About the National Park Foundation

As the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service (NPS), the National Park Foundation (NPF) generates private support and builds strategic partnerships to protect and enhance America’s national parks for present and future generations.

Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation is rooted in a legacy that began more than a century ago, when private citizens took action to establish and protect our national parks. The creation of the Foundation led to the immediate protection and enhancement of some of our most iconic and historic places.

Today, the National Park Foundation carries on that tradition of strong alignment with the National Park Service as the only national charitable nonprofit whose mission is to directly support NPS.

Position Background

NPF invests in seven strategic areas to drive positive impact. These areas are aligned with NPS’ priorities and are referred to as mission pillars: (i) Landscape and Wildlife Conservation, (ii) History & Culture, (iii) Resilience and Sustainability, (iv) Parks of the Future, (v) Youth Engagement and Education, (vi) Outdoor Exploration, and (vii) Communities and Workforce. NPF’s work is implemented through strategic partnerships with NPS, park friend’s groups, corporate partners, individual donors, and other park partners.

As visitation to our national parks grows, parks must be prepared to address the changing demographics and a diversity of needs for these new visitors. National parks must remain nimble and invest in emerging technologies and proven solutions today to ensure world-class visitor experiences tomorrow.

Position Overview

The Director, Park Infrastructure and Visitor Experience, will be responsible for overseeing and guiding the strategy for the programmatic work of the Parks of the Future mission pillar in close coordination with National Park Foundation colleagues and the National Park Service.

The Director is responsible for managing a subset of programs and projects, in partnership with NPS, focused on improving financial and operational sustainability, addressing technology and innovation, supporting the development of resilient park infrastructure such as visitor centers, access, mobility, and campgrounds, and addressing the needs of NPS employees such as workforce housing. The Director will play a critical role in advancing strategic priorities that meet the needs of changing and growing park visitors and other identified priorities as outlined and in alignment with the National Park Service.

Core Functions

Implement and oversee a portfolio of programs of considerable impact, complexity, and risk, including providing strategic direction, project management, relationship management, grant management, and technical assistance to NPS and partner grantees to advance their work. Lead and grow strategic funding initiatives/programmatic areas, including:

• Financial and operational sustainability: Help NPS meet 21st-century visitor and employee needs through infrastructure and visitor experience projects sized and scaled to encourage long-term fiscal sustainability.
• Innovation and technology: Leverage new technologies, including data analytics and ways to connect staff and visitors in real-time to ensure vital information is immediately accessible.
• Envisioning a 21^st-century visitor experience: Support the modernization and transformation of our parks to meet future needs by investing in visitor centers and interpretative displays to meet the needs of present and future generations.
• Accessibility for all Americans: Support NPS to ensure Americans with disabilities have access to national parks, historic and cultural sites by investing in infrastructure, trails, and programming to meet the needs of all visitors.
• Revitalizing our nation’s campgrounds: Collaborate with NPS to modernize campgrounds to enrich visitor experiences in national parks across the country.
• Housing the workforce of the future: Support the workforce of tomorrow by investing in NPS employee housing solutions for the current and next-generation workforce.

The Director will:

• Build and maintain strong communication and relationships with NPS and partner organizations to ensure sensitivity and alignment around high-priority needs to advance the work of NPS.
• Collaborate with NPS to develop a steady stream of priority projects that align with NPS’ programmatic needs, funding, and staffing realities.
• Communicate and present the priorities of the Parks of the Future program work to both internal and external audiences, including donors and corporate partners.
• Manage multi-year commitments from major philanthropic institutions for large-scale infrastructure projects, including but not limited to visitor centers and related infrastructure (comfort stations, etc.), accessible trails, and campground renovations.
• Understand trends among leading external organizations related to programmatic areas (i.e., corporate partners and other federal, state, or local municipalities) that drive operational efficiency.
• Manage the diverse components of projects by tracking the budget, timeline, deliverables, reporting, communications, and donor stewardship.
• Develop communication materials that demonstrate the larger narrative as one cohesive initiative to internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead the development, implementation, evaluation, and asset capture of programs, including the development of program metrics, site visits, and virtual check-ins with grantees or other partners as needed.
• Provide capacity-building support to NPS staff (proposal writing, partnering, grant program management, best practice sharing).
• Develop and share presentations, proposals, and implementation plans with new and existing donors.

Candidate Profile

• Undergraduate degree, master’s degree, or equivalent experience preferred.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in public land management, facilities management, visitor experience, or natural resource conservation. Construction and technology experience is a plus.
• A team player and cross-functional collaborator with experience building strategic alignment with partners. Experience collaborating with diverse stakeholders, partners, and vendors.

• Experience working in partnership with a federal agency, preferably a public land management agency, preferred.
• Strong project management skills, including developing and monitoring budgets, with proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines with attention to detail in a demanding environment. Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Clear understanding of the full philanthropic gift lifecycle from proposal development to final reporting and donor stewardship. Grant-making experience is a plus.
• Knowledge and passion for conservation and preservation.
• Travel required at least 20-25% of the time.

How to apply:

Candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to:  https://tinyurl.com/3p4eacnu

Description of Job Demands and Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate. The employee is frequently required to compare, analyze, copy, coordinate, instruct, compute, synthesize, evaluate, use interpersonal skills and compile. The employee occasionally is required to negotiate.

Compensation and Benefits

The National Park Foundation offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience and benefits program. This position is a hybrid remote and onsite role at NPF’s newly designed headquarters in Washington, DC. Compensation for this opportunity will be commensurate with experience.