Position Announcement: Maryland Forest Projects Coordinator

About the Alliance:

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay (Alliance) is a regional nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring together individuals, organizations, businesses, and governments to find collaborative solutions, to build a strong commitment to stewardship, and to deliver innovative, broadly-supported programs that benefit the land, waters and residents of the Chesapeake Bay. The Alliance implements local programs that connect people to their local river and becomes directly involved in local restoration efforts. The Alliance was founded in 1971 and has offices in Annapolis, MD, Lancaster, PA, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, VA.

Job Description:

This position will work on the Alliance’s Forest Team under supervision of the Forests Program Director on a wide range of urban forestry, tree planting and education/outreach initiatives. The successful candidate should have strong organizational skills, a basic understanding of water quality and land use issues affecting the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and excellent written and oral communication skills. The ability to form strong relationships and work with a variety of partners and audiences is essential. The Maryland Forests Projects Coordinator will lead and expand the Maryland Tree Stewards, a community based urban tree planting program, and provide support to other Forest outreach initiatives This position will interact often with government agencies, community organizations, volunteers, NGO’s, natural resources contractors and other organizations. This position will require some field work related to implementing tree planting and tree care projects with volunteers. Candidates with knowledge and field experience implementing urban tree planting projects and tree care will, therefore, be prioritized.

The successful candidate will show creativity in generating new ideas and problem-solving, as well as project management, leadership, and facilitation skills. The demonstrated ability to facilitate the engagement of a diversity of partners and generate consensus on goals and project ideas is a plus. While the successful candidate will immediately be stepping into existing programs, we are seeking an applicant who can develop creative, innovative solutions and programs.

Specific Duties of the Position:

  • Coordinate the Maryland Tree Stewards program, including trainings, planting projects, program website and outreach materials
  • Lead tree canopy planning and expansion initiative in southern Maryland
  • Support coordination of Forests for the Bay program, including education and outreach and website tools, newsletter and program resources
  • Assist with preparation, planting, maintenance, and monitoring of tree planting project sites
  • Build and manage relationships with landowners, natural resources contractors, consultants, federal and state agencies, NGO partners
  • Assist with securing project funding through state, federal, and other grants for Forest related projects
  • Gather and synthesize data and information as needed to build new initiatives and projects, ensure successful results, and communicate outcomes of work
  • Edit and assist in writing grant proposals, newsletter articles, and project reports
  • Manage office administrative tasks and other tasks as assigned
  • Develop and deliver presentations and workshops to the general public

Minimum Qualifications & Experience:

  • Bachelor’s degree in urban forestry, natural resources management, biology, environmental science or a relevant field and ideally two years of work experience in the environmental sector (An advanced degree in a relevant field may substitute for one year of professional experience)
  • Proficiency in arboriculture and tree identification
  • Experience in tree planting and tree care in urban and suburban environments and understanding of urban tree stresses and challenges
  • Experience conducting outreach in support of reforestation or urban tree planting projects
  • Experience working with a variety of environmental stakeholders in the professional setting, including (but not limited to): volunteers, government agencies, elected officials, businesses, private landowners, academic institutions, community organizations, local and regional watershed or conservation groups
  • Ability to work independently on multiple projects with minimal supervision as well as part of a team
  • Effective technical writing skills and strong communication skills
  • Ability to learn and adapt quickly, be well organized, possess strong attention to detail, and have excellent time management skills
  • Commitment to the overall goals of the Alliance for improvement of local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay
  • Understanding of basic invoicing and project budgeting

Additional Desirable Expertise, Interests, and Skills:

  • Knowledge base of: Maryland local government structure; municipal environmental obligations stemming from both the state and Chesapeake Bay Program goals and objectives; Chesapeake Bay issues and their relation to MD land use and local waterways
  • Software proficiency desired: Google Drive Suite, basic Microsoft Office; ArcMap 10.1 or higher
  • Understanding of Mid Atlantic ecosystems, flora, and fauna
  • Experience writing newsletters, press releases, articles, or other outreach materials
  • Grant writing and management

The Alliance aspires to be an inclusive multicultural organization that celebrates the rich dimensions of diversity such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious and political beliefs. We are committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion remain integral to our organizational structure, policies, board of directors, staff, strategic goals, grants, partnerships and program delivery. The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay offers a family friendly, flexible work environment. We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. If you meet more than 75% of the qualifications of this description, we encourage you to apply.

Supervision: The Maryland Forests Projects Coordinator will report directly to the Forests Program Director.

Hours and Location: The Maryland Forests Projects Coordinator will be based at the Alliance’s Annapolis, MD office with some ability to work from home. Some night and weekend work may be required. Travel throughout Maryland is expected The position advertised is full-time (40 hours per week). Please note that Alliance facilities are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this position will work remotely until further notice.

Salary: $45,000+, commensurate with experience. Competitive benefits are available.

Application: Please email your cover letter, résumé, and list of 3 professional references to forests@allianceforthebay.org no later than Friday, December 11th, 2020. Indicate “Maryland Forests Projects Coordinator” in the email subject line. No telephone inquiries, please.

The Alliance is an Equal Opportunity Employer.