Environmental Project Manager-BCP Visitor Center Operations Manager

Travis County Natural Resources is seeking an innovative, self-motivated Visitor Center Operations Manager to open and operate the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve Visitor Center. Expected to open in 2028 the BCP Visitor Center is situated on 96-acres of juniper-oak woodlands adjacent to the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. The site includes 3 miles of trail, an outdoor amphitheater, nature play area, an ADA accessible constructed cave, exhibit hall with static and digital panels, a classroom, a meeting/event space, 3-story observation tower and more.

The site is part of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve; a regional collaborative preserve formed in 1996 to manage land in partnership with the City of Austin and other partners for endangered species conservation.

The Balcones Canyonlands Preserve Visitor Center will be a world-class destination for community engagement and connection to nature; it will serve as a “Gateway to the Preserve.” It will increase the capacity of our Community Outreach and Education team to provide services that align with our primary function: provide community engagement experiences that interpret the function of and values associated with the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve and the Habitat Conservation Plan.

We currently do this through: BCP neighbor and community-wide outreach, volunteer programs, citizen science and ecological restoration, guided hikes, night sky programs, and open houses. The VC will add capacity for new functions including school field trips, self-guided tours of the VC grounds, public meetings & symposia, and fee-based event rentals. The Operations Manager will lead long-term planning for and direct daily operations of the site and its amenities including stewarding the site’s natural and cultural resources, maintaining facilities and exhibits, maintaining gift shop and vending services, maintaining the facility according to SITES accreditation standards, and managing staff and contracts.

• operating a Visitor Center of comparable scale
• contract scoping and management
• developing standard operating procedures and policies for a Visitor Center
• supervising staff that support facility, site and grounds operations including but not limited to: a centralized reservations system, gift shop operations and sales, developing systems to manage special events, and facility and grounds maintenance contracts
• reporting on metrics and outcomes

The Visitor Center Operations Manager will coordinate with the Natural Resources Division Managers to ensure that the VC site operations are aligned with the biological monitoring, ecological restoration, fuels mitigation, and other land and habitat management activities that are necessary to achieve the mission of the BCP, the Habitat Conservation Plan, and TNR. They will communicate with internal and external partners and stakeholders to look for mutually beneficial program alignment.

This includes but is not limited to County and City divisions, nonprofit organizations, K-12 schools, colleges and universities. This will be a hybrid position with some work required on nights and weekends.

• Performs as project manager, develops, implements, oversees, manages or administers projects, budgets, codes, specifications, policies and procedures for countywide programs, projects and improvements.
• Supervises support staff, evaluates staff job performance, coordinates and prioritizes schedules and assignments, and authorizes staff productive and non-productive work hours. Orients and trains staff.
• Provides environmental expertise and support for development design, construction, improvements, and maintenance. Monitors grant projects for compliance with…