Management and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed requires a diverse group of passionate individuals and the Chesapeake Research Consortium (CRC) seeks such an individual for a three-year appointment to 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 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. The Chesapeake Bay Program is fueled by science and driven by partnership.

The successful candidate will provide support to the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Enhance Partnering, Leadership and Management Goal Implementation Team (GIT). The GIT seeks to continually improve the leadership and management of the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership and assist Bay stakeholders in building their capacity to become environmental leaders in their communities. The work of the GIT  provides an innovative strategic framework necessary for Chesapeake Bay Program partners to track progress toward the goals and outcomes of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The GIT guides the partnership’s activities on governance and accountability; ensuring that adaptive management practices are in place and implemented; engaging, developing, and supporting local leaders; and advancing the efficient and transparent use of financial resources.

Environmental Management Staffer Responsibilities

The candidate selected for this position will be involved in core GIT management activities and will be responsible for organization and support of meetings, member coordination and communication, tracking progress towards identified goals and outcomes, helping to revise management strategies and workplans for which the GIT is responsible, research and synthesis activities, and additional special projects as assigned. The candidate will also support the GIT’s overall involvement in managing the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Strategy Review System and Goal Team Funding Program with the Chesapeake Bay Trust. Activities include helping to track progress toward achieving Chesapeake Bay restoration goals and outcomes, coordinating partnership reviews, serving as a point of contact for goal and outcome leads, and working with team members to implement new and/or changing components of the process. The selected candidate will work as a CRC employee at the U.S. EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office located in Annapolis, Maryland.

Summary of Responsibilities

  • Provide meeting support by developing meeting agendas, setting up remote technologies such as video conferencing (training provided), drafting concise meeting minutes, and tracking and following-up on action items.
  • Manage and update content on ChesapeakeDecisions (chesapeakebay.net/decisions), an online tool used to support the Strategy Review System (SRS) process.
  • Manage and update content, materials, and calendar items on GIT and workgroup webpages.
  • Solicit, track, and consolidate feedback on documents or topics as necessary from GIT and workgroup members and experts.
  • Participate as needed to consolidate data, perform analysis, draft/edit materials, present at meetings, and other tasks as assigned.
  • Occasionally provide support to meetings and workflows related to the partnership’s Executive Council, Principals’ Staff Committee and Management Board.

Desired Skills and Qualifications

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 degree in environmental management, political science, public policy, business or related topics is preferred but science degrees are also acceptable for those applicants that have an interest in management and policy.
  • Familiarity with or interest in one or more of the following areas: adaptive management, leadership programs (at all levels of government), budget and finance, and evaluation.
  • Ability to perform background research, analysis, and synthesis on policy and science related topics.
  • 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.) a plus.
  • Ability to collaborate 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 and the ability to communicate with partners at all levels of program activities with diplomacy.
  • 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 $42,481 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.

Application Due Date: April 18, 2021

Additional information about the Chesapeake Research Consortium and its Environmental Career Development Program is available at www.chesapeake.org. Additional information about the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership is available at www.chesapeakebay.net.

Chesapeake Research Consortium is committed to a diverse workforce. CRC provides equal employment opportunities and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, veteran status or national origin. CRC maintains a drug-free workplace. All Environmental Management Staffers are required to successfully complete a federal background check upon hire.