National Program Director

~ At Big City Mountaineers (BCM), we work alongside the transformative powers of Mother Nature to leave a lasting impact on the lives of under-resourced youth. Our wilderness expeditions bring kids out of their comfort zones and into the wild, where they develop the confidence needed for more promising futures. ~

Our programs focus on improving the self-esteem, sense of responsibility, group communication and decision-making skills of nearly 1,000 youth annually. We engage youth in 7 cities across the country including Boston, Denver, Miami, Minneapolis, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle. For additional information visit our website.

Position Overview

Big City Mountaineers is seeking a highly qualified National Program Director to lead all aspects of the organization's program operations. The National Program Director will lead and manage regional program staff, work in concert with the Executive Director and the Board of Directors to establish a strong strategic vision for BCM operations on the ground, and cultivate strategic program partnerships in all the regions BCM operates.

The National Program Director provides overall program leadership and management for all BCM program operations and is responsible for building and managing BCM's Regional Programs in partnership with the Executive Director and Regional Program Managers. The National Program Director will set the standard for excellence and expectations, inspire and mentor staff, and will exemplify our mission and core values. The Director will have the opportunity to influence the organization's next 3-year strategic plan and align program operations to support said plan and organizational vision.

The National Program Director will leverage a strong history of program delivery and evaluation to build a robust suite of program offerings, nonprofit partnerships, and strategic alliances that lead to deeply impactful experiences for our students that are sincerely appreciated by our youth agency partners. To be sure, of paramount importance is the execution of safe programs for the students we engage.

The National Program Director is responsible for building and managing BCM's Regional Programs. The position currently manages two full-time regional program managers (Colorado and Pacific Northwest) in addition to seasonal program coordinator positions in Colorado, Minnesota and California. The National Program Director will work collaboratively with the Executive Director and the Board to set budgets (regionally and nationally), align on capacity building requirements, and pursue new programmatic initiatives across the all of BCM's regions. In 2018, BCM executed 44 week-long expeditions and 16 overnight camps. We engaged 25 unique youth development agency partners and worked in eight National Forests.

Big City Mountaineers plans to hire the National Program Director for the early fall of 2018. The position is a full-time, exempt, benefited position based in Golden, Colorado. The position reports to the Executive Director.

Responsibilities

Program Leadership:

• Collaborate with Executive Director and members of the program team to develop and fulfill program strategy, vision, and goals.
• Drive BCM Program innovation, including development and continual improvement of courses, curricula, and impact.
• Ensure human resource policies and procedures are up to date and BCM's operating procedures and administrative standards conform to applicable laws.
• Initiate efforts that lead to relevant program certifications or recognitions.

Program Logistics and Risk Management:

• Maintain a culture of safety by communicating and upholding BCM's policies and guidelines and keeping current with industry standards and trends.
• Manage national program schedule, partner on-boarding and contracting, and program development.
• Manage emergency response, on-call scheduling, and incident response procedures.
• Regularly review all field-based incidents with staff.
• Collaborate with the ED and the Safety Committee to address gaps in safety elevate priorities. Develop content and delivery methods to ensure program safety reaches everyone connected to BCM.
• Manage program risks by evaluating activity waivers, background checks, authorized drivers, emergency documentation, equipment inspections, etc.
• Ensure that staff are properly trained to inform participants and complete all necessary documents before participating in the activity.
• Review and revise as necessary local operating policies and procedures on an annual basis.
• Maintain all necessary permits for operations, including annual land agency permits.
• Implement and review program evaluation processes.
• Respond to field emergencies sometimes as the incident commander, and perform on-call duties for courses in the field.

Staff Management:

• Manage, recruit, and hire regional/seasonal program staff.
• Oversee the long-term direction and programmatic structure of BCM.
• Manage program to highest quality and standards, and ensure programs are consistent with BCM's national vision and mission.
• Assist in developing and managing the annual program budget. This includes preparation of future budgets, monitoring and evaluating the current budget, meeting established deadlines, and advising the Executive Director and the Board of budget related issues.
• Advise and provide input to the Executive Director regarding organizational issues such as long-term planning, policies and procedures, and financial matters.

Administration and Training:

• Manage and update yearly trainings for Regional Program Staff, Field Staff, and Volunteers to meet program requirements.
• Oversee the recruitment, selection, training, supervision, and evaluation of all full and part-time employees of the program.
• Assist in processing all hiring and payroll paperwork ensuring accuracy and meeting established deadlines.
• Update the Volunteer Handbook annually based on program feedback and work with the program team to improve volunteer preparedness and retention.

Community Engagement:

• Initiate, manage, and strengthen strategic community relationships that enhance program effectiveness and sustainability.
• Communicate with BCM's community of supporters, volunteers, donors, and sponsors the impact of BCM programs.
• Develop strategy for community engagement and partnership building for programs.
• Participate in, and sometimes lead, outreach efforts, promotional activities, and fundraising efforts.

Qualifications

Requirements: