Posted: January 29, 2025
DEADLINE for submission: Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 5:00 PM EST
Department: Trails
Status: (Seasonal) Part-time hourly position, up to 20 hours/week
Reports to: Trail Manager
Work location: FOTR headquarters in Plymouth, MI, and in the 10 Lower Rouge communities, some virtual work
Hourly Salary: $18 – $22
Friends of the Rouge (FOTR), founded in 1986, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoration and stewardship of the Rouge River ecosystem through education, citizen involvement and other collaborative efforts. The Rouge River is one of the nation’s most polluted waterways and is located in the Metropolitan Detroit area of southeastern Michigan. The Rouge has been the focus of intensive federal, state and local restoration efforts.
*See the end of this job description for our Mission, Vision and Core Values that drive the core of our work.
Position Background
The Trails Assistant (TA) serves as project support and assistant staff for the Friends of the Rouge Trails Program. Under the direction of the Trails Manager, the TA assists in delivering mission driven coordination and programming support of Trails Program events including logjam workdays, paddling trips, and dry dock pop exhibits, as well as assisting with coordination of Trails Program social media content updates. This is a new seasonal position that begins Monday, March 10 and ends Friday, October 24, with the hope of transitioning to part-time in the next year.
DEIJ Statement
Friends of the Rouge strives to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in all elements of our work to serve the Rouge River Watershed and its communities. We strive to carry out our work with inclusivity by recognizing and understanding the social, economic, historic and political context that shaped the Rouge River Watershed landscape and communities. To meet our mission to restore, protect and enhance the Rouge River watershed through stewardship, education, and collaboration – we must approach our work with understanding of the opportunities and challenges of our partners and those we serve. Successful candidates will demonstrate a commitment to an organization that requires staff time to maintain the culture of both participatory decision-making and support for colleagues to achieve their best.
This position requires a commitment to diversity and inclusion as we work to develop comprehensive education and monitoring programs that connect the diverse set of communities across Southeast Michigan.
Expectations
You will be successful in this position if you have a knack for event coordination, program planning, and community building. You’ll be conducting outreach to schools, businesses, community organizations, and churches, to introduce and network the Friends of the Rouge Trails Program vision. You will work with FOTR staff and volunteers to coordinate logjam workdays. You will assist with planning and facilitation of FOTR scheduled paddle trips in partnership with our livery partners. You should have the ability and desire to facilitate collaborative approaches to event and program management, and be passionate about paddling, outdoor recreation, environmental justice and education.
Job Duties & Responsibilities
We anticipate this position being primarily focused on event coordination and facilitation during the spring, summer, and growing into more planning and outreach in the fall.
Programmatic Support/Assistance
- Trails Program duties under the direction of the Trails Manager
- Assist in the development and management of existing trails programs, including planning, promotion, workdays, volunteer management, field work, data entry, event management and reporting.
- Coordinate outreach to community groups and organizations to schedule pop-up exhibits.
- Facilitate pop up exhibits at community event locations
- Coordinate paddle trip events including coordination of logistics with the livery, promotion, registration, event delivery, and participant tracking
- Coordinate logjam workdays including volunteer recruitment, logistics planning, and assisting with workday facilitation.
- Oversee safety planning for trips and workdays including recruiting experienced assistants for trips and workdays
- Coordinate introductory paddling class logistics
- Assist in the identification of new trails programs and initiatives.
- Assist in development of the Trails Program traveling exhibit curriculum
Community Engagement and Outreach/Marketing
- Provide excellent customer service to all FOTR event and pop-up exhibit participants, volunteers and community partners.
- Participate/staff general FOTR outreach events as assigned. Typically events can be scheduled after work hours and on weekends.
General
- Manage time effectively and efficiently, effectively prioritize tasks; attend to a broad and diverse range of activities.
- Track and report activities and time on a daily/weekly/monthly basis.
- Participate in staff meetings, and other organizational events and activities.
- Assist in developing and implementing any needed procedures to continually improve the effectiveness of the organization as related to Trails.
- Participate in program related training as needed or as determined necessary.
- Demonstrate progress in tracking, recording and communicating program and project progress, participation and impact.
- Provide additional support to other FOTR programs as appropriate.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Ability to establish and maintain an effective and cooperative working relationship with coworkers, volunteers, members, community and corporate partners, representatives of other organizations, and other diverse stakeholders
- Experience paddling and managing logjams
- Experience with oversight of interns, volunteers, or school/youth groups
- Demonstrate excellent writing skills and strong public speaking and presentation skills
- Ability to handle high stress situations with professionalism with minor interjection by other staff
- Highly organized, able to multitask, and attention to detail
- Experience working with diverse people in a variety of settings
- Must have a valid Michigan driver’s license and have reliable transportation
Preferences
- An individual with an intimate working knowledge of the communities within the Rouge Watershed, especially those that have been historically underserved or marginalized. (Ecorse, Detroit, Wayne, Westland, Inkster, Melvindale, River Rouge, Allen Park, Dearborn)
- Knowledge of paddling safety and first aid. Paddling instructor certification (American Canoe Association)
- Proficiency in Spanish and/or Arabic
Key Competencies
- Passion for trails, outdoor recreation, and paddling.
- Organization
- Event planning/management
- Communication and teamwork
- Presentation skills
- Time management
- Volunteer management.
Physical Requirements
Office work will require long periods of sitting while working on a computer. Outdoor work will include extended periods of time standing while meeting and greeting event participants. Some physical lifting is required (up to 100 lbs.). Outdoor work will also be conducted in all weather conditions for some long days and involve working in and along the river and associated lakes and wetlands, wading, and possibly accessing it by boat. This position requires driving a vehicle. Ability to hear, speak, and listen in English required.
Work Environment
This position is both an office position paired with considerable outdoor work. Field work may involve uneven ground, steep slopes and strong river currents in all weather conditions. Trails program events take place in neighborhoods and public parks across all communities in the Rouge River watershed. Must be willing to work a flexible schedule including some evenings and weekends.
Nondiscrimination Policy
It is the policy of Friends of the Rouge (FOTR) to provide equal membership, employment and service opportunities to all eligible persons and to administer personnel policies and practices in accordance with all applicable laws.
We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ancestry, creed, religion, color, personal appearance, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, family responsibilities, and the presence of any sensory, physical or mental disability, learning disability, matriculation, membership in any labor organization, lawful source of income, political affiliation, or political ideology.
Application Instructions:
All interested parties are invited to submit as a single PDF file in the following format: Your Full Name – FOTR Trails Assistant Application.pdf the following:
- a cover letter indicating why you are interested in this position which describes experience and interest in the position,
- A resume,
- Three references
Incomplete applications will not be considered.
E-mail application to Herman Jenkins, Trails Manager, at hjenkins@therouge.org with the subject line: Trails Program Assistant Application. Applications will not be received after Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 5:00 PM EST. Late submissions will not be considered. No phone calls please.
MISSION
To restore, protect, and enhance the Rouge River watershed through stewardship, education, and collaboration.
VISION
We envision a future where a clean and vibrant Rouge River is the center of our community. Individual and community actions protect and improve the health of the Rouge River, assuring that its natural, economic, and recreational value enhances the quality of life in the Rouge River ecosystem.
CORE VALUES
Integrity
We ensure public trust by acting with honesty, transparency, ethicality and fiscal responsibility in all actions regarding the watershed and our community.
Stewardship
We commit to protecting and enhancing the watershed and improving the lives of the community through their interaction with the river. Our focus is on enhancing, monitoring and conserving the ecological health of the watershed for the benefit of all members of the community and future generations.
Education
We encourage protection and restoration of the Rouge River by providing opportunities that offer hands-on-immersive learning opportunities. We involve the public and promote engaged and educated stakeholders in the Rouge River watershed.
Evidence based decision making
We provide and utilize evidence based decision making in our promotion of Rouge River restoration and stewardship. We deliver reliable and verified information to watershed stakeholders in order to evaluate the watershed, determine priorities and prioritize restoration efforts.
Community collaboration
We team with individuals, businesses, government, non-profits, citizen groups, and other community organizations for the creation of a strong network of champions.
Quality of life
We provide communities with the ability to personally, economically, and ecologically benefit from the Rouge River by transforming how the river is perceived, accessed, and appreciated.
Diversity-Equity-Involvement
We strive to recruit and retain membership, leadership and staff who reflect the diversity of the communities in which we serve. We believe that the entire community benefits when everyone has equal access to information, programs, services and activities.
Terms of Employment – At-Will Employment Status
All persons employed by FOTR, regardless of classification status, are employed on an “at-will” basis. As such, employment can be terminated with or without cause, and with or without notice, at any time, at either your option or the option of FOTR. No supervisor, coordinator, manager, or other representative of FOTR other than the Executive Director has the authority to enter into any agreement or contract for employment for any specified period of time. The provisions contained in this policy supersede any and all previous oral or written statements or representations that have been made by FOTR or by someone purporting to represent FOTR. Employees should be aware while FOTR employees are required to participate in regular performance evaluation, this evaluation process is not intended to be a means of creating legal rights and does not affect the “at-will” nature of the terms of employment.