Program Associate

Program Associate, Fort Greene Park Conservancy (full-time, non-exempt employee), Brooklyn, NY

Deadline to submit: December 20, 2024; Start date: February 2025

Fort Greene Park Conservancy (FGPC) seeks a proactive, people-focused Program Associate. The new position will be critical in sustaining and expanding upon FGPC’s recent growth.

The Program Associate will join a small, dedicated staff team, and work closely with FGPC’s diverse, community-centric Board to realize our mission of preserving and nourishing Fort Greene Park as a community resource and public space for all New Yorkers for generations to come.

Qualified candidates will have 2-3 years of programming experience with demonstrated success in planning and producing a range of programs, including public-facing cultural programs and youth and environmental programs in public spaces. Candidates must be committed to programming, engaging with a DEI lens, and advancing FGPC’s DEI Policy. Multilingual applicants—with an emphasis on Spanish and/or Chinese—are desired.

FGPC provides an incredible opportunity to work at an organization that prioritizes putting its values into practice and fostering a culture of learning, internally and externally.

Job Summary: Roles & Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director of Programs and the Environmental Programs Manager and working closely with other FGPC and NYC Parks staff, the Program Associate will develop and implement program and engagement activities to support FGPC’s vision of a thriving Fort Greene Park. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Assist the Director of Programs and Board (Program and Engagement Committee) in planning, implementing, and evaluating public programs and large events, including identifying, securing, contracting vendors and talent, and managing NYC Parks Special Events Permit Applications.
• Serve as support staff at public programs, joining the Director of Programs to represent FGPC or leading programs as needed.
• Attend Program & Engagement Committee and Park Improvement & Maintenance Committee meetings and liaise with the Committees as needed.
• Assist in planning and implementing engagement activities, both in and outside of the park, to support FGPC’s goals relative to programming, park improvements, maintenance, and operations, working closely with the Director of Programs, and Environmental Programs Manager, Board, NYC Parks, and community organizations.
• Assist volunteer and public program survey collection, assessment, and documentation.
• Work with the Communications & Engagement Manager to enhance cross-promotion of FGPC programs and engagement opportunities with key partners and assist with on-site flyering and outreach activities within the park.
• Support the Environmental Programs Manager by serving in a support role on the Green Team, as needed, when the Manager is unable to lead sessions
• Support the Environmental Programs Manager in implementing seasonal volunteer programs
• Support special projects and other public programs where necessary, including fundraising events, board activities, and occasional public art installations.

The Program Associate must have the temperament and interpersonal skills to interact with various park and organizational stakeholders from diverse backgrounds (including community members, City agency officials, Conservancy Board members, donors, press, park visitors, and volunteers) with maturity, discretion, and empathy.

Qualifications:

• Two to three years of nonprofit/environmental/cultural/government sector experience required; prior experience with parks desired
• One year of community engagement experience is required
• Excellent spoken communication skills
• Required computer skills: G-Suite Apps (Docs, Sheets, Forms); knowledge of SurveyMonkey, Canva, and Classy is desired
• Ability to participate and thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced team environment
• Creativity and willingness to take initiative
• Commitment to justice and inclusion
• Possess strong attention to detail and project management skills; highly organized
• Flexibility and willingness to work in a variety of work environments, both indoors and in the park in most weather conditions
• Ability to take on physical, and outdoor work, including occasional heavy lifting (30+ lbs)

Individuals from marginalized and historically underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply. The Fort Greene Park Conservancy provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, marital status or domestic partner status, genetic information, genetic predisposition or carrier status, gender identity, HIV status, military status and any other category protected by law in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, lay-off and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.

Salary

$60,000

Hours & Work Locations

Time commitment is full-time, five days a week with flexible hours to accommodate seasonal weekend and evening work, which is required.

Currently, FGPC staff work a blend of in-office, on-site (park), and remote hours. Work locations are subject to change due to Covid-19 circumstances and regulations.

Benefits

Four weeks paid time off + 3 floating holidays + two weeks sick leave and comp time; health and commuter benefits; 13 paid office holidays.

Contact

Cover letters should explain: (1) Your relevant qualifications and past experience; (2) Your reasons for seeking work at a small community-based nonprofit; and (3) Why public space is important to you. Application materials, including cover letter and resume, should be emailed in a single PDF file addressed to:

Mia Rubin

Director of Programs

Fort Greene Park Conservancy

85 South Oxford Street

Brooklyn, NY, 11217

info@fortgreenepark.org

About Fort Greene Park Conservancy (www.fortgreenepark.org)

We enrich and nurture Fort Greene Park as a public space that puts community first—protecting everyone's right to belong, organize, and connect with nature. The Fort Greene Park Conservancy is an independent non-profit organization that partners with local communities and NYC Parks to program, maintain, and advocate for the park as a vital space today and for generations to come.

Working in close partnership with NYC Parks and the community, FGPC provides maintenance support and produces free programming year-round attracting over 25,000 participants annually with a diverse portfolio of events including music festivals, kids’ concerts, historic walking tours, horticultural volunteer events, and other community programming.

Fort Greene Park is a 30-acre public park owned and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. It was first championed by the borough's most famous poet, Walt Whitman, and designed by the landscape architectural team of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. The park's McKim, Mead, and White–designed Prison Ship Martyrs Monument commemorates the sacrifice of more than 11,500 prisoners of war who died in captivity during the Revolutionary War, whose collected remains are interred in the park. The park has served as a source of inspiration for cultural icons including Richard Wright, Marianne Moore, and Spike Lee. Today, the park finds itself at the center of one of Brooklyn's most dynamic and diverse neighborhoods.