Pueblo Community Engagement Manager

Posted Date: May 14, 2024

Position Closing Date: June 30, 2024, or until filled

Location: Pueblo, CO

Employment Status: Full-time, Exempt

Salary: $65,000/annually

Organizational Overview

Palmer Land Conservancy (Palmer) is one of Colorado's leading nonprofit land conservation organizations and one of the country’s first 100 nationally accredited land trusts through the Land Trust Alliance. Our mission is to protect land and water for the well-being of nature and people. Since 1977, Palmer has permanently protected 138,000 acres, including 20 public parks and open spaces, working farms and ranches, and iconic scenic views. We passionately promote the conservation and enjoyment of Colorado’s most important natural assets that define why we love Colorado: its natural beauty, locally grown food, and outdoor recreation.

We are a team of conservation professionals who work alongside individuals and communities to catalyze community health and resiliency. At Palmer, we believe that people make the work of conservation happen and we are committed to organizational excellence. We deeply value our people, diverse backgrounds and experiences, and expanding the tools and resources we need to be successful. Our main office is in downtown Colorado Springs with a second office in Pueblo. More information is available at palmerland.org.

Position Overview

Working at the intersection of water, agriculture, and community, Palmer’s new Community Engagement Manager will have the opportunity to contribute to meaningful conservation work in Pueblo and southeastern Colorado. The goal of the CEM position is to increase Palmer’s community involvement in Pueblo, including communities that traditionally lack representation in the conservation and outdoor recreation spaces.

Palmer’s Pueblo-based Community Engagement Manager (CEM) position represents the opportunity to further conservation outcomes in Pueblo. This two-year, mid-level manager position, funded by a Great Outdoors Colorado Pathways Grant, will be based out of Palmer’s downtown Pueblo office.

Palmer Land Conservancy has worked alongside the Pueblo community for the last eight years to engage and connect the Pueblo community to local healthy food, empower the community to protect some of the most productive farmland in Colorado, and we are now working to advance opportunities for parks and trails throughout the region. The CEM will expand this work, including reaching BIPOC and marginalized communities across Pueblo County.

Palmer’s goal for the CEM position is to build a strong, comprehensive, and inspiring launching pad for this individual, resulting in a successful long-term leadership position within the conservation sector. The CEM has the opportunity for a wide-range of professional and career development in land conservation through mentorship by Palmer staff, opportunities to attend national, statewide, and regional conferences, and industry-related networking and training opportunities.

The Community Engagement Manager is a multi-disciplinary position with three core focus areas:

  1. Community Engagement

Palmer is doubling down on its efforts to reach and involve more and diverse people in conservation through a unique community impact campaign. With a new environmental documentary, MIRASOL, Looking at the Sun, as the centerpiece of the campaign, the CEM will help produce film screening events in southeast Colorado, build upon existing, and develop new, community and conservation partnerships, and assist with promotion and outreach for the film.

2. Healthy Local Food + Agricultural Heritage

This position will be responsible for expanding and enhancing Palmer's programs and events related to protecting local food and the region's agricultural heritage. Projects will include the partnership on Fuel Farm, a 1-acre urban farm in downtown Pueblo that is a project of Fuel & Iron Development, whom Palmer has partnered with for the last two years. Additionally, the CEM will work with Palmer's communications team to help produce new regional food guides that build off of the success of Palmer's Southern Colorado Food Guide, to help connect more people to their local food resources and farmers across the state. The CEM will assume leadership of Palmer's annual “Bike the Bessemer” event, helping to bolster agri-tourism in Pueblo County, and seek new event opportunities that promote agriculture and local food. The position will also work in partnership with other community organizations, such as the Pueblo Food Project, to help reduce barriers to healthy food by helping to identify and develop new events and programming.

3. Outdoor Recreation

Palmer's strategic plan has set a goal of protecting five new parks and open spaces in the next five years and developing land-based community engagement programming to complement Palmer’s on-the-ground conservation work. This position will work closely with Palmer's land acquisition team to help identify and evaluate conservation opportunities for new trails, parks, and open spaces in Pueblo. The CEM will play a key role in developing relationships within the to better understand the needs and goals for outdoor recreation in the community.

Job Qualifications

  • Interest in learning about and promoting land conservation, agriculture, water, local food, and outdoor recreation.
  • A willingness and excitement to engage a variety of demographics in land and water conservation.
  • Project or event management, or similar experience, with an ability to take initiative, manage multiple tasks, have strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
  • Demonstrated commitment to a team environment and a collaborative approach to working on projects.
  • Excellent and creative verbal, written, and interpersonal skills.
  • Spanish bilingual preferred.
  • Comfort working in a fast-paced working environment.
  • Proficiency with some or all of the following or similar software a plus: Microsoft Office Suite, Slack, and basic office communication channels (e.g., email).
  • Must possess a valid driver’s license and be willing to travel for events or other work-related activities - travel expenses will be reimbursed.
  • Willingness to work a flexible schedule with some evening and weekend hours for events, especially in the summer months.

Palmer Land Conservancy's 5-year strategic plan, Land for Life, explicitly states that people are at the center of our work. The new CEM position will have a focus on deepening and broadening Palmer’s community understanding, engagement, and programming in Pueblo. Palmer highly encourages applications from candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and others who identify as nonwhite, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, to apply for this position.

Salary & Benefits

The annual salary of this grant funded position is $65,000 annually. Palmer offers excellent benefits including: health, dental, and vision insurance, long-term disability, life insurance, employer retirement plan and contribution, paid parental leave, generous paid time off, and flexible work arrangements. The position is based out of Palmer’s Pueblo office.

How to Apply: The position is open until June 30, or until filled. Applicants should submit 1) a cover letter, 2) resume, 3) list of three references, and 4) answers to the prompts below (all as a single pdf) by e-mail to: [email protected] with the subject line: Pueblo Community Engagement Manager. References will not be contacted unless you are selected for a final interview.

Please limit responses to no more than 200 words per prompt:

1.         Why are you interested in pursuing a career in land and water conservation?

2.         Why is agriculture, community health, culture, and tradition important to you?

3.         How do you approach a new project?

Frequently cited statistics show that women and people from underrepresented groups apply to jobs only if they think they meet 100% of the criteria. If you meet many but not all the criteria and feel you may be a good fit for the role, Palmer Land Conservancy encourages you to apply.