trails; educates trail users; and encourages connectivity on road, path and trail. Founded in 1989, Trails 2000 relies on community support for all of its projects. Volunteers contribute more than 4,000 hours of trailwork annually to Forest Service, BLM, County, City and private landowners. For more information, visit www.Trails2000.org.