ESSENTIAL DUTIES

The Trail Operations Director (TOD) implements programming to meet the TRTA’s strategic goals to maintain and enhance the trail and infrastructure to minimize the impact of trail users, provide a world-class trail experience, and protect Tahoe’s natural resources. The TOD’s work focuses on programs and policies for managing the TRTA's Trail Operations program, infrastructure improvements, long-range planning, and visitor use monitoring.

Trail Construction Management

• Coordinate and oversee trail operations programs to ensure the Tahoe Rim Trail System meets and exceeds trail standards and requirements.
• Ensure each mile of the trail is evaluated annually, preventative maintenance is completed on a three-year cycle, and detailed assessments and planning are completed on a five-year cycle.
• Oversee and support workday and field camp projects including registration pages, website information, reminder emails, sign-in sheets, project logistics, crew leadership, and follow-up.
• Ensure a positive and safe working environment at all trail operations events.
• Coordinate and implement technical trail building, crew leading, saw, and other related training for staff and volunteers.
• Track all volunteer crew leader certifications and notify crew leaders of renewals.
• As needed, participate as a Crew Leader, providing technical and managerial skills to ensure the success of projects.
• Serve as the main TRTA point of contact with partner and agency staff.
• Track volunteer contributions of hours, mileage, stock, etc., and ensure volunteer records in the TRTA database are correct.
• Track and annually report on all TRTA trail building and maintenance activities.

Trail Infrastructure, Advocacy, Long-range Planning, and Project Permitting

• Ensure all necessary partner and land manager requirements and agreements are current, and projects have appropriate permitting.
• Lead long-term planning and permitting for large-scale trail improvement projects ensuring projects successfully navigate from permitting to construction.
• Manage and improve the TRTA’s GIS database to collect data and provide professional and accurate mapping resources for projects, publications, and the TRTA website.
• Coordinate trail infrastructure projects, including kiosks, bathrooms, trash facilities, built water sources, and other trailhead amenities.
• Maintain TRTA infrastructure and annually update the TRTA’s signage, infrastructure, and trailhead inventories.
• Advocate for the trail by providing comment letters and tracking legislations, development proposals, etc. that will impact the Tahoe Rim Trail System and its users.

Visitor Use Monitoring

• Implement the TRTA’s Visitor Use Monitoring program to provide data to inform TRTA and land manager investments in the trail and infrastructure and highlight the recreational and economic value of the trail.
• Expand visitor use monitoring to assess overnight impacts.
• Create reports on visitor use and recommendations for trail use regulations and procedures improvements.
• Research trends within outdoor recreation to create best practices for the TRT for permitting, overnight use, and other user impacts and processes toward sustainable trail use.

Supervision

• Support the Trail Operations Committee Chair and Trail Operations Committee to manage volunteer trailbuilding programs and champion a team of highly skilled volunteer crew leaders.
• Hire, train, retain, supervise, and mentor Trail Operations staff members and interns, including the TRTA’s Trail Operations Manager.
• Oversee contractors and conservation corps.

Financial and Grant Management

• Oversee the development of the Trail Operations budgets and tracks budget progress throughout the year.
• Work with the grants manager to ensure Trail Operations grant deliverables are completed, reporting and reimbursement requests are submitted, expenses are appropriately billed to grants, and funders are acknowledged.
• Manage Trail Operations contracts by creating request for proposals, review bids, managing billing, and overseeing the scope of work.

Program Marketing and Publications

• Contribute information and stories for the TRTA’s bi-annual TRTA newsletter, monthly e-news, and Annual Report.
• Maintain Trail Operations webpages.
• Update GIS mapping on webpages, segment brochures, and other publications.

Other Duties as Assigned

• All personnel will be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities occasionally.
• The Trail Operations Director is a senior member of the TRTA staff and, in this role, will support all staff as needed.