Management and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed requires a diverse group of passionate individuals. The Chesapeake Research Consortium (CRC) seeks such an individual for an new Staffer position within its Environmental Management Career Development Program. As a staffer in the Environmental Management Career Development Program, you will provide staff support to the Chesapeake Bay Program. The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) brings together leaders from state, federal and local government, as well as academia and the watershed’s many communities, to collaborate on creating the best strategies and tools for cleaning up the Bay and the rivers and streams that flow into it and engaging with diverse communities to restore habitat health for living resources and promote stewardship for an environmentally and economically sustainable Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Program is fueled by science and driven by partnership.

The successful candidate will provide support to the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Scientific, Technical Assessment, and Reporting (STAR) Team’s Climate Resiliency Workgroup. Changing precipitation, temperatures, and sea level conditions are altering the Bay ecosystem and land use, requiring adjustment to policies, programs, and projects to successfully achieve restoration and protection goals for the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. This challenge requires careful monitoring and assessment of these impacts and application of this knowledge to policies, programs, and projects. The Climate Resiliency Workgroup (CRWG) coordinates science efforts to increase climate resiliency – the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to changing conditions and to withstand, respond to, and recover rapidly from disruptions – for the Chesapeake Bay Program as outlined in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. This includes supporting climate monitoring and assessment to track changes in sea level, precipitation, water temperature, and the resulting ecosystem response and pursuing, designing, and implementing climate adaptation activities that enhance resilience of the Chesapeake Bay.

The position is currently funded through May 31, 2023 and may be extended pending the availability of additional funding. The duration of the position will not exceed three years. The selected candidate will work as a CRC employee at the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office located in Annapolis, Maryland.

Environmental Management Staffer Role

The candidate selected for this position will be involved in core leadership team activities associated with the CRWG and will gain experience working with natural resource managers and scientists from agencies and institutions around the Chesapeake Bay region. As the CRWG Staffer you would support monthly workgroup meetings focused on achieving workplan actions and improved coordination of climate change-related requests across the various CBP Goal Implementation Teams (GITs) and workgroups, including, but not limited to, fisheries, habitat, water quality, and local engagement teams. The CRWG leadership envisions that you would assist with the organization and documentation of monthly workgroup meetings, coordination of the GIT-funding and workshop ideas for climate change-related projects, and tasks associated with cross-GIT/workgroup activities such as assessing climate vulnerabilities, climate adaptation strategies, and climate resilience benefits of natural infrastructure (e.g., forest buffers, wetlands, living shorelines, oyster restoration). As the CRWG Staffer, you would also help the CRWG make more substantial progress in updating climate change indicators, exploring collaborative opportunities to promote the use of climate science in existing decision support tools, and coordinating with the CBP communications and local engagement team to facilitate and connect climate change science with local stakeholder needs. Additionally, you will be engaged in the Chesapeake Bay Program’s innovative Strategy Review System process, which tracks progress towards the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership’s restoration goals by learning from past actions.

Summary of Responsibilities

The following provides some specific responsibilities that are likely to be assigned to the person accepting this position. This list is not exhaustive, and not all activities are concurrent.

  • Provide meeting support by developing meeting agendas, setting up remote technologies such as video conferencing (training provided), drafting meeting minutes, coordinating and communicating with group members, and tracking and following-up on action items.
  • Provide cross-GIT/workgroup support on collaborative climate-related activities.
  • Participate on project teams to perform analysis, research, consolidate data, write reports, and/or present results.
  • Participate in the Strategy Review System process for the Climate Monitoring and Assessment and Climate Adaptation outcomes, including the review and development of management materials, action plans, presentations and associated materials.
  • Solicit, track, and consolidate feedback on documents or topics as necessary from workgroup members and experts.
  • Assist with grant funding processes and management responsibilities and project oversite.
  • Manage and update content, contacts, and calendar items on workgroup webpages (content management system training provided). Maintain internal workgroup email distribution lists.

 Desired Skills and Interests

The ideal candidate for the position would have the following background and interests however if you meet more than 75% of the qualifications of this description, we encourage you to submit an application.

  • A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in natural/environmental resources science and/or management, climate science and/or policy, or a related area of study.
  • Technical knowledge and skills such as aptitude with Geographic Information Systems  and/or statistical analysis. Proficiency in writing scripts in R or similar statistical software a plus.
  • The ability to research, organize, synthesize, develop visualizations and present complex information.
  • Provide support by independently planning meetings, developing agendas, drafting concise meeting minutes, and tracking action items.
  • Familiarity with using remote meeting technologies such as video conferencing (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, etc.).
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is required.
  • Experience with or interest in collaborating with a range of partners and stakeholders as part of interdisciplinary teams representing a variety of interests, in an environment meant to build consensus.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to prioritize tasks under tight timelines in a fast-paced environment.
  • Self-motivated and a team-player.
  • Interest in learning how a multi-stakeholder, regional governmental-environmental-management partnership sets and achieves goals through collaboration, adaptive management, and science based decision making.
  • A willingness to explore career options and interest in engaging in professional development activities.

Salary and Benefits

The annual salary is $43,331 and a competitive vacation and benefits package is included for the three-year position. In addition to the experience gained through your work assignments, CRC can support your attendance at professional conferences, workshops, and trainings related to your position, identified future career interests and individual professional development plan.

Application Instructions

Applications (a detailed cover letter, resume, list of at least three references, transcript [unofficial accepted] and a short writing sample) should be sent electronically to Melissa Fagan, Environmental Management Career Development Program Coordinator, at faganm@chesapeake.org. Please include information concerning education and professional background as well as immediate and long-term career goals as part of your cover letter.