Who We Are:

At TPL, we're a team of outdoor advocates who believe in connecting everyone to the outdoors. As an ethos, we believe access to the outdoors is a fundamental human need and essential to our health and well-being. We're committed to creating more places that bring us outside—parks, trails, playgrounds, and public lands—and making them available and welcoming to everyone, everywhere, regardless of ZIP code. We also understand that land has meaning; it tells the story of our history. That's why, through our Black History and Culture initiative, we're working to preserve sites that more fully represent the Black American experience; and we're an ally and partner to Tribal and Indigenous communities, working in partnership to reconnect them with their ancestral lands.

One hundred million people, including 28 million children, don't have nearby access to a park within ten minutes of their home. We're determined to change this outdoor equity gap–and as a result, nine million people and counting now have access because of our work. We have miles to go and a plan to get there. We're inclusive change-makers who believe in connecting everyone to the outdoors. We inspire by paving the way forward and strengthening our connection to nature. Join us!

Position Summary:

The Community Outreach Coordinator will support the New York Playgrounds Program with a particular focus on community engagement. This role involves organizing and running educational and gardening programming, boosting school and community use of our playgrounds.

The Coordinator will strengthen relationships and seek partnership opportunities with civic, nonprofit, and public organizations for our playgrounds.

This position will report to the Program Director and the position will be in-office (Noho), with field work throughout the five boroughs of NYC.

This is a part time position (20 hours/week) with flexible hours. This is a grant-funded position with a minimum duration of one year and the potential for extension.

Essential Functions:

Conduct Community Engagement Activities
Plan and execute stewardship events at schoolyards (planting days, cleanups, tree care workshops, planting annuals or bulbs on schoolyards with students, teachers and/or community members).
Engage in communication, meetings, and programming with schools, local nonprofits and civic organizations to increase use and care of our playgrounds.
Create and distribute communications and outreach materials, including flyers, emails, social media and web presence.
Maintain and document communication with external partners, including growing list of community partners and work to build new community relationships.
Be creative and thoughtful in the approach to gaining community support in ways that are true to the community in which we are working.
Serve as a point of contact for staff, external stakeholders and the public.

Qualifications:

Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, ability to prioritize multiple tasks, promptness and dependability.
Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to work well with others.
Ability to work with a high degree of self-direction, flexibility, and speed, especially with respect to taking initiative, prioritizing multiple tasks, and using good judgment to resolve problems.
Good computer skills; familiarity with Microsoft Word and Excel programs, and able to use technology to make processes more efficient. Experience managing remote communications technology such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
Willingness to travel to the five boroughs of NYC; evening and weekend hours are possible.
Commitment to TPL’s mission of creating parks and protecting land for healthy, livable communities.

SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Proficiency in presenting information clearly in both written and oral formats.
Passion for community engagement and outreach.
Interest in building relationships with school administration, teachers and community partners.
Familiarity with NYC trees, plants and weeds a plus.
Knowledge of Spanish a plus.
Driver’s license a plus.
Ability to juggle multiple projects and collaborate with diverse partners.
Flexible hours

Compensation:
We offer competitive salaries commensurate with experience; the anticipated salary for this position is $25/hr. This is a part-time position, approximately 20 hours per week. This is a grant-funded position with a minimum duration of one year and the potential for extension.

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.

Jobs at Trust for Public Land