Manager of Waterway Cleanups at Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc – Indianapolis, Indiana

PLEASE NOTE: Resumes without cover letters will not be considered.

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) is an environmental and community nonprofit with a mission to help people and nature thrive. We partner with neighborhoods, local government, universities, community groups, and businesses to achieve our vision of an Indianapolis that is loved, cared for, and ecologically rich. We work with about 18,000 volunteers each year to plant trees and native landscapes, organize litter cleanups, turn vacant lots into pocket parks, restore habitat, and educate and employ youth.

KIB helps people and nature thrive most effectively when we reflect the diversity of perspectives, voices, and abilities found throughout the city. KIB is an equal opportunity employer that encourages applicants – including people of color; people who are LGBTQ; veterans; people who are multilingual or multicultural; and individuals of various ages and abilities – to help us create a team with a broad range of backgrounds and thinking.

Job Title: Manager of Waterway Cleanups

Full-Time/Part-Time: Full-Time

Regular/Temporary: Regular

Reports To: Director of Clean Neighborhoods

Salary: $46,000 - $50,000

Benefits: Health, dental, vision insurance (company pays 90% of employee coverage), company-paid life and long-term disability insurance and 403(b) match up to 3%; generous PTO and holiday schedule

Purpose:

As the Manager of Waterway Cleanups, you will have a direct impact on reducing litter along Indianapolis’ waterways. You will lead outreach and engagement efforts, ensuring that the needs and goals of individuals, neighborhood groups, and KIB’s programmatic priorities are met. This role is central to advancing KIB’s engagement initiatives by working directly with community members, organizations, and partners to address litter issues across Marion County. You will also encourage and collaborate with neighbors on broader environmental concerns that affect quality of life in their communities. This position is part of the Clean Neighborhoods Department and reports to the Director of Clean Neighborhoods.

Duties, Functions, and Responsibilities:

• Identify heavily littered waterways in Marion County by working with partner organizations; develop and implement strategies to address these areas through collaborative cleanup opportunities.
• Plan and lead waterway cleanup events in partnership with organizations such as Friends of the White River and White River Alliance, as well as internal KIB teams.
• Community Engagement
  1. Collaborate with the Community Engagement Department and Keys2Work with outreach efforts to communities along waterways.
  2. Lead Community Engagement efforts by creating, recruiting, scheduling, and meeting consistently with community members to listen to challenges and connect them with KIB resources to further litter abatement goals.
  3. Promote anti-litter and other KIB programs by attending neighborhood meetings, conducting outreach to community groups, engaging project partners, and representing KIB at public events.
  4. Build and maintain relationships with potential community partners, working with the Community Engagement Department to establish mutually beneficial collaborations.
• Respond to high-litter complaints in coordination with the City of Indianapolis Mayor’s Action Center, Mayor’s Neighborhood Advocates, and KIB’s Clean Neighborhoods Department.
• Collaborate with KIB staff and community partners to develop educational resources on the impacts of litter.
• Support partners’ activities along waterways in Marion County by providing cleanup supplies, promoting partner events, and maintaining consistent and open communication.
• Conduct internal scoring of Marion County waterways in partnership with the Senior Manager of the Adopt-a-Block program.
• Maintain accountability for waterway-related cleanups and contribute to additional departmental projects as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned in service to the mission of KIB.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong active listening and communication skills, both verbal and written
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and multicultural issues.
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and highly organized.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet strict deadlines in fast-paced environments.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Teams, Excel, Word, and Outlook).
• Knowledge and familiarity with Indianapolis neighborhoods strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in a language other than English (e.g., Spanish, Haitian Creole, Chin, Tagalog) preferred.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, environmental studies, or a related field
• Experience with Salesforce CRM a plus
• Experience or certification in de-escalation preferred

Requirements:

• Physically able to lift heavy items (up to 50 lbs.) consistently throughout a regular workday
• Comfortable walking, standing for long periods, and working outdoors in all seasons
• Ability to adapt to seasonal workload demands, including evenings and weekends as needed.
• Valid driver’s license with six points or fewer
• Ability or willingness to learn how to:
• Pull a 20-25’ long trailer behind a full-sized pickup truck
• Exhibit KIB’s Cultural Values of Teamwork, Accountability, Excellence, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, Balance, and Joy