National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is the nation’s oldest and largest national parks nonprofit advocacy organization. NPCA has an exciting opening for Four Corners Tribal Program Manager to join our Southwest Regional Office.

Location: Utah or Four Corners Region

Grade: M

Salary: $68k – 73k (based on experience and location)

Work Status: Full-time (32 hours per week); Exempt

Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package for this role including a four-day, 32-hour work week, paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, flexible spending account, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, retirement benefits, short- and long-term disability, and paid sabbaticals for staff after seven years of service. Learn more about our benefits at npca.org/jobs.

Position Overview: NPCA’s mission is to protect and enhance the National Park System (NPS) for present and future generations, while recognizing that park lands are Native lands that have been stewarded by Indigenous peoples since time immemorial. NPCA is committed to being a responsible partner to Tribal Nations and a leader in culturally informed advocacy, grounded in meaningful Tribal engagement to protect our parks and the people, places, and histories that define them. NPCA recognizes Tribal Nations as sovereign governments with whom the United States holds government-to-government relationships. As the voice of the parks, NPCA is uniquely positioned to advocate alongside Tribal interest and public land protection; ensuring the National Parks System and public land management is inclusive, upholds treaty-reserved rights and trust responsibilities. Through its Indigenous Engagement Team, NPCA strengthens its capacity to support Native-led stewardship, uphold Tribal sovereignty, and promote accountability, ensuring that park management uplifts and honors the original caretakers of these lands.

The Four Corners Tribal Program Manager develops and leads strategies that advance NPCA’s Tribal engagement goals along with the Southwest Region’s conservation goals by collaboratively building campaigns and initiatives that strengthen relationships between Southwest Indigenous Tribes, the national parks community, and relevant agencies. This position serves as a liaison between NPCA and Tribes with cultural, ancestral, and historical ties to the Four Corners Region. The Tribal Program Manager will lead relationship‑building, coordination, and engagement with Tribes and communities to promote Indigenous‑led land protection efforts and stewardship practices that will ensure that collaborative land management reflects Tribal priorities and values.

The Four Corners Tribal Program Manager also advises other Southwest Regional Program staff on advocating for both state- and federally‑recognized Tribal land stewardship and on integrating Indigenous knowledge into the management of national parks and public lands. Additionally, the Tribal Program Manager will provide thought leadership and technical assistance to NPCA’s Indigenous Engagement Team to help develop internal policies and best practices for departments across the organization.

Essential Functions:

Build enduring, trust-based relationships between Southwest Indigenous Tribes and communities, NPCA and other partners to support and collaborate on national park and other public land protection campaigns (50%)

• Lead outreach, ongoing communication and trust building with Tribal community members, leaders, elders, youth and other Indigenous partners to build enduring relationships and foster collaborative partnerships with NPCA, other NGOs, and agencies including the National Park Service (NPS).
• Provide key leadership and coordination for The Lands Between Campaign to promote and support Tribal-led efforts to protect this critical Four Corners landscape.
• Develop and implement Tribal engagement strategies that reflect Indigenous stewardship, sovereignty, and community-defined priorities.
• Develop working relationships with important local leaders and elected and agency decision makers in the Southwest Region.
• Advocate for initiatives that support Tribes seeking co-management, co-stewardship, or land back agreements with NPS and relevant agencies.
• Work closely with SWRO colleagues to collaborate when possible and ensure that regional work is consistently viewed through an Indigenous lens.
• Advocate for policies and strategies that ensure national park units in the Southwest Region conduct consultation with Tribes to ensure Indigenous perspectives are incorporated in interpretation, cultural resources, and land management decisions.

Provide leadership to NPCA’s organizational efforts and assist with regional campaigns to engage and develop strategies aligned with Native Tribes and Indigenous peoples (15%)

• Advise and support NPCA’s internal Indigenous Engagement team.
• Advance NPCA and SWRO campaign goals in partnership with Tribes by participating in relevant events, conferences, and meetings.
• Assist NPCA colleagues as possible with national priorities, such as information gathering and outreach.

Plan and execute outreach, engagement, and communications strategies to achieve SWRO Tribal Program goals (30%)

• Assist in planning and hosting meetings, workshops, and events with Tribal partners and within Tribal communities.
• Maintain updated lists of Tribes with ancestral ties to SWRO parks and landscapes
• Facilitate documentation and retention of Traditional Knowledge and cultural perspectives shared during meetings and gatherings, in alignment with Tribal protocols.
• In coordination with SWRO staff and the NPCA Communications team, design and implement outreach and engagement and media strategies to provide a public forum for Tribal issues and opinions that reflect local priorities and culture, and that promote park issues and regional/national NPCA priorities.
• Contribute to the body of regional publications and provide written content for SWRO e-Field Reports, webpage, and NPCA social media.
• Work with congressional staff and members of Congress to inform and educate about specific Tribal/national park/public lands issues and threats.
• Help guide the Southwest team’s strategy and support campaign-related and public events.

Support Development Activities (5%)

• Help identify fundraising needs of the Southwest Tribal Program and collaborate with the Southwest team and Development staff to develop and support a fundraising plan.
• Assist in preparation of funding proposals and reports and join relevant donor meetings where appropriate.
• Support fundraising events, tours, VIP trips and other activities as requested.

Other: Respect employees regardless of their position or background. Participates in developing department goals, objectives, and systems. Participates in administrative staff meetings, organization-wide meetings, staff committee meetings, training programs, and attends other meetings and seminars as designated by the supervisor. Assists in evaluation of reports, decisions, and results of department in relation to established goals. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee in this position. 

Minimum Work Schedule: 32 hours per week, Monday – Thursday, occasional evenings and weekends. Significant travel throughout the Southwest Region as well as occasional regional team and national meetings.

Minimum Scope of Position: Lead management responsibility for fulfilling goals and objectives of the SWRO Tribal Program. Internal NPCA interaction with SWRO and other staff from Regional Programs, Indigenous Engagement team, Government Affairs, Conservation Programs, Communications, and Development Departments. Position requires substantial external contact with a wide variety of people and interests.

Minimum Qualifications, Competencies, Skills, Education, and Traits:

• 4-5 years of relevant work and/or lived experience
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field preferred.
• Background and familiarity with conservation, national park, and public land management issues preferred.
• 2-3 years of experience partnering with Native Tribes or Indigenous organizations, preferably in the Southwest region.
• Proven track record of working with a variety of individuals and organizations to build effective coalitions across political and cultural boundaries.
• Proven ability to coordinate multiple projects and handle details.
• Creative and strategic thinking skills to help design and implement effective programs and campaigns.
• Comfort and ability to be independently productive and stay connected to other staff remotely while in a solo workplace environment.
• Excellent written, verbal, public speaking, and presentation abilities.
• Basic computer skills (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat) and comfort with online communications and systems.
• Commitment to NPCA’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Statement of Intentions.

Core Values

Live, honor, and own the organization’s Core Values:  

Commitment: We are passionate about NPCA and dedicated to achieving excellence through our work and mission. We seek to improve our performance by taking opportunities for professional and personal development and encouraging reasonable risk-taking and innovation.  

Inclusion: We value diversity of thought, background, experience, and opinion. We create a culture of empowerment by welcoming and encouraging meaningful participation from all people and promoting an environment that embraces different perspectives.  

Integrity: We hold ourselves accountable to each other, our members and partners, and our mission. We evaluate the impact of our work and strive for honesty and transparency across the organization. We operate ethically in the organization's best interests. 

Respect: We collaborate in results-oriented teams based on trust and consideration for each other. We promote harmony between our work and our personal lives. We foster a healthy and positive workplace culture and work collaboratively with external partners.  

Physical Effort and Dexterity: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is typically required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; talk or hear. The employee may lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job may include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Environment:  Typical office or home office setting with regular travel.

Employer’s Rights: NPCA reserves the right to revise this position description at any time. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the NPCA and employee and is subject to change by the NPCA as the needs of the NPCA and requirements of the job change. The above is in no way an exhaustive list of the requirements for the position. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply