National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), the nation’s oldest and largest national parks nonprofit advocate, has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Program Manager to join our Midwest Region. This position will report to the Senior Regional Director, Midwest Region.

The Senior Program Manager plays a vital role in advancing NPCA’s efforts to protect, promote, and amplify the diverse cultural and historical narratives preserved within the Midwest's national parks. This position also supports Natural Resource issues at cultural parks but will have an emphasis on cultural and historical protection. This position leads advocacy, coalition-building, and power-building initiatives aimed at ensuring the preservation of significant cultural landscapes, including iconic sites such as Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Pullman National Historical Park, River Raisin National Battlefield Park, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and Homestead National Historical Park. The Manager works to deepen collaboration with partners, activate support networks, and engage local communities in shaping the future of these historic sites. Additionally, this role is crucial in developing and implementing key initiatives like the Pullman Cultural Trail and fostering transformational partnerships. By expanding NPCA’s base of support, cultivating ambassadors, activating the Midwest Regional Advisory Council, and leveraging multi-sector coalitions, the Sr. Manager strengthens the organization’s capacity to drive long-term influence and ensure that both cultural and natural resources across the region are protected for future generations.

Location: Chicago, IL

Grade: N

Salary: $75,000- $90,000, commensurate with skills and experience.

Work Status: Full-time (32 hours per week); Exempt

Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package for this role including a four-day, 32-hour work week, paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, flexible spending account, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, retirement benefits, short- and long-term disability, and paid sabbaticals for staff after seven years of service. Learn more about our benefits at npca.org/jobs.  

Essential Functions: (% of Time)

• Leadership in Policy and Advocacy: Lead policy and advocacy efforts that elevate the significance of the Midwest’s cultural and historic resources. Develop and execute strategies that protect and preserve parks like Pullman National Historical Park, a cornerstone of African American labor history, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which preserves landscapes of profound cultural and historical importance. Drive initiatives that celebrate diverse cultures and histories, while fostering collaboration with local communities to ensure the long-term preservation and recognition of these iconic sites. Through strong leadership, champion the advancement of policies that protect and promote the region’s most valuable cultural landscapes. (40%)
• Partnerships and Community Engagement: Build and sustain meaningful relationships with community leaders, local organizations, local elected officials, and regional stakeholders to expand NPCA’s influence and capacity. Foster partnerships with groups near parks to amplify stories and policy priorities, while actively engaging networks of advocates and volunteers reflecting the communities surrounding Midwest park sites. Strengthen NPCA's ability to address policy challenges by mobilizing support for cultural preservation, historic interpretation, and advocacy campaigns tied to national parks. (40%)
• Development and Communications Support: Develop written materials suitable for communications with external partners, media, foundations, and donors. Regularly seek opportunities to advance funding goals and earned media for NPCA’s programs and campaigns in the Midwest Region in coordination with development and communications colleagues (10%).
• Support for Regional Advisory Council: Provides support and strategic leadership, fostering collaboration to advance the region’s priorities. Leverage the council’s expertise to strengthen NPCA’s cultural resource and advocacy efforts. (10%)

Other Responsibilities

• Represent NPCA at regional and national events, forums, and coalitions to amplify cultural and historic preservation priorities.

Other:

Respect employees regardless of their position or background. Participate in developing department goals, objectives, and systems. Participate in administrative staff meetings, organization-wide meetings, staff committee meetings, training programs, and attend other meetings and seminars as designated by the supervisor. Assist in evaluation of reports, decisions, and results of department in relation to established goals. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee in this position.

Minimum Work Schedule:

32 hour work week, M-TH, 9:00 am – 5:30 pm, with occasional weekend and evening work due to public meetings or other outreach activities, and 3-5 trips to Washington, DC, Michigan, or other locations, annually. Must be based in the Chicagoland area but can work remotely.

Minimum Qualifications, Competencies, Skills, Education, and Traits:

• Minimum work experience of 5-6 years in relevant areas and demonstrated prior campaign successes and/or commensurate lived experience and direct relationships;
• Excellent verbal and written communication and organizational skills.
• Excellent listening and critical thinking skills.
• Confidence in groups and interest and ability in public speaking and presentations.
• Understanding, experience and interest in social media as an outreach tool.
• Willingness and proven ability to work with people from diverse background and perspectives.
• Demonstrated ability to work in teams to organize tasks, set priorities and maintain schedules.
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, internet-based research, and basic office technology is required; strong ability to learn and adapt to new systems or programs. MS SharePoint and familiarity with video conferencing a plus.
• Interest and/or experience with national park and public lands issues, American history
• Commitment to NPCA’s mission, core values and NPCA’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Statement of Intentions.
• Willingness to travel.

Core Values

Live, honor, and own the organization’s Core Values:

• Commitment: We are passionate about NPCA and dedicated to achieving excellence through our work and mission. We seek to improve our performance by taking opportunities for professional and personal development and encouraging reasonable risk-taking and innovation.
• Inclusion: We value diversity of thought, background, experience, and opinion. We create a culture of empowerment by welcoming and encouraging meaningful participation from all people and promoting an environment that embraces different perspectives.

• Integrity: We hold ourselves accountable to each other, our members and partners, and our mission. We evaluate the impact of our work and strive for honesty and transparency across the organization. We operate ethically in the organization's best interests.
• Respect: We collaborate in results-oriented teams based on trust and consideration for each other. We promote harmony between our work and our personal lives. We foster a healthy and positive workplace culture and work collaboratively with external partners.

Physical Effort and Dexterity: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is typically required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; talk or hear. The employee may lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job may include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

Physical Environment: Typical office /home office setting.

Employer’s Rights: NPCA reserves the right to revise this position description at any time. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the NPCA and the employee and is subject to change by the NPCA as the needs of the NPCA and requirements of the job change. The above is in no way an exhaustive list of the requirements for the position.