Cool Schools Senior Program Manager

Organization: The Texas Trees Foundation is a leading urban forestry nonprofit organization based in Dallas and working throughout the state of Texas. Its mission is to improve the health of cities and people through the transformative power of trees. Over its 43-year history, Texas Trees has supported the growth and stewardship of urban forests, planting over 1.5 million trees and contributing to healthier, greener communities. Through research, education, and partnerships, Texas Trees has also become a leading voice and resource to communities and decision makers.

Position Description: The Cool Schools Program™ supports the health and well-being of PK-12th grade students through a focus on environmental stewardship and personal connection to nature. This program aims to nurture a life-long love of exploration and appreciation for the natural environment through expansive tree planting, outdoor experiential learning opportunities, and unstructured play.

The Senior Program Manager will serve as a key project delivery and operational lead for the Cool Schools program across multiple projects and geographies. Specifically, this position will collaborate with the Director to build and implement operational practices that support program success and impact. They will ensure consistent delivery and alignment across all regional and functional engagements. This role requires a strategic and organized thinker with a strong operational mindset, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to track process and success across the program.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as a bridge across all geographical program areas to identify and reinforce shared structures, developing and organizing file tracking and management systems and collaborating with Cool Schools managers to ensure program consistency, excellence, and impact across region and to gain insight into project needs and implementation updates.
• In collaboration with the Cool Schools Director and CSOO, lead the execution of the annual program work plan and budget—translating vision into clear, actionable milestones that drive progress and purpose.
• Conduct internal program analysis to inform long-range program planning through evaluation of program’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Lead regular program reviews and produce impactful status updates, post-program reports, and key communications to engage both internal teams and external partners in the program’s journey and success.
• Facilitate regular team check-ins and collaborative planning sessions that foster alignment, transparency, and a culture of trust, learning, and shared purpose.
• Spearhead the launch of new programming in the Rio Grande Valley by building strong partnerships, assembling a team, and ensuring the needed staffing and support are in place for meaningful impact.
• Analyze current system or process gaps and develop short-term fixes and longer-term improvement suggestions.

Qualifications/Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree, with 7+ years of project management experience and 3+ years of management/leadership experience.
• Proven record in people, project, and budget management (with built and managed team experience) focused on process and shared team success.
• Ability to plan, organize, and execute tasks efficiently, ensuring alignment with goals, timelines, and commitments, with foresight, proactivity, and recognition of variables and dependencies outside of Texas Trees’ control.
• Results-oriented execution, focusing on measurable impact and outcomes, continuously tracking progress, and making necessary adjustments to achieve goals.
• Passion for environmental sustainability, serving people and promoting environmental stewardship and education with students in urban areas.
• Ability to engage effectively with colleagues and partners, bringing in the complementary skills and oversight needed to deliver our multidisciplinary work utilizing appropriate conflict resolution skills.
• Critical thinking to apply highlevel, process-oriented thinking to a problem through considering different perspectives and using reasoning to develop solutions.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation and writing skills with excellence and alignment with Texas Trees brand standards for all work products, from planting events to written reports.
• Consistency to uphold Texas Trees policies and processes to ensure the highest quality, consistency, and replicability of results while minimizing organizational risk.
• Shared success and collaboration: Aligning activities to outcomes across team members (“managing up, down, and laterally”) and celebrating and drawing on the unique skills of colleagues to advance project goals and the mission, both within and across Texas Trees’ internal teams.
• Commitment to cultivating a supportive, inclusive, and empowering environment where people feel valued, respected, and motivated.
• Adaptability to changing conditions by being nimble, adjusting strategies, approaches, and responses.