The Washington Area Bicyclist Association is looking for a Trail Ranger Operations Manager to help improve and champion world-class trails in the District. In collaboration with the Outreach Manager and led by the Trail Ranger and Outreach Director, the Operations Manager will run the nationally unique DC Trail Ranger Program. We are looking for someone with strong attention to logistical details, who loves collaboration, feedback and being wiling to try something new, and who can dream big and implement a trails program that prioritizes being inclusive, welcoming and supportive to trail users and staff. This position (and program!) includes a lot of different knowledge areas — we are not expecting new staff to know it all at the beginning, and the skills and strengths of everyone on the team will shape the particulars of how the program is run.
The Trail Ranger Operations Manager is expected to begin January 11th, 2022. Pay will be $54,000 – $60,000 salaried with benefits. Fulfillment and year-over-year continuity of these positions is subject to funding.
WABA’s Trail Ranger Program aims to make the District trails welcoming and inclusive to all residents, frequently used, and in a state of good repair. The program encourages trail use through daily trail presence, community engagement, trail maintenance, and trail user assistance. Trail Rangers cover paved multi-use trails within the District, including the Metropolitan Branch Trail, Anacostia River Trail, Marvin Gaye Trail, Oxon Run Trail, and connecting street routes. Trail Rangers act as trail ambassadors, offering a consistent and friendly presence to make the trails more enjoyable, inclusive and dependable for transportation and recreation.
Starting in 2022, the Trail Ranger Program will have full-time, year round staffing and operations (the program was seasonal for the previous nine years). Year round operation will enable WABA to have a professional trail team with ongoing training and skill development.
WABA’s Trail Ranger Program contract with the District’s Urban Forestry Division goes through 2024, with possibilities of extension beyond 2024. These positions are contingent upon annual funding renewal.
You can learn more about the Trail Ranger program here.
The WABA Trail Ranger Team will be an eight person team: we will have a Trail Ranger and Outreach Director, an Outreach Manager, an Operations Manager and five DC Trail Ranger field staff. Day-to-day management of the program will be done by the Operations and Outreach Managers with overall strategy and regional coordination by the Director. Team culture heavily values collaboration and mutual respect, with weekly all-staff team meetings and many decisions made or led by field staff. Individual Trail Rangers will report directly to either the Operations or Outreach Manager.
Implement the DC Trail Ranger Program: In collaboration with the Trail Ranger Outreach Manager, you’ll run the Trail Ranger program, including directly supervising two full-time Trail Ranger staff with a lense towards managing for diversity, equity and inclusion. You’ll also do some Trail Rangers shifts, and be responsible for completing program reporting and invoicing.
Manage the Trail Ranger Program’s field operations and protocols: Your role will focus on program operations, including shift scheduling, managing tool and fleet bike maintenance, and issue reporting. You’ll also manage and determine DC Trail Ranger protocols for staff safety, risk mitigation, trail conditions, and the ecological health of the District.
Trail maintenance coordination: You’ll work with the Trail Rangers to track the big-picture maintenance conditions of DC trails, ensure the program is compliant with District Department of Transportation’s (DDOT) maintenance standards, and be the primary point of contact for complicated and/or multi-agency projects. This includes collaborating with the DDOT on trail projects and annual trail condition audits. You’ll also help develop WABA’s networks and relationships with other non-profit organizations, businesses, elected public officials, governmental agencies, and community leaders in the trail corridors.
This position will be based from WABA’s Adams Morgan office.
You should apply if you meet at least 70% of the following required and 1+ of the useful criteria (Ie We would love to consider you as a candidate and don’t expect staff to know everything on day one! Give us your best pitch of how your professional and/or personal experience fits the job qualifications and the role in your cover letter):
There’s a lot of work to do! Here’s some of what’s available to help get it done:
WABA expects that some COVID-19 precautions will be necessary for the 2022 season and potentially beyond. The health of staff and trail users is a top priority.
Send a cover letter and resume to jobs@waba.org with “Trail Ranger Operations Manager” in the subject line. Please make sure your application illustrates how you meet the qualifications for the job and what additional skills you would bring to the program. Applications are due by December 8th, 2021 and we expect the positions to start e January 11th, 2022.
No phone calls please.
WABA is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, arrest record or criminal convictions, political affiliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability, sex, or age.
https://waba.org/blog/2021/11/were-hiring-dc-trail-ranger-operations-manager/
The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) is working to create a healthy, more livable region by promoting bicycling for fun, fitness, and affordable transportation; advocating for better bicycling conditions and transportation choices for a healthier environment; and educating children, adults, and motorists about safe bicycling.
WABA’s programs, from youth education to grassroots community organizing, engage residents in Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County, and Washington, DC. Six thousand dues-paying members and thousands more generous supporters have helped WABA transform bicycling in the region again and again over its almost 50 year history.
WABA envisions a region in which bicycling is joyful, safe, popular, and liberating; supported by the necessary infrastructure, laws, activities, and investments; and where bicycle ridership mirrors the incredible diversity of our communities.