Organization & Program Overview
The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is a volunteer-powered nonprofit dedicated to caring for public lands and trails and helping people responsibly enjoy the outdoors. The Trail Conference is also the lead coordinating organization for the Lower Hudson Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (https://lhprism.org), a coalition of 60+ organizations working to manage invasive species across the region.
The Trail Conference’s Conservation Dogs Program (CDP) leverages the detection abilities of dogs to support early detection and rapid response to invasive species and to protect sensitive native species.
Since 2019, our dogs have learned to detect eight invasive species including six plants, spotted lanternfly, and the fungus behind oak wilt, working closely with our invasive species management teams to support habitat protection initiatives. The CDP also conducts surveys of sensitive native species such as New England cottontail, wood turtles, eastern box turtles, and bog turtle nests to help advance positive conservation outcomes.
Position Summary
The CDP Associate trains, deploys, and cares for the Trail Conference's detection dogs, searching for priority invasive species. The team trains dogs to detect several new invasive species each year. Invasive species-focused fieldwork takes place across the Lower Hudson Valley and throughout New York State, in partnership with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and other regional PRISMs. Additionally, our team trains and deploys dogs to detect high-priority native species with special conservation status. Native species surveys typically take place in the Lower Hudson Valley and northern NJ, but the CDP is also newly partnered with ARC (Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy) in North Carolina to pilot a bog turtle nest detection project.
The CDP Associate also coordinates the Volunteer Dog Surveyor Program which includes administering the training curriculum, tracking volunteer hours, hosting events, and serving as the main point of contact for volunteers, and shares the program's methods and successes through public outreach and communications. This one-of-a-kinds program trains dogs and their owners to sniff out and report invasive plant species like Siebold's viburnum along trails and has grown to include dozens of activeteams contributing over 1,000 volunteer hours to protect regional forest health.
We're looking for someone who brings positivity, creativity, and clear communication skills to the position. The ideal candidate genuinely enjoys working with people as much as dogs. This is a hands-on,variable-schedule role: flexibility is essential, as duties shift seasonally between fieldwork, office work, and community events. The position also requires intermittent travel throughout New York State and occasionally to out-of-state sites, including overnight trips, to conduct fieldwork and outreach with the dogs. Candidates should be comfortable handling and working with dogs other than their own.
Duties and Responsibilities
Detection Dog Training & Fieldwork
- Conduct scheduled fieldwork with program detection dogs to survey for invasive and at-risk native species
- Help train dogs to detect several new invasive species each year, under direction of the CDP Coordinator
- Comply with welfare and performance protocols, including periodic field-readiness testing
- Provide daily care for assigned detection dog(s): nutrition, exercise, enrichment, and general husbandry
- Travel intermittently across NYS and occasionally to out-of-state project sites, including overnight trips, for fieldwork and outreach with the dogs Volunteer Dog Surveyor Program
- Administer the Volunteer Dog Surveyor Program curriculum, training volunteers and their dogs in detection techniques
- Track volunteer hours and participation, and report on program outcomes
- Plan, schedule, and lead volunteer trainings, workdays, and program events
- Serve as the primary point of contact for volunteers, communicating clearly and consistently to keep them engaged and informed
Outreach & Communications
- Organize and lead public outreach events, demonstrations, and education programs for schools, professionals, donors, and the public
- Work with the Stewardship Communications Coordinator to share CDP updates and successes via web, print, and social media
- Help nurture partnerships with nonprofit, municipal, state, and federal agencies on collaborative research, survey, and management projects
Administrative & Program Support
- Collect and enter training, performance, and ecological data per CDP protocols
- Assist the CDP Coordinator in compiling data and reports for funders and partners
- Support grant research and applications, and assist Development team fundraising efforts
Requirements and Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in biology, wildlife science, forestry, natural resources, or a related field required
- At least one year of experience training dogs for high-level sport competition or working withdogs professionally. 2 - 3 years of experience preferred. Experience with detection dogs preferred.
- Comfortable handling and working with multiple dogs, not just personal pet(s); Ability to house minimum of two working dogs required. Openness to guardianship of a Trail Conference provided dog is strongly encouraged.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, with confidence engaging the public and volunteers
- Flexible and adaptable — able to work a variable schedule across field, office, and event settings
- Understanding of dog behavior, scent theory, and animal husbandry/welfare
- Must be able to walk 3–8 miles per day in varied weather and terrain. Position frequently requires personnel to bend, stoop, crouch, crawl, or kneel and carry weights up to 50 lbs.
- Fluency with social media applications
- Patient, organized, and a creative problem solver
- Willing and able to travel throughout NYS, including overnight trips, required. Additional travel as needed.
- Valid driver's license and reliable access to a personal vehicle for work travel (expenses reimbursed at IRS mileage rate)
- Experience creating and executing a training progression plan preferred
- Experience with ArcPro and the ESRI suite preferred
- Experience leading volunteer groups, creating educational content, or presenting to groups preferred
- Familiarity with northeastern flora, fauna, and regional invasive species preferred
- Experience contributing to grant and funding applications preferred
Supervision and Work Environment
Based in Mahwah, New Jersey, the CDP Associate reports directly to the CDP Coordinator and regularly coordinates with the Ecological Stewardship Program Manager, the Stewardship Communications Coordinator, and the Director of Land Stewardship.
Weekly work at Trail Conference headquarters is preferred, but hybrid arrangements may be available depending on role needs, consistent with the organization's Hybrid Work Policy and at the discretion of management.
Applications: To apply, email a professional resume, a cover letter addressing your interest and qualifications, and contact information for three references to [email protected] (start file names with your last name). Subject line: “Conservation Dogs Program Associate: Your Last Name.” All materials are kept confidential.
This position is open until filled; interviews begin immediately. No calls, please.
Employment Opportunities
The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry, age, sex/gender (including pregnancy), affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, civil union status, domestic partnership status, familial status, religion, disability, or veteran status. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.
Pay: $43,000.00 - $48,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 403(b)
- 403(b) matching
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Mahwah, NJ 07430
