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 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, to restore habitat health for living resources. The Chesapeake Bay Program is fueled by science and driven by partnership.

The successful candidate will provide support to the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Healthy Watersheds Goal Implementation Team (HWGIT), which is 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. The work of the goal team emphasizes the development and communication of measures to assess, track, sustain and protect state-identified healthy waters and watersheds. Such measures will support an adaptive management approach to the goal team’s strategies. In addition, the HWGIT places emphasis on public communications, using exemplary case studies of successful local initiatives in order to serve as a forum for shared learning and collaboration.

Environmental Management Staffer Role

The candidate selected for this position will be involved in core leadership team activities associated with the(HWGIT). Through coordination, logistics, and documentation you will gain hands-on experience working with natural resource managers from agencies and institutions around the Chesapeake Bay region. You will have the opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills to engage in 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, application and Storymap development. The Staffer in this position also supports the Forestry and Federal Facilities Workgroups, both of which focus on water quality improvements in these respective areas. The HWGIT and Forestry Workgroup are responsible for multiple outcomes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and will use the Chesapeake Bay Program’s innovative Strategy Review System to track progress towards the partnership’s restoration goals by learning from past actions.

The position provides opportunity to gain exposure to land use change, development pressure, watershed health science, resiliency, forest and urban tree canopy change, and many other environmental and social science indicators. The successful candidate works alongside scientists and managers to develop reports and policy papers, incorporate stakeholder input and work toward shared conservation and restoration opportunities. 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

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.
  • Conduct research and synthesis activities, including reporting on performance indicators such as miles of Riparian Forest Buffer and acres of Tree Canopy Cover.
  • Participate in collaborative activities with other partnership teams related to local action, land use, land protection, and mapping.
  • Participate in the Strategy Review System process for Healthy Watersheds, Land Use Methods and Metrics, Forest Buffers and Tree Canopy 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 GIT and workgroup members and experts.
  • Assist with grant management responsibilities and project oversite.
  • Manage and update content, contacts, and calendar items on GIT and workgroup webpages (content management system training provided). Maintain internal GIT and workgroup email distribution lists.

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 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).
  • Experience with science communications, outreach, and conveying key messages to target audiences.
  • Experience with creating and developing presentation slides with concise messaging; graphic design, layout and communications experience for impactful presentations and websites is a plus.
  • 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 in both the desktop and online environment (e.g., SharePoint) 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, written, and presentation 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.

Application Due Date: August 31, 2021

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.