The Chesapeake Research Consortium (CRC) is seeking an individual for a three-year Environmental Management Staffer position within its Environmental Management Career Development Program. All CRC Staffers in the Environmental Management Career Development Program support the work of 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 Environmental Management Staffer in this position will support the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Healthy Watersheds Goal Implementation Team (HWGIT). The HWGIT works to keep local watersheds healthy across a range of landscapes, bringing attention to the challenge of protecting streams and watersheds that are healthy today and restoring waters if they become degraded. The HWGIT serves as a forum for shared learning and collaboration among Chesapeake Bay Program partners to promote the identification, assessment, vulnerability evaluation, and protection of waters and watersheds that have high ecological value throughout the greater Chesapeake Bay watershed. This Staffer position will also provide support to the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Forestry Workgroup and Federal Facilities Workgroup, both of which focus on water quality improvements in these respective areas.

Environmental Management Staffer Role and Opportunities
As the Environmental Management Staffer in this position, you will work closely with the Healthy Watersheds GIT and workgroup chairs, and coordinators and will assist them with the coordination, communication, and tracking of collaborative team actions. The activities of all CRC Environmental Management Staffers generally fall into three categories: coordination and administrative support, projects and substantive assignments employing scientific and technical skills, and professional development. As Staffer for the HWGIT and designated workgroups, you will work with the team to plan meetings and other important interactions, prepare briefing materials, track deliverables, and support member needs. The HWGIT Staffer assists the HWGIT or workgroup chairs and coordinators in translating and implementing Bay Program policies and priorities such as diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice; social science; and climate change to the workgroups. Additionally, you will help oversee and implement the Chesapeake Bay Program’s innovative Strategy Review System (SRS) process for the Healthy Watersheds and Forestry outcomes.  The SRS process tracks progress towards the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership’s restoration goals by learning from past actions. While these vital coordination and administrative support functions can comprise a large portion of each Staffers experience (40-60%), they are balanced with consistent access to more substantive work such as synthesis of policy pieces and decision support documents, development of and reporting on key watershed health indicators, development of a framework for characterizing watershed health and vulnerability information, Geographic Information System spatial analysis, and application and Storymap development. As part of the Environmental Management Career Development Program, you will also spend time on activities to support your own professional growth and development by engaging in activities such as attending training sessions, participating in workshops and conferences, taking a course to develop and enhance a particular skill, volunteering, and more.

As an Environmental Management Staffer in this program, you would have a unique opportunity to develop up to 3-years of professional experience through your day-to-day work activities while having dedicated time and support focused on your individual professional growth. This position offers an opportunity to work with a broad team of partners from across the Chesapeake Bay watershed representing a vast network of government (federal, state, and local) and nongovernment entities. The skills and network gained from this position will be valuable to someone seeking further education and/or career development in the environmental policy and science field with a focus on water quality, watershed restoration and conservation, and natural resources management.

Environmental Management Staffers work a hybrid work schedule, dividing time each week between in-office work and telework. The selected candidate for this position will work as a CRC employee at the U.S. EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office located in Annapolis, Maryland.

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. Staffers are considered a critical part of the team, working daily with networks of dedicated and passionate professionals, and can share in guiding and shaping important aspects of the work at hand.
  • Provide meeting support by scheduling meetings and developing meeting agendas, setting up hybrid meeting technologies such as video conferencing and collaborative tools (training provided), drafting concise meeting minutes, and tracking and following-up on action items with various staff and partners.
  • Manage and update content, contacts, and calendar items on goal team and workgroup webpages on the Chesapeake Bay Program website (content management system training provided). Maintain internal workgroup email distribution lists.
  • Participate in the Strategy Review System (SRS) process for Healthy Watersheds, Land Use Methods and Metrics, Forest Buffers and Tree Canopy outcomes, including the review, development, and presentation of management materials, action plans, presentations and associated materials.
  • Solicit, track, and consolidate feedback on documents or topics as necessary from GIT and workgroup members and experts.
  • Assist with grant funding processes, management responsibilities, and project oversite.
  • Participate as needed to write reports and communication pieces, perform analysis, consolidate data, produce maps and Storymaps, report on performance indicators and other tasks as assigned, or as desired for professional growth.
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 apply. We welcome inclusion of nontraditional or nonformal education and experiences, volunteer, and lived experience that contributes to your fit for the position.
  • A bachelor’s degree in natural sciences, environmental management/policy/planning, or relevant field of study. Familiarity with land use/urban/conservation planning, forestry, landscape ecology, and watershed processes preferred.
  • Ability to perform background research, analysis, and synthesis on policy and science related topics.
  • Skills in data visualization using GIS (experience with ESRI ArcPro, ArcGIS Online software and/or college level GIS courses preferred).
  • Ability to write for the web and social marketing platforms, including working within a content management system and appropriately tailoring text and graphics for optimal communication effectiveness.
  • Ability to provide support by independently planning meetings, developing agendas, drafting concise meeting minutes, and tracking action items.
  • Familiarity with using hybrid 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, to multi-task and remain flexible with shifting demands.
  • 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.

All Environmental Management Staffers are required to successfully complete a federal background check upon hire.

Chesapeake Research Consortium is committed to a diverse workforce and encourages people from all backgrounds to apply. CRC recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Salary and Benefits
The annual salary for all Environmental Management Staffer positions is $48,688. Our competitive benefits package includes paid vacation, sick, and personal leave; affordable health, dental, and vision insurance options; paid holidays; and access to retirement saving options with an employer contribution. 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.
Anticipated Start Date
We are looking to start a new Staffer in this role in the late-June early-July timeframe. An exact start date will be determined collaboratively with the selected candidate.
Application Instructions
Applications (cover letter, resume, list of 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 about your immediate and long-term career goals as part of your cover letter.