Coalition Manager

Priority consideration will be given to applications received by end of day on July 31, 2026

Organizational Overview

The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust works to steward a diverse landscape that stretches 100 miles from the shores of Puget Sound across the Cascade Mountains to Central Washington. Designated a National Heritage Area in 2019, the Greenway encompasses 1.5 million acres (with 900,000 acres in public ownership), two million people, 28 cities, three major river systems, and two Interstate highways. Its working lands support vast hay fields and grazing cattle to the east, evergreen timber to the west, and some of the nation’s most fertile farmlands. Its protected alpine wilderness includes recovery corridors for wolves, grizzly bears, and other species once hunted to regional extinction. Its expansive access to nature, including 1,600 miles of trails, is the heart of Washington’s 25-billion-dollar outdoor recreation economy.

Vast natural resources, the nation’s 15th largest metropolitan area, and many competing interests create the potential for conflicts. Navigating these differences of opinions, with the goal of conserving that vital and precarious balance between natural and built environments, is the founding and enduring purpose of the Greenway Trust.

An early pioneer of what is now known as “collective impact,” the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust was founded on the belief that to grow in harmony with nature instead of consuming it, the full community must be engaged. The goal of conserving this region’s wild and green character brought together the spheres of government, industry, and nonprofit organizations for the first time. Collaboration, compromise, and common good were the rules of engagement. We are proud to say that, 35 years later, they still are.

Position Summary

The Coalition Manager at the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust convenes partners around a common cause to catalyze collaborative action in the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area (Greenway NHA). As part of the Greenway Trust’s Conservation and Partnerships program, this position builds and sustains partnerships with a diverse coalition of governments, businesses, and nonprofits who together shape the character and culture of the Greenway NHA. Through these coalitions and partnerships, the Coalition Manager helps achieve positive outcomes in land conservation, habitat restoration, outdoor access, historic preservation and more. The Coalition Manager is an effective facilitator and communicator who motivates and leads groups to collaborate on projects that achieve shared goals and outcomes. They are enthusiastic about cultivating purposeful relationships, skilled at leading collaborative groups, committed to working across differences and finding common cause, and have a positive can-do mindset, all of which they leverage to deliver tangible results in the Greenway NHA.

Responsibilities

Coalition stewardship and facilitation (30%)

• Design, organize, and facilitate coalition meetings that actively engage participants in surfacing needs and seize opportunities for collaborative action.
• Coalitions to be facilitated may include representatives on topics such as respectful recreation, connecting regional trails, land conservation, cultural history and heritage, support of public lands, and other topics relevant across the Greenway NHA.
• Prepare and share meeting agendas, pre-reading and other materials that coalition members will need for informed and active participation in meetings.
• Keep and distribute meeting minutes and follow up on action items to build and sustain collaborative momentum between meetings.
• Document and track progress toward short- and long-term coalition priorities; celebrate coalition achievements.

Relationship management with coalition members (40%)

• Check in regularly with each coalition member to ensure their continued and active participation in coalition meetings and collaborations.
• Coordinate internally with colleagues to ensure consistent relationship management, particularly for elected officials, government agency partners, and other large organizations with whom the Greenway Trust has multiple points of contact.
• Identify and invite participation of new partners who could enhance coalition capabilities and impact.
• Participate as part of a team on legislative advocacy efforts in support of public lands and infrastructure and recruit partner organizations to join in support.
• Invite coalition members to attend Greenway Trust events such as the Annual Dinner and Spring Breakfast, year-round volunteer events, and other opportunities to engage as a means of appreciating and deepening partner relationships.
• Maintain Salesforce records about interactions and engagements with coalition members and their organizations.

Relationship management with tribes (10%)

• In close coordination with the Executive Director, draft and communicate regular updates about Greenway NHA activities to tribal leaders and staff.
• Coordinate with tribal points of contact about schedules and maintain meeting notes for check-in meetings.
• Participate in meetings with tribal representatives when appropriate and in coordination with other Greenway staff.
• Coordinate internally with colleagues to identify projects for which tribal input and engagement should be invited.
• Draft invitations for tribal input and engagement on Greenway Trust projects.
• Compile and document tribal input and how it was incorporated into Greenway Trust projects.
• Ask about and keep track of issues important to Tribes, including ways that they might like the Greenway Trust to support them.
• Maintain Salesforce records and reports for tribal contacts and engagements.

Organizational responsibilities (20%)

• Provide content (text, photo, video) about coalition and partnership activities for the Greenway Trust website, social media and other communications.
• Represent the Greenway Trust at board meetings, external partner meetings and community events, as needed.
• Support logistics and promotion for major public Greenway Trust events, including the Annual Dinner, Spring Breakfast, signature volunteer events, and others as needed.
• Help with grant writing, grant reporting, and other fundraising efforts as needed.
• Utilize all organizational systems and take on additional tasks as needed.

Core values and strengths

The successful candidate should demonstrate the following attributes:

• Alignment with the Greenway Trust’s mission and values.
• Strategic thinker who can articulate clear vision and goals for a project, team or coalition.
• Problem-solver who approaches challenges and new situations with a learning mindset.
• Able to lead a group without being the subject matter expert; able to recognize others’ expertise and facilitate their contribution to collaborative effort.
• Organized and self-directed project manager with demonstrated ability to prioritize and deliver on multiple tasks, and to set and meet deadlines as an individual and across teams.
• Experience working constructively with people who come from different backgrounds, and hold different perspectives.
• Team-oriented leader who knows how to motivate people and how to support them to achieve team goals and outcomes.
• Strong attention to both the “big picture” and the details of one’s work.
• Positive, curious, and enthusiastic about the work of the Greenway Trust and our many partners.

Preferred Technical Skills and Experience

Experience with the following disciplines and/or specific programs:

• Experience working in government relations, advocacy, policy, or support for public lands.
• Three years of work experience in an advocacy role or at a nonprofit organization.
• Experience working with diverse communities or tribal governments.
• Place-based storytelling through maps; proficiency with ArcGIS or a similar map-making tool.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office products and basic online organizational tools.
• Proficiency and/or willingness to learn tracking and reporting in Salesforce or a similar CRM database platform.
• WordPress or other website content management; website design; graphic design; and email/online communications tools.

Pay

Pay range for this position is $71,000 to $83,000. Pay for new hires starts at $71,000-$77,000. This position has the potential to grow annually with time and demonstrated success.

Benefits

The Greenway Trust offers a generous benefits package to our employees including 100% employer paid health care for medical, dental and vision coverage, employer-matched retirement plan, generous vacation accrual, sick leave, supplemental family leave, public transit pass, and more. A complete list of benefits can be found on the Greenway Trust’s Career page.

Reports To: Deputy Director

Work Schedule

This is a full-time, non-exempt position working Monday through Friday, with attendance and support for occasional evening and weekend events.

Work Location

This position is a hybrid position with consistent office work taking place at the Greenway Trust’s Seattle Office (2701 First Ave, Suite 240, Seattle, WA 98121), an employee’s home, and other meeting locations and occasional fieldwork in local parks and wilderness locations within the Mountains to Sound Greenway NHA. The office work requires consistent computer and meeting time (sitting and standing) and occasional site visits require work in all types of weather and walking (at times for more than one mile) across uneven terrain.

Each employee works with their supervisor to set a schedule of in-office and remote work based on job responsibilities, meeting and event schedules, and other responsibilities. It is anticipated that the Development Coordinator will be in the office 2-3 days per week. Reliable transportation is required.

Licenses or Certifications

A current driver’s license and/or access to reliable personal transportation is necessary for attending events, meetings, and site visits. Current wilderness first aid and CPR training is desired; the Greenway Trust will provide this certification/recertification opportunity within the first six months of hire.

How to Apply

Send a cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications, and a resume that documents your relevant experiences to apply@mtsgreenway.org. Your cover letter should not exceed two pages, and should include the following:

• Your perspectives and/or experiences leading coalitions or collaborative projects and how you would apply those experiences/perspectives in the Greenway.
• Your perspectives and/or experiences working across differences (whether among individuals or organizations) to achieve something collaboratively.
• Your thoughts on what it takes for a nonprofit to be a good partner with other organizations.

Applicants invited to interview with the Greenway Trust will also be asked to provide three references who can speak to previous experience.

The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust

The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust exists to serve as the agent of our community’s collective will to care for the lands and waters that are so foundational to the quality of life here in this place, the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area. The Greenway Trust is a beacon for optimism and a model for how things can be accomplished when we come together under shared purpose in an otherwise politically and socio-economically polarized world.

The Greenway Trust provides the “table” for collaboration and serves as the glue that combines resources and expertise from across the community to do good for this place. This is reflected in our large and diverse Board of Directors and in the varied backgrounds of the Greenway Trust’s stakeholders. The Greenway Trust, at its essence, is a coalition consisting of nonprofit organizations, businesses, public agencies, community groups, recreational organizations, local governments, and passionate volunteers, working together on a common objective: to protect and preserve the precious natural heritage that is the Mountains to Sound Greenway.

The work of the Greenway Trust benefits each of the millions of people who live in or regularly visit the Greenway each year. Even for those who do not actively use its hundreds of trails, rivers, or parks, the Greenway brings enormous benefit to residents. Its forests clean the air they breathe, its rivers provide the cleanest drinking water in the nation, and its connected natural lands promote a thriving ecosystem.

Mission

The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust leads and inspires action to conserve and enhance the landscape of the Mountains to Sound Greenway, ensuring a long-term balance between people and nature.

Vision

The Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area is an iconic 1.5-million-acre landscape that connects Central Washington, the Cascade Mountains, and Puget Sound. The Greenway promotes a healthy and sustainable relationship between people and the land by preserving a balance between built and natural environments. The Greenway landscape provides places for nature and wildlife, for culture and tradition, for outdoor recreation and education, for working forests and local agricultural production, while embracing vibrant urban areas. The Greenway is valued by a broad cross-section of society, working together as an effective coalition to conserve this place and its heritage for future generations.

Values

• Inclusive:
• We engage, listen to, and learn from people with diverse perspectives and experiences. We challenge ourselves to reflect our diverse and changing communities.
• Collaborative:
• We accomplish more when we work in partnership with others. We celebrate the accomplishments of our partners.
• Trusted:
• We demonstrate integrity through our actions and build long-term relationships based on mutual respect. We deliver on what we promise and strive to exceed expectations.
• Positive:
• We seek common ground. We stay focused on the promise of our long-term vision for the Greenway, even when challenges are great. We search for the “yes.” We enjoy each other’s company.
• Pragmatic:
• We seek actionable solutions that steadily advance our long-term vision and achieve greater good.
• Impactful:
• We are creative problem solvers who focus on achieving tangible results. We take a holistic view that considers how parts fit together.

Equal Opportunity Provider

The Greenway Trust is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, ancestry, genetic information, use of a service animal, honorably discharged veteran, military status, political ideology, personal appearance, family responsibilities, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state or local law. Each person is evaluated on the basis of personal aptitude and merit.

The Greenway Trust offers a generous benefits package to our employees including 100% employer paid health care for medical, dental and vision coverage, employer-matched retirement plan, generous vacation accrual, sick leave, supplemental family leave, public transit pass, and more. A complete list of benefits can be found on the Greenway Trust’s Career page.