The Program Associate will support TPL’s Parks for People program in New Jersey, through our parks and Community Schoolyards initiatives.   We currently have a variety of project types and sizes in multiple stages of development.  This will afford the motivated, capable, and committed professional an opportunity to take the lead on project tasks from day one.  Through this work, s/he/they will include aspects of project selection, partnership building, community engagement, design, and construction.  This position will report to the Senior Program Manager and will work closely with the full Newark team and other Trust for Public Land staff including, but not limited to, land conservation and trails Project Managers, Philanthropy, Government Affairs, Legal, Finance, Marketing, Research and Innovation, and Geographic Information Systems.

Our team is strategic and ambitious, and we have fun as we create and implement opportunities expressed by our project communities where they can realize their power to affect their quality of life.  We have a casual but fast-paced work environment. We are looking for a smart, entrepreneurial, and emotionally intelligent, proactive person who can manage and foster solid relationships externally and internally and manage multiple concurrent projects and tasks, all for lasting success.  We appreciate collaborative approaches and encourage innovative ideas and recommendations.

To support TPL’s mission and Parks for People program you will:

• Assist the Senior Program Manager in all aspects of project development and management, to include budget and schedule development and tracking, consultant selection and management of scope and deliverables, project design including community participatory design, and community outreach.
• Support the Senior Director of Community Engagement by providing project information, attendance at community meetings (days, some evenings and weekends) and tabling events, community engagement website/blog, and other means of outreach as identified.
• Management of project construction administration with support from the Senior Program Manager.  The level of support to be based upon skill level and will include invoice review, processing for payment, and tracking in conjunction with the program’s office administrator.
• Lead project documentation and graphics – Development of project banners, project info sheets, signs, flyers, and project concept renderings for fundraising and other illustrations.
• Work with the Senior Director of Community Engagement on the community outreach efforts in the cities of Newark, Passaic, and New Brunswick – with additional locations possible – using the Program’s deep work in Newark as an example while building upon past connections and relationships in these cities.
• Coordinate with Research and Innovation, Strategic Commitment Leads and Initiative Leads on research/data metrics in support of same and incorporation within our projects.
• Act as program lead working with Philanthropy on narratives/stories, project information and data, project documentation, draft grant application review.
• Support NJ Program initiatives, including but not limited to, the NJ Community Schoolyard Task Force, the Fellows Program, MSU Green Team, Newark Climate Smart Cities, Newark Open Space Master Plan, schoolyard community gardens, and others as they arise.
• Program lead for project events.  Work with other NJ Program members to scope out and obtain all internal and external approvals required based upon the type of event.
• Collaborate on the further refinement of our participatory design work with community groups in parks and with students and steering committees at schools.  Help lead the participatory design process.
• Assist with the development, issuance and review of consultant RFPs.
• Participate in the review of and comment on consultant deliverables (plans, estimates, reports, etc.)
• Responsible for providing regular project schedule updates to program members, to include project tasks, schedules for events, project completion, etc.
• Lead program social media community engagement working with other program staff, Philanthropy and Marketing as needed, utilizing platforms such as Adobe Spark, Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, or others as identified.
• Prepare and deliver presentations, with Program team support, to public, city council, board of education, partners and others as identified.

Time is anticipated in the following categories:

• Parks Program Management: 40%
• Community Schoolyards Program Management: 30%
• Community Outreach: 20%
• New Jersey Parks for People Program Support: 10%