Environmental Management Staffer -Chesapeake Research Consortium

Environmental Management Staffer in support of The Chesapeake Bay Program partnership’s Diversity Work Group

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 (CBP) is fueled by science and driven by partnership.

The successful candidate will primarily provide support to the CBP’s Diversity Workgroup.  The workgroup’s primary goal is to meet the diversity outcome in the Chesapeake Watershed Agreement. The outcome reads: identify stakeholder groups that are not currently represented in the leadership, decision-making, and implementation of conservation and restoration activities and create meaningful opportunities and programs to recruit and engage them in the Chesapeake Bay Program’s efforts to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding watershed. The Diversity Workgroup also leads efforts to incorporate diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) into the implementation of other goals and outcomes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.

Environmental Management Staffer Responsibilities

The candidate selected for this position will be intimately involved in the activities of the Diversity Workgroup. In this role, you will support the coordination, implementation, and tracking of workgroup efforts as outlined in the diversity workgroup management strategy and actions in the diversity outcome logic and action plan. This will require frequent interaction and relationship building with workgroup members as well as a larger partner network through email, phone calls, and meetings. You will be responsible for the organization and support of workgroup and other related meetings and conference calls. You will also be responsible for the drafting of policy, strategy, and project documents as well as compilation and creation of DEIJ-related tools and resources for use by the CBP partnership. Through this work, you will work closely with the Diversity Workgroup co-chairs, coordinator, Steering Committee members, workgroup members and others to draft and create policy pieces and tools/products in a collaborative manner. On occasion, you will be expected to do some travel offsite during or after normal business hours to support workgroup and partner activities. You may also engage in work to raise awareness about DEIJ topics, e.g. through the organization of an office book club or movie discussion that centers around the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The experiences, skills and network gained from the three-year appointment will be valuable to someone seeking further education and/or career development in the environmental policy and scientific field with a focus on DEIJ and enviromental justice.  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

• Assist with coordination, implementation, and tracking of actions in the diversity outcome logic and action plan.
• Participate in CBP’s biennial review process to assess progress and adaptively manage efforts to meet the diversity outcome.
• Draft and update policy, strategy, project, and other documents in collaboration with leadership and partners.
• Compile, create, and/or share DEIJ-related resources/tools in collaboration with leadership and partners.
• Provide updates and maintain communication with diversity workgroup members and stakeholders via email newsletter, phone calls, and meetings; identify potential partners and organizations and develop networks and relationships, e.g. by attending conferences, career fairs, and other events that target underrepresented communities.
• 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 and calendar items on the diversity workgroup webpage.
• Raise awareness about DEIJ topics within the work of other workgroups and teams of the CBP partnership.

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.

• Bachelor’s Degree with a focus on diversity and inclusion, sociology, communication and outreach, community engagement, public health, environmental justice, environmental management or policy, or related area of study.
• Understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice and ability to communicate related issues.
• Experience with or understanding of diverse communities and community organizations, particularly those with a focus on the environment.
• Experience with or passion for promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and environmental justice in the environmental field.
• 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.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to prioritize tasks under tight timelines in a fast-paced environment.
• 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: August 9, 2020

Additional information about the CRC 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 building a diverse team and strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. 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.