Trails Coalition Coordinator

Does the thought of working with a network of passionate people across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to advance a project that will change the way people in the region experience the outdoors excite you? Are you passionate about multi-use trails and expanding people’s access to trails for both recreation and transportation? The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) is looking for a Trails Coalition Coordinator to accelerate our efforts to complete the 881-mile Capital Trails Network by 2030.

THE CAPITAL TRAILS COALITION

The Capital Trails Coalition (CTC) is a collaboration of public and private organizations, agencies, and volunteers working to advance the completion of an interconnected network of multi-use trails for metropolitan Washington, DC. The Coalition convenes and coordinates among the public and private stakeholders who are critical to accomplishing the vision of an interconnected network. In addition, the Coalition continually works to identify trail funding, broaden the base of support, and cultivate widespread consensus that a capital trail network is a regional priority. The Coalition is managed by WABA and is currently staffed by one full-time employee, the Trails Coalition Manager. The Coalition is constantly growing, but is currently made up of 72 members and is led by a 15 person Steering Committee.

TEAM

The WABA Advocacy Team is a five-person team: we have an Advocacy Director, Organizing Manager, Vision Zero Manager, and Trails Coalition Manager, and the Trails Coalition Coordinator. This role will sit on WABA’s Advocacy Team and report to the Trails Coalition Manager. Our job is to work with community partners and residents to help create a just and sustainable transportation system. That means:

• Managing relationships with partner organizations and working with grassroots advocates across the region to support better places to bike, walk, and roll.
• Bringing people together through coalitions to build power and advance transportation equity.
• Supporting victims of traffic violence through WABA’s Crash Reporting Tool and elevating their voices through our work with Families for Safe Streets. 
• Working with a diverse group of stakeholders, including government partners and agencies, to build a connected and equitably distributed multi-use trail network across the region. 

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The Trails Coalition Coordinator will assist the Trails Coalition Manager with the day-to-day operations of keeping the CTC up and running. A major role of the CTC is to serve as a convener and to facilitate meetings with our jurisdictional partners. A large part of this job will be to coordinate, organize, and run the Jurisdictional Working Group meetings. This will require close collaboration and frequent communication with the Trails Coalition Manager. Specific job duties include: 

• Coordinating and helping plan workshops, meetings, and events. 
• Assisting with meeting operations, including facilitation and note-taking.
• Managing the CTC website and social media platforms (Twitter and Facebook).
• Recruiting new CTC Members through a variety of means, including on-the-ground outreach (Farmer’s Markets, partner events, and community meetings).
• Supporting our existing members through attending meetings and assisting in events when appropriate.
• Developing new content for the website, including blog posts and newsletters. 
• Writing letters of support to local, state, or federal government partners.
• Working independently and collaboratively with partners from a variety of sectors.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

These core skills are essential to thriving in the role: 

• Confidence engaging professionally with leaders in the private and public sectors;
• Strong, sincere interpersonal and communications skills, both verbal and written;
• Professional experience facilitating meetings;
• Demonstrated administrative skills with keen attention to detail;
• Demonstrated experience keeping multiple projects organized and on track; 
• A commitment to inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds; and
• An enthusiastic commitment to the Coalition’s position on Equitable Trail Development. 

If you have the following experience or these skills, let us know. You don’t need them to be considered for the position, but you should be eager to learn them:

• Experience developing PowerPoint presentations;
• Some familiarity with WordPress, Twitter, Google Suite (Gmail, Chat, Drive, Sheets, Docs), and Salesforce;
• An understanding of the intersections between transportation, justice, equity and sustainability; and
• Experience with political or policy organizing.

The candidate must be located in the Washington, DC area — while the majority of our staff are working from home, this position will require attending some in-person meetings and site visits. We expect all staff will return to working in the office in early 2022. 

WABA requires all staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or be eligible for an exemption as defined by the District of Columbia Mayor’s Order 2021-099, Section III.

SUPPORT

WABA is a team that works closely together, both internally as well as with other stakeholders and community members. Here’s some of what’s available to help get it done:

• WABA’s Comms team is here to help you get the right messages to the right people. They assist staff with skill building in things like Salesforce and WordPress. 
• WABA’s Programs & Outreach team is already on the ground all across the Region providing in-person and online courses and webinars. They are also attending farmers markets and community events to foster and build relationships with community partners. 
• WABA’s development team engages with our WABA members and provides opportunities for people to come together and celebrate biking.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

This is an 18-month contract, with the possibility of extension depending on further funding. This is a full-time, salaried exempt position. The expected salary range is $45,000- $50,000.

• 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance premiums.
• Vacation, sick and personal leave, including:
  • Accrue up to 120 hours of paid vacation starting in your first year
  • Accrue up to 160 hours of paid sick time starting in your first year.
  • WABA supports and promotes the health of its staff. You may use accrued sick time for unscheduled leave when not feeling well (mind or body), as well as for scheduled medical appointments.
  • Paid time off for holidays following the federal holiday calendar. 
• 8 weeks paid parental leave and up to 8 weeks of additional parental leave from the DC Paid Family Leave Act (based on eligibility).
• Immediate access to WABA’s 403(b) retirement program, with up to a 5% employer match after one-year of service.
• Optional commuter transit benefit (pre tax deduction).
• Optional voluntary benefits including life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability.
• A fun and relaxed workplace environment.
• Passionate, supportive colleagues who are dedicated to working together for our mission and seeing the impact of our work. 

HOW TO APPLY

Send a compelling, relevant cover letter and resume to jobs@waba.org with “Trails Coalition Coordinator” in the subject line. We anticipate interviews will begin in early December with a start date in January.  The application period is open until Wednesday, December 15th. 

WABA is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, arrest record or criminal convictions, political affiliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability, sex, or age.

No phone calls please.

https://waba.org/blog/2021/11/were-hiring-trails-coalition-coordinator/