View all jobs
Who We Are:
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is the leader of a movement to connect everyone in America to the outdoors. A national nonprofit, TPL partners with communities to create high-quality parks and protect public lands—especially in communities that need them most—to improve public health, create social cohesion, strengthen historic and cultural connection to place, and increase climate resilience. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, generated over $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
Position Summary:
Trust for Public Land’s Center for Community Impact (CCI) is a collaboration designed to connect evidence, strategy, and practice in ways that strengthen TPL’s mission and deepen our community centered impact nationwide. CCI unites research, strategy, learning and technical assistance into one coordinated team, strengthening how TPL partners with communities, policymakers, and practitioners nationwide. By aligning evidence and learning, strategy, and on-the-ground capacity, we accelerate progress, scale, innovation, and deliver measurable, equitable impact for people and places across the country.
The Center consists of three interdependent teams – Strategic Leadership Team, The Lab, and the People, Places & Practice Learning Hub (The Hub) – that will work together to deliver our mission. The Hub distills organizational research and insights and builds local and national capacity through technical assistance, planning, peer learning, and strategic knowledge sharing. The Hub Director leads a coordinated framework and portfolio that aligns the Hub's activities with the Center for Community Impact's strategic priorities and unified work plan, ensuring consistent, high-quality support that builds local and national capacity to plan, fund, create, and sustain parks, trails, schoolyards, land conservation, and community-centered initiatives.
Essential Functions:
Qualifications:
Compensation:
Trust for Public Land is a hybrid work environment. There is no required location for this role, though it is worth noting that at the time of this posting all Hub members reside in the Eastern Time zone. Candidate must have the ability to participate in infrequent in-person meetings and conferences around the country. As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for the Trust for Public Land’s comprehensive benefits program which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, vacation and sick pay plus holidays, a year end office closure, and a 403(b)-retirement plan, currently with up to a 7% company match. Compensation for this position will be commensurate with experience and consistent with the responsibilities and expectations of a level 3B role.
Trust for Public Land’s active goal is to be an inclusive and equitable place to work and build community. As the organization actively works to eliminate racial and other disparities it welcomes candidates with diverse backgrounds and/or multicultural skillsets. We are open to the possibility that a great candidate for this job may not precisely meet all the above criteria; if you believe you are the right person for this job and can persuasively make that case, we encourage you to apply.
Director 1 - People. Places, Practice Learning Hub Director
Who We Are:
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is the leader of a movement to connect everyone in America to the outdoors. A national nonprofit, TPL partners with communities to create high-quality parks and protect public lands—especially in communities that need them most—to improve public health, create social cohesion, strengthen historic and cultural connection to place, and increase climate resilience. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, generated over $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
Position Summary:
Trust for Public Land’s Center for Community Impact (CCI) is a collaboration designed to connect evidence, strategy, and practice in ways that strengthen TPL’s mission and deepen our community centered impact nationwide. CCI unites research, strategy, learning and technical assistance into one coordinated team, strengthening how TPL partners with communities, policymakers, and practitioners nationwide. By aligning evidence and learning, strategy, and on-the-ground capacity, we accelerate progress, scale, innovation, and deliver measurable, equitable impact for people and places across the country.
The Center consists of three interdependent teams – Strategic Leadership Team, The Lab, and the People, Places & Practice Learning Hub (The Hub) – that will work together to deliver our mission. The Hub distills organizational research and insights and builds local and national capacity through technical assistance, planning, peer learning, and strategic knowledge sharing. The Hub Director leads a coordinated framework and portfolio that aligns the Hub's activities with the Center for Community Impact's strategic priorities and unified work plan, ensuring consistent, high-quality support that builds local and national capacity to plan, fund, create, and sustain parks, trails, schoolyards, land conservation, and community-centered initiatives.
Essential Functions:
- Strategic Leadership – Lead the strategic direction and continuous evolution of the Hub, developing and implementing a coordinated operational framework that aligns technical assistance, planning, policy, training, peer learning, and capacity-building activities with the Center for Community Impact (CCI)'s strategic priorities, unified work plan and ensure alignment with field, policy and conservation finance teams. Serve as a member of the CCI leadership team, contributing to strategy, change management, resource planning, and enterprise-wide initiatives that strengthen TPL's mission and impact. Contribute to the development of policies, operational practices, and cross-functional processes that improve efficiency, collaboration, and service delivery.
- Team Leadership and Program Management – Lead, mentor, and develop a talented, multi-disciplinary team responsible for planning, technical assistance, policy, peer learning, and capacity-building programs. Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous learning, innovation, and inclusion while empowering staff to lead independently in their areas of expertise. Establish clear goals, operational clarity, and connect staff with the organizational resources needed to enhance performance, program quality, and impact.
- Cross-Functional Leadership and Organizational Integration – Lead coordination of the Hub’s work across the Center for Community Impact and enterprise-wide, integrating technical assistance and learning with research, data, strategy, planning, policy, communications, philanthropy, and field implementation to maximize community impact and organizational effectiveness. Strengthen collaboration among TPL program teams to ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery and scalable program implementation. Build systems and processes that promote knowledge exchange and share best practices across TPL and partner communities.
- Program and Operational Leadership – Own a portfolio of technical assistance and learning programmatic activities and direct portfolio management across the team, ensuring effective implementation across multiple projects, funding sources, and geographic regions. Establish work plans, performance measures, evaluation frameworks, and operational processes for the team that ensure effective service delivery, continuous improvement, and accountability for outcomes. Ensure compliance with organizational policies, contractual requirements, grant obligations, and funding commitments.
- Resource Development and Financial Stewardship – Collaborate with Philanthropy and CCI leadership to secure public and private funding, develop new opportunities, develop and manage program budgets, and support the long-term sustainability and growth of the Hub in alignment with CCI strategy. Monitor financial performance and allocate resources strategically. Support development of new partnerships, initiatives, and funding opportunities that expand the Hub's reach and impact.
- Partnership Development and External Leadership – Build and sustain strategic relationships with public agencies, nonprofit organizations, community leaders, academic institutions, philanthropic partners, and national networks to expand the Hub’s effectiveness, influence, and impact, in alignment with CCI’s programmatic objectives. Cultivate programmatic partnerships that promote innovation, influence practice, and strengthen collaboration across sectors. Identify opportunities to strengthen TPL’s reputation as a national leader. Represent TPL at conferences, convenings, advisory committees, public meetings, and other external forums.
Qualifications:
- Strong commitment to TPL’s shared values (Belonging, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Hope) to effectively work across the organization.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in urban planning, landscape architecture, policy, community development, environmental studies, public administration, or related field.
- Leadership experience (10+ years) managing complex programs, multidisciplinary teams, and strategic initiatives within nonprofit, public, or mission-driven organizations.
- Proven ability to manage complex projects, programs, and budgets and to create a strategic and coherent vision for long-term leadership in advancing the organization’s priorities.
- Professional experience in planning, community development, conservation, environmental policy, landscape architecture, public health, climate resilience, or related fields, including familiarity with equitable park planning, community engagement, and culturally responsive approaches to public space.
- Familiarity with advocacy and government relations needed to impact policy and funding.
- Excellent leadership, facilitation, communication, negotiation, public speaking, and relationship management skills, with the ability to engage effectively with community leaders, elected officials, agency staff, philanthropic organizations, and national partners.
- Strong strategic thinking, organizational, analytical, and decision-making skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
- Willingness and ability to travel nationally and represent TPL at meetings, conferences, and speaking engagements.
Compensation:
Trust for Public Land is a hybrid work environment. There is no required location for this role, though it is worth noting that at the time of this posting all Hub members reside in the Eastern Time zone. Candidate must have the ability to participate in infrequent in-person meetings and conferences around the country. As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for the Trust for Public Land’s comprehensive benefits program which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, vacation and sick pay plus holidays, a year end office closure, and a 403(b)-retirement plan, currently with up to a 7% company match. Compensation for this position will be commensurate with experience and consistent with the responsibilities and expectations of a level 3B role.
Trust for Public Land’s active goal is to be an inclusive and equitable place to work and build community. As the organization actively works to eliminate racial and other disparities it welcomes candidates with diverse backgrounds and/or multicultural skillsets. We are open to the possibility that a great candidate for this job may not precisely meet all the above criteria; if you believe you are the right person for this job and can persuasively make that case, we encourage you to apply.