We’re hiring: Trail Ranger Program Manager

Do you excel at managing people, events and logistics? Do you love being outdoors, riding bikes, and connecting with people? The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) is looking for a passionate and energetic trail champion with a wide range of skills and experiences to join our Trail Ranger Team as a Trail Ranger Program Manager. 

This position is expected to begin in late April 2026 and is a full-time salaried non-exempt role. The salary for this position will be in the range of $60,000 – $65,000. A standard work week for this position will be Monday through Thursday, with two days each week spent outside biking and working on trails, one day spent in office, and one day spent at home. Periodic weekend work (1-2 times per month) availability may be required for external events and programs.

Job responsibilities

• Manage the DC Trail Ranger Program
  • Supervise up to three DC Trail Rangers
    • Schedule weekly one-on-one check ins with direct reports
    • Set weekly, monthly and annual goals with direct reports and hold direct reports accountable to deadlines
    • Ensure timely and accurate completion of time cards
    • Assist Trail Rangers with identifying and applying for professional development opportunities
  • Serve as manager-on-call every other week
    • Facilitate weekly Trail Ranger team meeting on weeks when on-call
  • In conjunction with the Trail Ranger Director, make decisions regarding hazardous weather and when to shorten or cancel trail shifts
  • In conjunction with the Trail Ranger Director and co-Trail Ranger Program Manager lead hiring processes for open Trail Ranger positions
  • Plan three team inservice days throughout the year in collaboration with Trail Ranger Director
• Manage day-to-day operations of the DC Trail Ranger Program
  • Create and maintain weekly Trail Ranger schedule
  • Coordinate and communicate weekly trail maintenance priorities to Trail Ranger team
  • Manage bike fleet and tool maintenance to ensure prompt repair and replacement of key shift equipment
  • Coordinate tool and supply ordering in collaboration with Trail Ranger Director
• Manage day to day outreach responsibilities of the DC Trail Ranger program
  • In collaboration with Trail Ranger Director, create annual month by month outreach event schedule
    • Plan and implement monthly Trail Ranger outreach events in accordance with Trail Ranger program calendar
    • Coordinate monthly trail clean up events
    • Plan and implement monthly pop up tabling schedule across program trails
      • Including indoor locations near trails in winter months
    • Plan and implement monthly trail etiquette sign installation and removal
  • Manage Trail Ranger program instagram account
  • Attend community events and build and maintain relationships with aligned partner organizations
• Spend 50% of time (two days a week) out on the trails and at community events
  • Support regular early morning Trail Ranger shifts (6:30am – 2:30pm)
  • Attend monthly weekend program events

Core Skills & Experience

• One to three years experience in operations management, including shift scheduling, stock management, invoicing, database tracking (could include: food and retail service, small business management, maintenance operations, and more)
• One or more years of staff management experience, including mentoring, developing, and evaluating employees.
• Two to four years of combined experience in events, outreach and program management, preferably including working with communities near DC Trail Ranger program trails.
• Enthusiastic, sincere interpersonal and communications skills, both informal and written, including active listening and learning. 
• The ability to organize time wisely and balance many projects in a relaxed, fun environment.
• A flexible schedule and willingness to routinely work some outside of traditional business hours (specifically mornings before 9 AM and weekends).
• A proven track record for being dependable, timely, and communicative.
• Proven track record for working collaboratively within a team
• A commitment to respect, include, and be kind to all.
• Creative problem-solving skills and capacity to innovate.
• An understanding of how race, gender, and other factors shape conversations and experiences, and how climate and transportation justice are connected to a trails program. 
• The willingness to continually learn more about trails, neighborhood history and the many different cultural competencies necessary for working in the DC region.
• A strong commitment to WABA’s mission, vision, and diversity, inclusion and equity goals.

Useful Skills & Experience

• Lived experience with our program trails, and the nearby neighbors and neighborhoods, especially near the Marvin Gaye and Oxon Run trails.
• Street smarts. By which we mean knowledge to make nuanced decisions and support field staff as is necessary in a field program including recognizing hate language in graffiti, what might be at play in perceived threats to trail users and/or which options are safest for engaging angry members of the public. 
• Working fluency in Spanish, ASL and/or Amharic.
• Experience with a field-based operations team, especially on bicycles. 
• Experience with Google Suite (Gmail, Chat, Drive, Sheets, Docs) and Salesforce.
• Working knowledge of bicycle maintenance, up to including flat repair, shifting adjustments, hydraulic brake maintenance, and regular maintenance tasks needed for a bike fleet (complicated maintenance will be performed by a local bicycle shop). 
• Trained or informal experience with mid-Atlantic ecology, and invasive and native plant identification. 
• Experience with paved multi-use trail or park maintenance operations. 
• Experience with urban watershed restoration and management. 
• Previous experience as a DC Trail Ranger. 

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS 

This is a full-time, non-exempt position with a projected salary of between $60,000 – $65,000. Other benefits include:

• 32 hour standard work week
• Vacation, sick and personal leave, including:
  • Accrue up to 120 hours of paid vacation starting in your first year, with additional hours after two, five, and ten years of service.
  • Accrue up to 96 hours annually of paid sick time starting in your first year (up to a cap of 160 hours).
  • WABA supports and promotes the health of its staff. You may use accrued sick time for unscheduled leave when not feeling well (mind or body), as well as for scheduled medical appointments.
• Paid time off for holidays generally following the federal holiday calendar. 
• Access to professional development opportunities
• Four (4) weeks paid parental leave and up to twelve (12) weeks of additional parental leave from the DC Paid Family Leave Act (based on eligibility)
• Immediate access to WABA’s 403(b) retirement program (with up to a 5% employer match after one-year of service.)
• A 1-month, paid sabbatical after 7 years of service
• Optional voluntary benefits include life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability.
• Optional commuter transit benefit (pre tax deduction).

HOW TO APPLY 

Email your cover letter and resume to jobs[at]waba[dot]org with “DC Trail Ranger Program Manager” as the subject line. Applications are due by March 12, 2026  and we expect the positions to start in late April 2026. 

Please make sure your application illustrates how you meet the qualifications for the job and what additional skills you would bring to the team. Here are some helpful resources as you prepare your job application materials: compilation of resources and resume basics. Applications that do not include a cover letter will be considered incomplete. 

No phone calls please.

WABA is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, arrest record or criminal convictions, political affiliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability, sex, or age.

About the DC Trail Ranger Program

WABA’s DC Trail Ranger Program aims to make the District’s trails welcoming and inclusive to all residents, frequently used, and in a state of good repair. The program encourages trail use through daily trail presence, community engagement, trail maintenance, and trail user assistance.  Trail Rangers cover paved multi-use trails within the District, including the Oxon Run Trail, Metropolitan Branch Trail, Anacostia River Trail, Marvin Gaye Trail, and connecting street routes. Trail Rangers act as trail ambassadors, offering a consistent and friendly presence to make the trails more enjoyable, inclusive and dependable for transportation and recreation. 

Starting in January 2022, the Trail Ranger Program began year round staffing and operations (the program was seasonal for the previous nine years). Year round operation enables WABA to have a professional trail team with ongoing training and skill development.

You can learn more about the Trail Ranger Program here.

TEAM

The WABA DC Trail Ranger Team currently includes: four DC Trail Ranger field staff, two DC Trail Ranger Program Managers, and one DC Trail Ranger Director. Day-to-day management of the program is done by the Program Managers, with overall strategy and regional coordination by the Director. Team culture heavily values collaboration and mutual respect, with weekly all-staff team meetings and many decisions made or led by field staff. Individual Trail Rangers report directly to one of the Program Managers.

ABOUT WABA

Mission & Vision

WABA empowers people to ride bikes, build connections, and transform places. We envision a just and sustainable transportation system where walking, biking, and transit are the best ways to get around.

Values

To make our vision a reality, we ground our work in five key values:

Joy: We celebrate people and share the joy of bicycling.

Boldness: We think big and transform passion into action.

Integrity: We earn trust through consistency, honesty, and transparency.

Justice: We put justice at the heart of our work.

Stewardship: We care for people and the environment, conserve resources, and evolve thoughtfully.
Learn more about WABA here.