Events Manager - Urban Forestry

About Great River Greening
Great River Greening (Greening) is a leading environmental restoration nonprofit with a mission to inspire, engage, and lead local communities in conserving and caring for the land and water that enrich our lives. Since our start, our small but mighty team has restored more than 60,000 acres of lands across Minnesota and aims to restore another 40,000 in the next four years. At Great River Greening we offer flexibility, a friendly work culture, supportive Board of Directors, and opportunities to grow.
Great River Greening values Science, Community-Centered Conservation, Partnership, and Education. Great River Greening is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to the principals of equal opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability, and to cultural engagement, within our organization, within our environmental sector, and in the communities where we live and work.

Urban Forestry Program
Great River Greening aims to expand tree canopies, empower communities, and increase equitable access to green spaces across Minnesota. As the recent recipient of a 5-year, $10 million grant from the USDA Forest Service for the Cooling Minnesota Communities (CMC) project (federal grant ends February 2029, though our team is aiming to extend), we are increasing equitable access to the urban tree canopy by planting, distributing, and maintaining trees on city property, school campuses, public housing, community sites, regional parks, and residential homes across communities identified as in-need of tree canopy improvement via the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.

Position Description
The Events Manager – Urban Forestry will lead all event planning, logistics, and on-site management for the Cooling Minnesota Communities (CMC) program, and will build lasting relationships in every community where Greening plants or distributes trees.
The Events Manager also leads proactive outreach in CMC communities, connecting with community partners, like schools, Scouts, National Honor Society chapters, youth programs, businesses, and foundations. This outreach aims to cultivate relationships that can grow into long-term support by sharing education materials on tree planting and urban heat islands while also bringing in new volunteers and partners to events. This position reports to the Environmental Stewardship Director and supervises the Community Forestry and Stewardship Coordinator. This is a full-time position, fully funded through at least February 2029.
This is an exempt, full-time position with benefits including health, dental, 401k, LTD, Dependent Care, Health Care FSA, life insurance, and a PTO plan. The salary range for this role is $55,000 - $62,000 annually. Great River Greening offers a flexible workplace, and staff are currently working hybrid with at minimum one day in the office each week. This position will require occasional overnight travel within the state.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Event Planning and Management

• Lead planning and execution of all CMC tree planting, tree distribution, and community events, from site scouting and scheduling through day-of management and post-event follow-up.
• Manage event logistics, including site access and permits, tree and materials delivery, tools and equipment, crew requests, signage, facilities, and volunteer check-in.
• Coordinate with the wider CMC staff team on planting timelines, species, and site preparation, and partner contract obligations tied to each event.
• Serve as on-site lead at events, directing staff, volunteers, partners, and crew leaders, and keeping events safe and on schedule.
• Recruit, register, train, and communicate with volunteers and volunteer leaders for CMC events.
• Maintain an annual CMC event calendar, event budgets, and standard templates and checklists.
• Track event outcomes, including trees planted or distributed, volunteer numbers and hours, etc.
  
  

Community Engagement, Education, and Relationship Building

• Act as a Greening ambassador in CMC communities, raising awareness of our work and impact through outreach to community members, schools, youth and community groups, businesses, and foundations.
• Develop and carry out an outreach plan for each community, built around upcoming events.
• Create educational materials and lead presentations and tabling on tree planting, tree care, and urban heat islands.
• Identify new partners and opportunities, and share leads with the Environmental Stewardship Director, Advancement Director, and others, as appropriate.
• Collect and document community impact stories for reports, grants, and communications.
• Lead follow-up after events and engagements with participants, partners, and prospective supporters.
• Maintain accurate contact and engagement records in Greening's database.
  

Supervision and Team Collaboration

• Supervise, train, and support the Community Forestry and Stewardship Coordinator, setting priorities and reviewing work.
• Participate within the Stewardship Team, Conservation Team, and Tree Team (CMC staff) to organize, implement, and evaluate strategic goals.
• Work with communications and advancement staff to promote events and share CMC stories with partners, donors, and the public.
• Support other Great River Greening events and projects, as needed.

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 3+ years of experience in event management, community engagement, volunteer management, or outreach. Extensive relevant experience can be substituted for formal education.
• Demonstrated experience planning and running large outdoor or community events, including logistics, budgets, volunteer management, crew/equipment, and on-site leadership.
• Experience building relationships with schools, youth organizations, community groups, or businesses.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain environmental topics and explain technical topics around tree planting.
• Experience supervising staff, interns, or volunteer leaders.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple events and outreach efforts at once.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends, travel overnight throughout the State of Minnesota, and work outdoors in varied weather conditions, including lifting up to 50 pounds.
• A valid driver's license.
• Computer experience with Microsoft Office suite; comfort learning volunteer management or donor database systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in environmental education, urban forestry, or conservation volunteer programs.
• Experience with corporate volunteer programs, sponsorships, or nonprofit fundraising.
• Experience working with municipal partners or community stakeholders.
• Experience with community-centered engagement in communities that have been historically underserved.
• Experience with data management or project management systems.
• Working knowledge of Minnesota conservation organizations and government agencies.
  
  

Application Instructions
Electronic applications only: Send cover letter and resume to ameri@greatrivergreening.org with the subject line: Greening Events Manager – Urban Forestry Position.
See www.greatrivergreening.org for more information.