Community Space Manager

About Five Valleys Land Trust

Five Valleys Land Trust works to protect the western Montana landscapes that shape our lives—clean rivers, working ranchlands, wildlife habitat, and the open spaces people return to again and again. Based in Missoula, we’ve been a trusted local partner in conservation for more than 50 years.

We work alongside private landowners, communities, and partners across the Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Upper Clark Fork, Missoula/Lower Clark Fork, and Mission–Jocko valleys to protect land in ways that respect both people and place. Through more than 200 conservation easements, we’ve helped safeguard over 83,000 acres of private land, ensuring working lands stay productive, wildlife has room to move, and water stays clean.

Five Valleys also owns and manages more than 3,000 acres of land open to the public, including well-loved places like the Rock Creek Confluence near Clinton and Lincoln Community River Park. Our work extends to community-driven projects such as the Mount Dean Stone Community Forest in Missoula, where conservation, access, and long-term stewardship come together.

At our core, Five Valleys is a community institution—rooted in place, grounded in expertise, and committed to protecting land in perpetuity as western Montana continues to grow and change.

Community open spaces are how Five Valleys shows up for people—right where they live, recreate, and connect with the land. The Community Open Space Manager helps ensure that the lands Five Valleys owns and cares for, as well as partner lands, are welcoming, well-managed, and resilient, supporting both healthy ecosystems and meaningful public experiences.

The primary responsibilities of the Community Open Space Manager are to manage and implement day-to-day operations for Five Valleys-owned lands, as well as the Community Open Space Program at Five Valleys, and to advance Five Valleys Strategic Plan goals including:
1) invest in partnerships and build support to manage sustainable use of open-space lands,
2) improve the quality of existing open-space for ecological outcomes and human benefit, and
3) help people connect to the land to expand public support for community open space. This work primarily revolves around land and public access management on community open spaces owned by Five Valleys, public access management where it is guaranteed through Five Valleys-held conservation easements, and management of the Front Country Stewardship Program to improve user experiences and management outcomes across the Missoula front country.

The Community Open Space Manager is a core member of the Five Valleys’ conservation program team and also works closely with Five Valleys’ lands, stewardship, outreach, and communications staff to support coordinated, effective management of community open spaces. The Land Manager's work will be guided by Five Valleys’ Strategic Business Plan, policies and procedures, mission, and core values of excellence, integrity, cooperation, and patience.

The major responsibilities associated with the Community Open Space Manager position are listed below. The time allocation provided is approximate. The Associate Director, in consultation with the Community Open Space Manager, will determine allocations during annual work planning.

The Community Open Space Program focuses on the day-to-day leadership and coordination required to care for Five Valleys-owned lands and support safe, welcoming public access.

• Manage the implementation of the fee lands and Community Open Space Program at Five Valleys by collaborating on the budget and managing staff, contractors, and volunteers to advance organizational and program goals.
• With support from the Associate Director, develop and manage the Front Country Stewardship Program, working across jurisdictions with front-country recreation partners to advance shared land and public access management goals.
• Participate in programmatic funding proposals including identifying sources, grant writing and partner development.
• Directly manage, support, and evaluate Community Open Space Program staff;…