Details
Posted: 27-Apr-22
Location: Bloomington, Indiana
Salary: Open
Location: Bloomington
Department: IU Bloomington Ind Inst On Disability/Commnty
Position Announcement:
About the Opportunity:
Indiana University is seeking a highly motivated and capable individual to lead its interpretation, and playground maintenance technician training programs for the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands.
The Eppley Institute is celebrating its 30th year of advancing park, recreation, and public land management professionals and organizations in 2023. This highly regarded operation with a national and international reputation is Indiana University's focus on agencies and organizations engaged in park, recreation, and public land management in the U.S. and across the globe. The Institute is unique and houses not only the National Center on Accessibility, but also World Park Academy, Playground Maintenance Training Institute, Great Lakes Park Training Institute, and ProValens Learning online system.
Eppley is focused on generating new opportunities for national leadership and to share knowledge and technical information for effective, strategic learning ecosystems that benefit professionals and agencies in parks, recreation, and open space (PROS).
The Eppley Institute works with clients around the nation. Arrangements to work remotely and/or telecommute will be considered for the selected candidate as appropriate.
About the Organization:
Eppley is highly regarded for its assistance and training programs, research, and analysis, and planning for communities focusing on comprehensive park, recreation, and open space (PROS) planning, and accessibility assessments. Eppley is also the premier provider of online training and education courses for practicing and aspiring park professionals seeking to advance their capabilities and their careers. With 30 years serving federal, state, local, and non-profit organizations that provide quality of life services, Eppley has assisted and trained thousands of practicing and aspiring park professionals.
As a center in the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, the Eppley Institute is positioned to continue its 30-year leadership advancing park, recreation, and public land management professionals and organizations.
Eppley continues to work closely with federal agencies including the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management as well as state and local park agencies. As the leading Institute of its type in the nation, Eppley performs a wide variety of services and manages platforms as described above that can be found at
www.eppley.org.
Responsibilities:
This position will manage the:
Interpretation training program which operates in collaboration with the National Association for Interpretation (NAI). This program has over 60,000 learners who have successfully completed Eppley's online training courses-certificates in interpretation. The training is in demand, requires collaboration around training topics and delivery with NAI and other stakeholders, and is currently in a revision phase.
Playground maintenance Technicians (PMT) training program which operates in agreement with the Park District Risk Management Association of Illinois (PDRMA). PMT training is offered around the nation in 2 day classroom workshops and online in English and Spanish to the individuals who maintain play areas. Guided by sound research and practices, the PMT is the preeminent playground maintenance training program in the nation. It is anticipated that the PMT may be used in Latin American countries also in the near future.
In addition, this position requires the individual to assist and lead park system and/or organization planning for cities and local organizations through the nation as Eppley receives a contract from a park, recreation, and public land organizations in the U.S.
Additional responsibilities:
a) Manage two training programs to include development, production, scheduling, and marketing of training with collaboration from Eppley staff as well as stakeholders, clients, and Institute partners.
b) Create and maintain partner relationships and marketing-sales opportunities for both training programs.
c) Assist and/or lead where feasible, the development of proposals for grants, financial assistance, project agreements.
d) Ensure all project and training requirements, monitoring progress and decisions related to projects with the Institute leadership team.
e) Ensure grading is completed as required and all in person and online instructors are qualified, scheduled, and supported to deliver training as agreed.
f) As required, lead project-based teams, where assigned providing technical assistance (consulting) training, education, research, planning and policy development for park, health, recreation, and public lands management organizations who are the Eppley Institute's partners. Additional assignments included based on grants, projects, and awards.
g) Travel required, including occasional weeklong and weekend trips to partner locations.
Core Competencies:
The competencies required for this position vary widely depending upon the project funding source but can be broken down into the following core competencies:
1. Contribute to the positive and collaborative based environment at the Institute in building and managing continuing professional development projects and courses.
2. Contribute to project components by managing multiple duties and contributing to multi-functional teams.
3. Contribute to Eppley Institute's highly active team environment which is a diverse group of employees, graduate students, contractors, and partners.
4. Excellent time management, project completion, writing and communication skills required. Must demonstrated the ability to become proficient with virtual project work via web and distance conferencing.
5. Experience working in a team environment and the ability to act as a liaison between outside partners, and program managers.
6. Experience in and knowledge of park and recreation accessibility including laws, techniques, and approaches used in evaluating accessibility of park and facility improvements, programs, exhibits, multi-media products, and tactile displays among other park related services.
7. Experience in and knowledge of park, recreation, and open space system master planning including techniques related to equity analysis, public engagement, plan production, and working with a wide variety of stakeholders in a local community.
8. Expertise in training delivery, instructional design, content development for online e-courses and classroom courses.
9. Possess a detail orientation with demonstrated analytical, problem solving, and research skills, to include survey development, and administration; analyze and report on survey and qualitative research qualitative
10. Talent in meeting facilitation (internal and external) and public engagement with strong attention to detail for advanced planning, documentation, and follow-up.
11. Experience in all project management phases from initiation to completion, with the ability to coordinate people and processes to deliver projects on time, within budget, and meet the outcomes needed by the organization.
Basic Qualifications:
Qualifications:
Experience managing, contributing, and supporting multiple projects in diverse cross-functional teams that include project sponsors including, but not limited to, the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, city, county, and state park related agencies, and public land organizations.
Expertise in accessibility advocacy, equity, diversity and inclusion to recreation programs and facilities, and in PROS system master planning and recreation need assessments. Specific knowledge of laws, techniques, and approaches used in park, recreation, open space, and protected area management.
Ability to work directly with clients, sponsors, and organization leaders to identify, collaborate, and proposed externally funded projects, contracts and grants for accessibility and planning projects.
Detail oriented with demonstrated analytical, problem solving, and research skills. Excellent writing and planning skills are essential. Experience working in a developing impactful training and professional development for individuals, agencies, and teams.
Minimum of an M.S. in Parks and Recreation Management, Environmental Education, Interpretation, Environmental Science, City and Urban Planning, Sustainability, or related discipline.
Department Contact for Questions:
Diversity Statement:
Eppley's vision to advance knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the increasingly complex and interconnected nature of parks, health, recreation, public lands, and protected areas is lived through our values and our collaborative approach with organizations that manage these places and programs.
We recruit, foster, steward, and depend upon diverse and inclusive teams to meet our mission and goals, to better serve all peoples who use protected areas, and ensure equitable and inclusive access to parks, recreation, and public lands. We believe the future of parks and public lands requires a commitment to equitable and inclusive delivery of outdoor recreation, access to parks and facilities in order to ensure all peoples can equally benefit from these public lands.
Interested candidates should apply at https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/12900. Applications received by 6/1/22 will be given full consideration. Expected start date is 7/1/22. Please direct questions regarding this posting to: Susan Henning-Harris at
[email protected].
Indiana University is an equal employment and affirmative action employer and a provider of ADA services. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment based on individual qualifications. Indiana University prohibits discrimination based on age, ethnicity, color, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.
OAA #: 22204-14
Appointment Status: Non-Tenure Track
