Steward and Beach Operations Lead

Who We Are: 

Founded in 1891 by a group of visionary volunteers, The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) is Massachusetts’ premier conservation and preservation organization. The Trustees’ preserves, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts. Our properties are open to all, and we thrive by involving as many people as possible in all that we do. We aim to protect special places for future generations to enjoy in perpetuity, and have helped protect more than 50,000 acres, including 27,000+ acres on more than 120 reservations that are open to the public. As a non-profit conservation organization, we are funded and supported entirely by our visitors, supporters, volunteers, and our 100,000 Member households. We encourage you to learn more about The Trustees on our website, www.thetrustees.org. 

Posting Information: 

Salary/Hourly Rate: $25 

Housing: Available, if needed 

Hours per week: 40 

Job Classification: Full-Time, non-exempt 

Job Type: Onsite 

Location: Long Point Wildlife Refuge, Long Point Cottage, Menemsha Hills, The Farm Institute, Martha’s Vineyard, MA 

What You’ll Do: 

Your Impact: 

As the Beach Operations Lead and Steward, you will work to protect and elevate the special properties spread across Up-Island Martha’s Vineyard.  

The Role: 

As the Beach Operations Lead and Steward, you will lead the daily operations at Long Point Wildlife Refuge beach operations assisting over 250 beach visitors daily during the months of June through September. You will hire and manage a seasonal team, including seasonal gatehouse staff, rangers, and retail/ kayak rental staff at Long Point. You and the Long Point team will assist the Ecology Team in implementing The Trustees shorebird protection and ecological restoration programs.  

In addition to Long Point, as the Up-Island Steward, you are responsible for year-round stewardship of all up-island Trustees’ properties including Long Point Wildlife Refuge, Long Point Beach Cottage, Menemsha Hills Reservation, and the Brickyard. You may also assist the Stewardship team in larger stewardship projects at all The Trustees properties on Martha’s Vineyard. These diverse properties include barrier beaches, old-growth forest, and globally rare coastal grasslands habitats, farmland fields and livestock, maintenance and storage outbuildings, and the Brickyard, an industrial archaeological site adjacent to Menemsha Hills. 

Specifically, you’ll: 

Beach Operations  

• Manage and oversee the Long Point Wildlife Refuge beach visitor reservation system. Ensure visitor satisfaction and compliance with reservations and visitation.   

• Generate nearly $200,000 in annual revenue with reservation receipts, kayak rentals, retail merchandise, and Long Point Beach cottage rentals.   

• Maintain excellent records on visitor attendance.  

• Supervise and manage the entire kayak rental operation including supervising staff, equipment safety and repair, and visitor safety.   

• Support the education team to implement engagement strategies and programs intended to communicate to beach visitors what is at stake at Long Point, and the coast more generally, as sea level rises.  

• Implement strategies to increase summer visitation annually.  

• Ensure proper daily opening and closing of beach at Long Point.  

• Lead the hiring, supervise, and manage all Long Point seasonal positions.  

• Oversee staffing at Long Point admission gate and patrol rangers. Develop and maintain staff schedules for seasonal staff.  

• Oversee emergency protocols during the beach season including sharks, jellyfish, rip tides, and other medical emergencies in a highly remote location coordinating with Town emergency and law enforcement as needed   

• Monitor and coach staff routinely on their performance to ensure positive visitor interactions, correcting behaviors as necessary.  

• Oversee financial records and procedures, employee records, and payroll for beach employees.   

• Ensure careful traffic flow onto the property on Long Point, single lane historic and scenic dirt roads. Ensure that parking patterns are efficiently managed.  

• Reconcile beach admission receipts and prepare deposits at Long Point.  

• Commanding knowledge of the point-of-sale system and related procedures.  

• Ensure that beach facilities and infrastructure are safe and well maintained. Coordinate maintenance and cleaning.  

• Establish open communication and collaboration with local respon