Regional Program Manager
(Paid Opportunities) Return to Paid Opportunities
Compensation: $80,000-100,000
Are you fascinated by plants and soil? Committed to toxic-free land care and wish good advice and services were more available? Love the ecosystems of the East End and waterbodies like Georgica and Sagg ponds? Are you passionate about teaching nature-based practices? Perfect Earth Project is looking for you.
Founded in 2013 Perfect Earth Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, engaging, and inspiring individuals, land care professionals, and decision-makers to adopt toxic-free, nature-based, and climate-responsible landscaping practices necessary for a healthier, more sustainable—and beautiful—environment for all.
Perfect Earth is seeking a dynamic Program Manager to manage their new Living Lands program on Eastern Long Island, which will provide individualized coaching and education for landowners, landscape designers, and maintenance professionals to ensure successful transitions from conventional, toxic landscaping to nature-based practices. The Program Manager will function as a facilitator, engaging landowners, decision-makers, and the gardening and landscaping community, to develop and provide hands-on training programs.
The Living Lands Regional Program Manager will collaborate with Peconic Land Trust, the program’s first major partner, to focus primarily on the vital Georgica and Sagg Pond watersheds on Eastern Long Island and work with local homeowners and their landscape teams to create individualized land care plans and engage their full interest and long-term commitment to nature-based practices. Our shared goal is to address the impact of land care practices on water quality and the environment.
The position requires a creative and organized self-starter with experience in horticulture, landscape management, environmental science, conservation biology, and/or restoration ecology. The Program Manager must be passionate and knowledgeable about topics such as plant/wildlife interactions, soil biology, and water usage; have a commitment to toxic-free and nature-based practices; have land-based project management experience; and possess exceptional communication skills.
The Living Lands Regional Program Manager is a remote, full-time position that reports to Perfect Earth’s Director of Programs. Regular visits to project sites on Eastern Long Island and occasional travel to New York City for meetings is required.
Responsibilities/Duties
Project Management:
- Identify qualifying participants.
- Be the primary facilitator between landowners and their landscapers to create case study site-specific, environmentally sound land management plans.
- Provide site assessments, workshops and training for homeowners and professionals across the East End.
- Play a key role in developing the Living Lands program in the Long Island region, including curriculum design, outreach, and some fundraising activities .
- Keep a project management log to record project activities, impact metrics, and outcome
- Conduct quarterly evaluations and write reports on program progress.
- Meet routinely with collaborating researchers and other stakeholders supporting adjacent environmental projects to share data and report findings.
Education and Technical Assistance:
- Provide phone, online, and in-person technical assistance to landowners, decision-makers, municipalities, and landscapers.
- Create a comprehensive training program for landscapers transitioning chemically managed landscapes to toxic-free, nature-based practices.
- Help landscapers transform their conventional business models to nature-based practices that are healthier for people and the planet.
- Support landscapers with persuasive talking points and homeowner education to help them convert all their clients to nature-based land management plans.
- Collaborate with Perfect Earth staff, partners, and educational institutions to develop workforce development programs to transition students to nature-based land management careers.
- Design educational materials and teach workshops for homeowners and landscapers.
- Conduct outreach and recruit landowners as participants.
Qualifications/Requirements
- Preferred 3-5 years or more experience in horticultural landscape management, environmental science, conservation biology, or restoration ecology.
- Strong knowledge of plant health, plant/wildlife interactions, soil biology, clean water practices.
- Excellent contacts in horticulture, environmental, and educational fields.
- Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and GIS software.
- Program development, project management, and reporting experience.
- Compelling and convincing problem-solver and consensus-builder.
- Strong written/oral communication skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to work well with a wide range of people with energy and enthusiasm, and adapt to changing situations.
- Ability to work remotely with travel to project sites as needed.
- A valid driver’s license and transportation is required.
- Spanish language skills strongly recommended.
Contact Information
Perfect Earth Project
Contact Name: Whitney Beaman
Email: jobs@perfectearthproject.org