Catalyst Program Manager, Urban Forest Program - City Parks Foundation

POSITION SUMMARY  

Catalyst, a program of Partnerships for Parks, harnesses the resources of City Parks Foundation, NYC Parks, and local partners to improve parks and build community in historically under-resourced neighborhoods. Catalyst builds the leadership capacity of local stakeholders to care for their parks, including connecting them with larger support networks and leveraging resources and buy-in to advance the care of and investment in neighborhood greenspaces.  A new portfolio of work, led by this Manager role, will use Catalyst’s intensive community engagement strategies to involve under-resourced New York community members in the formation and implementation of NYC’s first official Urban Forest Plan, and also to support their involvement in expanding community leadership in NYC  tree stewardship efforts.

The Program Manager will report to the Senior Program Director of Catalyst, and also receive strategic input from the CPF Senior Advisor for Urban Forestry. The Program Manager will lead and manage this portfolio of tree-focused engagement work, including hiring and supervising an engagement team, strategy and program development, partner coordination, documentation and reporting, and other day-to-day program operations and communications. The Program Manager will also deliver some direct community engagement. Engagement strategy will begin with “Phase 1” and include creating and implementing opportunities in 2024 and 2025 for community stakeholders to inform the vision, strategy, and goals of NYC’s first Urban Forest Plan; contributing strategies and efforts to awareness campaigns to help NYC citizens understand the UFP and its benefit and value to EJ neighborhoods. “Phase 2” will be ongoing, but upon NYC’s successful creation and adoption of the UFP sometime in 2025, “Phase 2” will engage communities to help support the effective implementation of the new UFP. This will involve supporting existing and emerging tree care focused volunteer groups with leadership and member development, organizational structure, project and event planning, and relationship building with NYC Parks and other essential NYC stakeholders.

COMPENSATION: $68 - $77,000.00 per year
This is a grant funded position with a scheduled end date of March 15, 2026 with the possibility of extension

RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Hire and manage a team of 2 engagement organizers; provide on-the-ground and in-office support regarding community organizing and visioning work, meeting facilitation, reporting, event execution, securing and collaborating with partners, and overall project management. Contribute to positive team culture and performance   *** Please note, this project could scale up and involve additional funding; expanded team hiring and management; and coordination and reporting with additional local, state, and federal partners.  
• Conduct direct engagement and manage a portfolio of stewardship and visioning work
• Develop program strategies and goals in collaboration with program partners; conduct research, attend and contribute to planning meetings, and establish and execute plans to meet stated deliverables; coordinate with Catalyst Senior Director and the CPF Sr. Advisor on overall program assessment and strategy 
• Support staff development through regular check-ins and team meetings, and through identifying professional development needs and opportunities for the team
• Participate regularly in on-site planning meetings, as well as events and related engagement activations, providing hands-on support and assistance to staff and volunteers
• Contribute and edit program content for internal and public-facing communication including newsletters, presentations, reports, social media, web, and other platforms
• Manage the collection and management of data across the team; analyze and organize information (in and outside of Salesforce) necessary for reporting and program assessment
• Work nights and weekends as needed and support other priority initiatives as directed

QUALIFICATIONS

• Proven ability to manage, support, and lead successful teams in community engagement work, with 2 key areas of expertise to be prioritized:
  • Successful track record of working with policy makers/policy development to successfully include input, priorities, and perspectives from EJ and/or other marginalized community members
  • Successful track record in mobilizing EJ and/or other marginalized community members in the organizing of environmental efforts that benefit local communities via improved environmental outcomes and through resilient, enhanced social collaboration   
• Demonstrable ability to work with diverse constituencies
• Minimum 6 years experience and a Master's degree in one of the following areas: public service/administration, environmental conservation or policy, and/or community programming or organizing experience with at least 2 of those years in a supervisory capacity
• Strong communicator, with the ability to generate internal and public-facing communications; skill and experience with public speaking, professional writing, facilitation, and listening
• Motivated, resourceful, and creative self-starter with a passion for sustainable community development who is confident working both individually and as part of a team
• Responsible, detail-oriented, and organized project manager 
• Experience planning community-led events and/or collaborative projects that feature multiple stakeholders and interests
• Comfort and facility with office software and Google apps
• Experience with CRM systems, qualitative and quantitative data collection, evaluation, reporting, and presentations
• NYC parks and open-space engagement and project experience preferred, as is expertise and/or familiarity with urban forestry, tree care, and relevant horticultural experience
• Willingness to travel frequently around NYC and work on-site as often as needed, including nights and weekends
• Ability to lift up to 40 lbs and transport materials via various modes of transportation 
• Driver’s License required
• Bi or multilingual strongly preferred; Spanish is a priority

ABOUT CITY PARKS FOUNDATION

At City Parks Foundation (CPF), we are dedicated to invigorating and transforming New York City parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through arts, environmental education, sports, and community building programs for all New Yorkers. Our ethos is simple: we believe thriving parks mean thriving communities.

Community engagement includes Partnerships for Parks, a public-private program of City Parks Foundation and NYC Parks, which supports and champions a growing network of community leaders who care and advocate for the transformation of our neighborhood parks and the Parks and Open Space Partners-NYC coalition of conservancies and alliances. We also administer the NYC Green Fund, a regranting program for parks and open space nonprofits and grassroots organizations.

We produce SummerStage, the iconic free, outdoor performing arts festival in NYC, presenting world-class artists from across the globe and our own neighborhoods on our mainstage in Central Park and in local parks in all five boroughs, and our Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre and roving PuppetMobile present marionette puppet theater throughout New York City.

We connect youngsters to nature in the urban environment through progressive, experiential teaching. Using parks as classrooms, we provide learning experiences and hands-on activities in urban forests, coastal areas, and gardens.

Free golf, tennis, track & field, soccer, and fitness programs bring high-quality instruction and equipment into areas where few organized athletic opportunities exist. We offer leveled training, year-round scholarship coaching, and special pro events.

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