Program Director, Forest Society North at The Rocks

Program Director, Forest Society North at The Rocks

Reports to: VP for Recreation Management & Public Engagement

Salaried, Full-time, Exempt, Regular

Salary range begins at $60,000, depending on experience.

Position Summary: 

The Program Director will develop and implement new educational, outreach, and recreational programs & events to be hosted at Forest Society North at The Rocks with a focus on mission alignment, community needs and revenue generation. The Program Director melds conservation, education, and recreation management with marketing, tourism, and entrepreneurship. The position supervises the administrative and seasonal staff and will invigorate a well-established volunteer program. The person in this role will work closely with the Christmas Tree Farm Manager to coordinate events on The Rocks’ grounds and implement successful retail outcomes and visitor experiences during maple, holiday and foliage seasons.  The Program Director will also collaborate with staff across the organization to improve the visitor experience at Forest Society North, including reservation stewardship, education & outreach, development, communications, facilities, and finance staff.

Duties and Responsibilities

Program Development and Implementation:

  • Schedule and coordinate all programming and events at Forest Society North.
  • Work with local businesses and individuals to develop partnerships that support programming, community events, and engagement at Forest Society North.
  • Develop and implement new educational, outreach, and recreational programs at The Rocks, with a focus on mission, visitor interest/community needs, and revenue generation.
  • Manage multiple existing programs, including Christmas and maple seasonal events, motor coach tours, school programs, and educational programs.

Volunteer Engagement: 

  • Work with the existing volunteer group at The Rocks and invigorate new volunteer recruitment.
  • Develop new volunteer roles and job descriptions based upon program coordination and delivery needs as programming and event management opportunities expand. 
  • Design and implement a framework for recruiting, training, managing, and recognizing volunteers at Forest Society North. 

Event Management, Marketing and Retail Business:

  • Promote Forest Society North at The Rocks as a premier event venue for weddings, celebrations, workshops, business meetings, and other gatherings.
  • Market and publicize programming and events at Forest Society North to local, state-wide, and regional audiences using our website, e-newsletter, print magazine, and social media channels.
  • Oversee all aspects of the gift shop at Forest Society North, including product sourcing, ordering, pricing, display and stocking, retail sales, and sales tracking.
  • Manage facility rentals of multiple event spaces requiring marketing, coordination, and management. Events include weddings, community events, partnerships with other community-based groups.
  • Manage relationship with property management entity responsible for rental of on-site vacation cottage.

Communications and Development:

  • Responsible for promoting Forest Society membership, philanthropy, and brand recognition at all programming and events as well as to casual visitors to the property.
  • Participate in regular staff and outreach team meetings, some of which will require driving to the Conservation Center, the Forest Society’s Concord, New Hampshire headquarters.
  • Collaborate as part of a staff team including Reservation Stewardship, Education & Outreach, Development, Communications, Facilities Management, and Finance to plan for future programming, interpretation, and facilities improvements/additions for Forest Society North at The Rocks.
  • Hire, train and supervise an administrative staff person and seasonal staff to assist with event and program management, retail sales, venue marketing and rentals, and volunteer coordination.

Qualifications and Skills Required:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Education, Recreation Management, Communications, or relevant field.
  • Proven years of related experience in business administration and tourism. industry/hospitality, program development, or event management.
  • Ability to think creatively, forge lasting professional partnerships, and bring ideas to fruition. 
  • Superior organization and time management skills, good diligence.
  • Experience in recruiting, motivating and supervising staff and volunteers.
  • Must have flexibility to work on weekends and evenings as needed.
  • Driver’s license, reliable vehicle, and ability to drive occasional long distances (Bethlehem, New Hampshire to Concord, New Hampshire)
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, proven people skills, and friendly demeanor. 
  • Ability to learn and efficiently use computer and software programs to manage events, programming, and marketing.
  • Experience with budgeting, marketing, and public relations.


Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with project management software. 
  • Familiarity with Convio/Luminate, RE NXT donor database and/or Drupal websites a plus. 
  • Familiarity with New Hampshire’s North Country communities, businesses, and organizations, and their challenges and opportunities.

 

Working Conditions:

Work is primarily in an office setting, with frequent need to move across a wider campus to reach event and program spaces. Occasional driving to/from the Forest Society’s Conservation Center headquarters in Concord, NH is required.

Physical Requirements: 

Ability to traverse The Rocks property (1,400 acres) on foot, on and off-trail, to assess and implement programs wherever they are held. Endure a variety of outdoor conditions including heat, cold, precipitation, insects, and variable terrain.

Direct Reports:

  • Administrative Staff
  • Seasonal/temporary staff

 

Equity, Inclusion & Collaboration:

The Forest Society is an equity-based employer. We value a diverse staff and an inclusive culture. We value staff that work for the good of the whole; that can effectively collaborate to achieve shared goals of their department, as well as the organization. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected status as required by applicable law.

*Questions regarding this position should be addressed to:

Carrie Deegan, VP for Recreation Management & Public Engagement- cdeegan@forestsociety.org

*Resume and Cover Letter should be submitted to:

Sarah Alsamaraee, Stewardship & Forestry Administrative Coordinator salsamaraee@forestsociety.org

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Background Information:

Forest Society North at The Rocks

Forest Society North at The Rocks is the newly renovated northern headquarters of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. Donated for conservation in 1978, The Rocks is a 1,400-acre working Christmas tree farm, program and education center, and recreation destination with hiking trails and a new hillside amphitheater facing the White Mountains.

The vision for Forest Society North at The Rocks is to create a facility that honors the property’s historic past, serves as a center for forest conservation and education, offers a community gathering space and resource, and is a reservable event venue. The site is open to the public at no cost, hosts several revenue generating programs, and is a bustling retail Christmas tree operation for 6 weeks of the year.

The Building: In 2023, the Forest Society completed the renovation of an 1884 Carriage Barn as our main program center and offices. The net-zero building is furnished with professionally designed interpretive installations, as well as a retail gift shop, classroom, meeting spaces, and public restrooms. In addition to the Program Director, Forest Society staff based in the building include a land protection project manager, easement stewardship regional manager, senior outreach manager, and an administrative assistant. The Christmas tree farm operations are based in another building, but the tree farm manager will work closely with the program staff and volunteers.

The Site: The Rocks was constructed as a 19th century summer retreat that was a working farm and family compound. Unique buildings designed by Chicago-based architects and gardens designed by the Olmsted Company are located on the property, or if no longer in existence are interpreted on the property. Buildings in use today include the Sawmill-Pigpen, which now serves as the NH Maple Museum, several small summer houses located along the woodland trails and in the garden, the main Carriage Barn (now our program center), the gardener’s cottage (now a short-term vacation rental), and Charlie Brown’s Farm/the red house and barns (housing Christmas tree operations) located at the east end of the property. Several buildings have been lost to fire over the decades, including the Tool Building and the Electric Plant, which burned in 2019 and precipitated the major renovation that is now complete. On the site of the lost buildings, a hillside amphitheater has been recently installed, creating a new feature that is available for public use, events, and enjoyment.