7-25-17, Project Manager, Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, Los Angeles County, 8-11-17

7-25-17, Project Manager, Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, Los Angeles County, 8-11-17 deadline

Project Manager

The Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust is seeking a full-time Project Manager to lead the development of new park and community garden projects across LA County. The ideal candidate will have a proven ability to foster collaboration and coordination among diverse stakeholders. They will bring strong project management and design expertise to the organization and be committed to getting results in a fast paced environment and be able to handle a heavy workload without dropping the ball. The position is an opportunity to be at the forefront of community development, park equity, and food justice efforts in the nation.

About the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust

The Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust creates change by supporting low-income communities of color to more effectively realize their power and influence over the use of land. We work with residents to increase communities’ access to parks and gardens, while organizing to change local policies to develop more equitable park and food systems for generations to come. We believe that this work is necessary to overcome decades of disinvestment, racism, and environmental injustice in low-income communities of color and that no person in LA County should live without a safe park or access to fresh, healthy food. As a community-based non-profit land owner, developer, and steward for safe public space, we work with residents from design to stewardship.

We meet our goals by:

• Designing, building and managing urban parks and gardens;
• Organizing and developing campaigns to address both social and environmental conditions, including park equity and land use policy improvements;
• Supporting and developing community leaders, both youth and adults to be advocates for park equity and food justice through programming, training, and technical assistance.
• Partnering with community-based organizations, government agencies, and key stakeholders to advance our project and policy work.
• Since 2002, we’ve helped create 25 parks and community gardens. We currently steward 12 parks and community gardens and we’ve got another eight in our active development pipeline. We take pride in innovative and challenging work which makes change a part of our regular work day life. You can learn more about us here or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

What You’ll Do

The Project Manager (PM) advances Land Trust development projects from pre-concept to construction phases. In coordination with their colleagues, the Project Manager works with partners, community stakeholders, park agencies, elected officials, funders, regulatory agencies, and consultants to advance capital projects forward on-time and on-budget, consistent with community vision and feedback. The Project Manager reports to the Director of Special Projects and is given a high level of autonomy and accountability for a project’s costs, timeline, design, management of consultants and contractors, compliance with public and private funding programs and construction oversight. The PM typically works in close coordination with LANLT team members, including the Community Organizing, Stewardship, Fundraising, and Operations teams. The Land Trust currently employs two Project Managers, who often leverage each other strengths when challenges arise.

Core functions of the Project Manager include:

• Project Implementation and Management

• Ensure that projects are constructed and/or implemented according to pre-established budget(s), time frame(s), professional standards, expectations, and are consistent with the Land Trust’s vision, goals, and standards.
• Hire, coordinate with, oversee, and manage selected firms during the creation of designs, drawings, construction documents, and other outputs; Co-design when necessary.
• Ensure all outputs are provided in a matter outlined by contracts, and are consistent with professional standards, City, County, and State laws and requirements, and the Land Trust’s approach to community development.
• Coordinate with selected consultants, contractors, City and County agencies, and other entities necessary to attain proper and legal approvals, permits, inspections, and other project-specific requirements; proactively assist with design, permitting and other logistics when appropriate.
• Facilitate smooth communication between project team members, contracted consultants and firms, community members, project stakeholders, City and County officials, and other interested parties.

• Planning, Design, and Community Relations

• Perform, assist, and/or oversee the planning and design components of Land Trust projects; provide project planning and design expertise to community members and Land Trust staff.
• Co-lead and facilitate community design meetings and workshops to determine project-related community needs and desires alongside LANLT Community Organizers.
• Collect, organize, and interpret community member and project stakeholder input and feedback;
• Work with consultants when appropriate to create and present concept designs and design options that look professional and are realistic and feasible given project resources and City and County laws, regulations, and standards.
• Create and/or assist with the creation of designs and materials for distribution to community members and project stakeholders.
• Develop, or assist with the development of project budgets, workflow, milestones, and timelines.
• Further develop existing methods and create a formalized Land Trust model of soliciting and incorporating community member and project stakeholder input and feedback.
• Draw construction documents for small-scale repairs or projects.

• Project Development and Administration

• Support fundraising by providing graphics, maps, designs, project narratives, project budgets, and other information pertaining to existing and future projects.
• Assist with research to determine feasibility of potential Land Trust properties and projects.
• Participate in design-related meetings symposia and conferences to represent the Land Trust and keep the organization informed of new developments in design, city planning, park, and other related fields; represent the LANLT in external settings as appropriate.
• Perform administrative activities associated with effective project management, including: compiling, storing, and retrieving data for assessments and reports; create and maintain project files (both electronic and paper) in a manner easily accessible by all staff members; and submitting payment, compliance, and administrative forms.

• Organization Team Work

• Support fundraising by providing graphics, maps, designs, project narratives, project budgets, and other information pertaining to existing and future projects.
• Respond quickly to emails, attend regular staff meetings, and keep regular records.
• Attend meetings, staff retreats, and conferences as requested.
• Assist with various LANLT events and celebrations as needed.
• Respond to requests from Director of Special Projects, as needed.
• Work as a team player to fulfill the mission and goals of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust.

Qualifications

• We’re seeking candidates who excel in relationship-building, are results-oriented, and have strong project management and landscape design/construction skills.
• You should have:

• Demonstrated experience and/or ability to work in dense, low-income communities of color.
• A track record of developing, stewarding, and executing landscape design and/or construction projects.
• Experience managing multiple projects and ability to oversee a cadre of consultants and vendors.
• A degree in landscape architecture, architecture, urban planning, civil engineering, or related field with at least 2 years of professional experience.
• Be able to read, interpret, comment, and translate to a lay audience: conceptual drawings, schematic designs, design development documents, construction documents, bid documents and technical specifications.
• Experience facilitating meetings and/or running small discussion groups.
• A California Class C Driver’s License

• Additionally, candidates meeting the additional qualifications below will be considered strongly competitive:

• Be familiar with barriers to park equity and food justice including racism, poor planning, divestment and disinvestment, and environmental injustice.
• Experience with contract administration, construction management, and environmental engineering.
• Proficiency with MS Project, AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite, and 3-D modeling.
• Proven track record of managing multiple large projects at once with deadlines and budget.

What You’ll Get

• We take pride and gain personal fulfillment in innovative and challenging work. Our team is a close-knit group of 15+ dedicated and hardworking advocates committed to justice, equity, and the advancement of people of color. We have regular potlucks, a dedication to health and wellness, and we take time to laugh throughout our workday. We have also been known to do karaoke and go on hikes. At the Land Trust, you can have a rewarding experience leading meaningful work that provides ample time to give back to the community and have a direct, visible impact. You’ll also find the support, coaching, and training it takes to advance your career.
• Salary is based on qualifications and experience and ranges from $45,000 to $65,000. The Land Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, vision, dental, supplemental insurance, 401k, vacation time, sick time, holidays, flexible schedules, an annual professional development budget, staff events and the support of a healthy work-life balance.

How to Apply

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• Interested candidates should submit the following as one document: (1) a cover letter that includes relevant experience, achievements, and 3-5 professional references; (2) resume; (3) portfolio or design sheets highlighting past work where leadership, management, or strong support was exhibited.
• Applications received by August 11, 2017 will be given priority.

The Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust is an equal employment opportunity employer and strongly encourages diverse candidates to apply. People with multiple marginalized identities are strongly encouraged to apply, including queer, trans, people with disabilities and/or people of color. The Land Trust does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex (including pregnancy), gender, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, medical condition including genetic characteristics, mental or physical disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity (including transgender status), weight, height, linguistic characteristics (such as accent and limited English proficiency, where not substantially job-related), citizenship status, or any other basis prohibited by law.