Recreation Director

National Forest Foundation (NFF) is pleased to offer an exempt, full-time position that will lead the national recreation enterprise program. The Recreation Director will develop a new national program to spearhead funding and revenue innovation, support the development and implementation of complex recreation infrastructure projects, and leverage visitor use data to plan comprehensive and cohesive recreation infrastructure, advancing NFF’s work to modernize recreation and expand access across the National Forest System. 

About the NFF: As the official national partner to the US Forest Service (USFS), the National Forest Foundation was chartered by Congress in 1990. Today, the NFF advances forest resiliency, healthy watersheds and wildlife habitat, and recreation for all by working with communities and organizations across the country. The Foundation has grown significantly in the last few years in programmatic impact, revenue and support, and organizational capacity. NFF leads with impact, deploying roughly 90% of its expenses towards projects and programs across the country’s 193-million-acre National Forest System. NFF is forward-thinking and innovative, with ambitious strategies and goals to advance and prepare forests for a new economy.

Position Function: The Recreation Director reports to the Associate Vice President – National Enterprise Programs. NFF Enterprise Programs provide subject matter expertise, organization-wide coordination, and support to NFF Field Programs to ensure programs and projects align with our mission, shared goals, and address cross-cutting risks. Positioned with a comprehensive view of all NFF efforts, these programs surface lessons learned, catalyze and incubate new initiatives, and may offer surge capacity and early project management.

This is a leadership position responsible for building and managing an Enterprise program of work around NFF’s four-part recreation strategy: modernizing infrastructure, planning at landscape scale, innovating funding, and harnessing technology and visitor data. As the program’s founding hire, the Director will also serve as its senior technical lead in the near term, while building the team that will carry that work over time. This will be accomplished in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service, other state and federal agencies, communities, conservation NGOs, and private sector partners in close collaboration with NFF Field programs. 

Position Duties and Responsibilities: The Recreation Director will:

• Build NFF’s recreation enterprise function, including a field-facing operating model developed with NFF Enterprise and Field leadership and a phased plan for growing the team.
• Advance and grow NFF programs of work in recreation infrastructure (campgrounds, trailheads, trails, and visitor facilities), landscape-scale recreation planning, and visitor use data.
• Lead funding and revenue innovation in partnership with NFF leadership and Advancement, including fee retention, partnership and concession models, and philanthropic and corporate investment.
• Serve as senior technical lead on project development, including scoping, and design development and implementation oversight.
• Build and develop a close and mutually beneficial relationship between the U.S. Forest Service (including recreation and engineering staff), the NFF, and other state, federal, local government, corporate, and NGO partners to innovate practices and create efficiencies in achieving conservation at scale. 
• Recruit, hire, and directly supervise a growing team and their respective programs of work, providing oversight, coaching, and regular guidance.
• Provide guidance, coordination, and support to NFF Field leadership positions and other integrated NFF staff to support the comprehensive delivery of NFF’s programs and services.
• Organize, manage, and facilitate regular team meetings, and develop processes and systems for effective and efficient operations across the Recreation Enterprise team.
• Establish and facilitate a recreation community of practice for NFF staff.
• Support the development and management of program and project-level budgets.
• Review and provide due diligence for incoming and outgoing grants, contracts, and agreements associated with this program of work. 
• Effectively communicate with and engage the public in caring for their National Forests and Grasslands through community-based conservation initiatives.
• Maintain a breadth of knowledge about current trends, emerging issues, policy interventions, and innovations in the field of public lands recreation, including the EXPLORE Act and the Great American Outdoors Act / Legacy Restoration Fund, to enhance the NFF strategic efficacy.
• Serve as a cross-regional point of contact for recreation planning, infrastructure, and partnership activities.

Education and Qualifications: NFF expects the Recreation Director to possess the following educational and experiential qualifications:

• Degree in landscape architecture, engineering, recreation management, natural resources, or a related field, or equivalent experience. A postgraduate degree or a background in landscape architecture or construction/engineering is preferred.
• Seven to ten years of progressively responsible experience in recreation planning, site design, and/or infrastructure delivery, including program leadership, including knowledge of and experience with U.S. Forest Service policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Demonstrated experience building a new program or initiative and managing a fully remote, growing staff team across a wide geographic region with complex project and funding management responsibilities.
• A track record developing funding or revenue models, such as public-private partnerships, fee-based or earned revenue, or philanthropic and corporate investment.
• Involvement in project planning, management, accomplishment, budget tracking, and project operations management that involve multiple implementation partners, contractors, contracts for services, and funding sources.
• Technical fluency in recreation infrastructure project development, including scoping, design, oversight of design and engineering firms, cost estimating, and procurement, sufficient to credibly engage with complex projects.
• Familiarity with federal recreation policy and funding, including the Great American Outdoors Act, the EXPLORE Act, and the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.
• Commitment to the mission of the NFF and familiarity with the U.S. Forest Service purpose and National Forest lands management.
• Familiarity with and knowledge of the history and culture of community-based conservation, including lived experience, work, and/or training based in or connected to Native communities and/or other groups underrepresented in conservation and outdoor recreation.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, and administrative skills.
• Strong writing skills, facilitation, and public speaking experience.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Abilities and Skills: NFF expects the Recreation Director to possess the following proven abilities and skills:

• Ability to understand and clearly communicate about recreation infrastructure, landscape-scale planning, visitor use, and revenue models with field staff, agency engineers, partners, and donors alike.
• Ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on technical work, and to prioritize when the two compete.
• An entrepreneurial approach and comfort with ambiguity, including building systems and processes.
• Ability to work with a wide range of people with differing and sometimes conflicting opinions, and to work constructively across those differences.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly, work in outdoor conditions, and maintain a flexible work schedule, including participation in weekend and evening events.
• Ability to work well and be flexible in a team-oriented environment.
• Ability to represent the NFF in a clear and professional manner through excellent written and oral communication, and interpersonal skills.
• A strong attention to detail, with skill in working in a timely and well-organized fashion.
• A valid U.S. Driver’s License and clean driving record.

Location: The location for this position is flexible with access to a major airport. Applicants must be able to travel regularly throughout the U.S., including sometimes frequent travel (multiple times per week). This position is a remote/work-from-home position and requires reliable internet access.

Compensation: NFF offers a competitive compensation and benefits package that reflects our total rewards strategy. The salary range for this position is $120,000 with the ability to grow to $150,000 based on performance over time. Starting salary within this range is determined by a combination of experience, internal equity with comparable roles, and organizational budget, and is assessed annually as part of NFF's compensation review process.

Benefits: NFF is proud to offer our staff: 

Health and Wellness:

• Medical and dental insurance paid at 75% by the organization for you and any dependents. 
• Vision insurance paid 50% by the organization for you and any dependents. 
• Health savings account (HSA) with employer contributions between $1,878-$3,750 per year, predicated on coverage type. 
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSA). 
• Employee assistance program (EAP) at no cost. 

Financial Wellbeing:

• 403(b) retirement plan with a 5% employer match after one (1) year of service. 
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance at no cost. 
• Basic life and AD&D insurance at no cost, with voluntary life insurance options. 
• Whole life insurance at a discounted rate

Flexibility and time off:

• Employees start with 35 days of annual leave, sick leave, personal leave and holidays (annual leave accrual rates increase with years of service) 
• Family & medical leave for up to sixteen (16) weeks with up to four (4) weeks paid. 

Personal Development:

• Training & Development Programs  
• Professional development reimbursement for up to $1,000 per year. 

Journey of a Lifetime:

• The opportunity to support an incredible mission and travel to / work in spectacular locations.

To Apply: Applications must include both a cover letter and resume. Incomplete packages will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. This posting will close on December 11th, or earlier if filled. Please visit our careers site to apply online.

The National Forest Foundation is an equal opportunity employer – meaning we provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law. Further, we prohibit discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, benefits, training, and termination. We strive to foster a work environment where every individual is respected, valued, and treated fairly. This statement reflects our unwavering dedication to fairness, respect, and equality in employment practices and sets the foundation for a positive work environment.