Program Associate

ABOUT GREAT SPRINGS PROJECT

Great Springs Project (GSP) is a 501(c)(3)

nonprofit organization that envisions a national park-scale corridor of

publicly and privately protected lands between the densely urban areas of

Austin and San Antonio over the Edwards Aquifer recharge and contributing

zones. This green corridor will be connected by a network of trails, linking

four of Texas’ Great Springs: Barton Springs, San Marcos Springs, Comal

Springs, and San Antonio Springs. The Great Springs Project envisions unifying

existing local efforts to address the most critical water, land, wildlife, and

public health challenges facing the Central Texas region.

THE ROLE OF THE PROGRAM ASSOCIATE

Position

GSP is seeking a dynamic individual to join our expert team working

toward our mission and vision. This is an exciting opportunity for a person who

can take responsibility for a variety of tasks, is energetic, self-motivated,

highly organized and detail oriented. Reporting

to the Chief Strategy & Operations Officer, the Program Associate is

committed to land conservation and expanding public recreation lands in Texas through

support of and collaboration with the GSP team, public agencies and other

sister conservation organizations. The individual will help plan, implement and support different

programs of the organization and its three departments:  Land & Trails, Development &

Communications, Strategy & Operations.

Responsibilities

·        

Positively engage agency and city staff, nonprofit colleagues,

landowners, and others in furtherance of GSP’s mission, vision and goals,

helping develop and sustain strategic partnerships

·        

Support as directed the organization’s overall trail and land

conservation strategy for the corridor: alignment with other existing plans,

additional planning, advocacy, master trail planning efforts and trail

construction

·        

Assist the Emerald Crown Trail work group with administrative and

technical support, setting meetings, creating agendas, and coordinating with

ECT lead on general strategy

·        

Work closely with GSP team, contractors, consultants and partners to

provide seamless sharing of knowledge, information, and data

·        

Monitor and work to align existing land protection efforts and

trail plans among GSP’s partner organizations, both public and private

·        

Research benefits of outdoor recreation and land conservation

including human health, social equity and the environment

·        

Manage all relevant information, for shared and institutional use

and ensure relevant data is incorporated into the GSP GIS database

·        

Create

organizational maps (in GIS) to illustrate priority conservation lands,

conceptual trail routes, and preserved lands

·        

Maintain discretion with sensitive information

·        

Assist with research of landownership of targeted parcels and

support all efforts to educate and engage landowners and communities in the

ways and benefits of land conservation including attending and eventually

hosting landowner workshops

·        

Conduct field work to determine optimal right of way scenarios and

trail locations

·        

Assist as directed with support

to development and communications team

·        

Provide administrative and programmatic support, including

creating/distributing agendas

·        

Synthesize and translate complex information into clear,

informative, and compelling materials (e.g., program summaries, fact sheets,

presentations, reports) for diverse audiences

·        

Should opportunities arise, support project management of

environment projects when appropriate, including project reporting, project

launch and close out procedures, and administrative support

Skills

·        

Clear

understanding of, and identification with GSP’s mission and program activities

·        

Strong

writing, proofreading, and research skills

·        

Strong

organization skills and attention to detail

·        

Ability

to efficiently manage multiple projects simultaneously

·        

Strong

analytic skills and ability to respond quickly and efficiently to requests

·        

Superior

interpersonal skills and ability to interact with staff and stakeholders and

partners

·        

Emotional

and cultural intelligence

·        

Flexible

in a fast-paced environment

Education/Experience

·        

Bachelor’s degree, preferably in environmental science, urban

planning, geology or related field

·        

Demonstrated interest in land and water conservation, urban

planning, trail design, geographic information systems (GIS), non-profit

organizations

·        

Working knowledge of Hill Country natural and cultural landscapes,

Edward’s Aquifer, its sensitivity, and its regional importance

·        

Experience with GIS, and a willingness to further develop GIS

skills

·        

1-2 years of administrative and program experience a plus

This

job description is not an exclusive or exhaustive list of all job functions

that an employee in this position may be asked to perform from time to time.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

While performing this job, employees may occasionally be required

to talk, stand or sit for long periods of time, walk, key data, speak and hear.

As GSP’s mission focus includes hiking, rivers and springs, it is expected that

candidates for this role are passionate about green space. The physical demands

and work environment listed here are representative of those that must be met

by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable a person with disabilities to

perform the essential functions.

Great Springs Project office is located downtown in

Austin, Texas.  The small office

environment enjoys low noise levels, shared kitchen facilities and a collegial

atmosphere.  Reliable transportation is

required to attend frequent meetings off-site. Occasional evening and weekend

hours may be required for events and to meet deadlines.

Great Springs Project is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will

not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, creed, color,

national origin, sex, gender identity, age, religion, veteran status,

disability, or sexual orientation.

Compensation

Competitive

salary commensurate with experience.  PTO,

health, and retirement benefits included.

To Apply

Interested candidates

are asked to send a cover letter, resume and three professional references to info@greatspringsproject.org.  Incomplete applications will not be

considered. Please do not contact the GSP offices directly