Scientific, Technical Assessment, and Reporting Team Staffer

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 Scientific, Technical Assessment, and Reporting (STAR) Team. STAR enhances Chesapeake Bay science and capacity by facilitating collaboration among science providers to provide monitoring, modeling, and analysis needed to update, explain, and communicate ecosystem condition and change to support the work of the program. The STAR team coordinates monitoring, modeling, and analysis across the CBP to help decision makers progress towards the goal and outcomes of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. STAR has embraced a more ecosystem-based science mission approach by supporting the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Goal Implementation Teams in identifying, organizing, and addressing their science needs. There are two STAR Staffers who provide support to STAR and the workgroups associated with STAR’s areas of focus. This Staffer will jointly support STAR and be the primary support for the Data Integrity Workgroup, the Criteria Assessment Protocol Workgroup, the Hypoxia Collaborative Team, and the Bay Oxygen Research Group. While serving as primary support for the workgroups listed above, this staffer may support other STAR workgroups on an ad-hoc basis.

Environmental Management Staffer Role and Opportunities

As the Environmental Management Staffer in this position, you will work closely with the chairs and coordinators of STAR and its workgroups listed above 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 assignments employing scientific and technical skills, and professional development. As a Staffer for the STAR team and designated workgroups, you will work with the team to plan meetings and other important interactions, prepare briefing materials, track deliverables, and support workgroup member needs. Additionally, you will be engaged in the Chesapeake Bay Program’s innovative Strategy Review System process, which 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 applying knowledge and skills in the areas of technical writing, statistical analysis, literature reviews, Geographic Information Systems proficiencies, climate resiliency, modeling, and computer code development and maintenance to support work in atmospheric, watershed, and estuarine science. 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 scientific field with a focus on water quality, watershed restoration 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 STAR team and workgroup webpages on the Chesapeake Bay Program website (content management system training provided). Maintain internal workgroup email distribution lists.
• Update, track, and consolidate feedback on documents or resources as necessary from workgroup members, leadership, and other experts.
• Participate in writing reports and communication pieces, performing analysis, consolidating data, reporting on performance indicators, and completing 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 science (chemistry, biology, etc.), environmental science, environmental engineering, mathematics, natural resources management, geography, or a related area of study. Candidates from related fields of study are welcomed to apply if interested and/or experience aligns with the listed subject areas.
• Technical knowledge and skills such as aptitude with Geographic Information Systems, and/or statistical analysis, and/or computer model code development and maintenance. Proficiency in writing scripts in R, Python, or similar statistical software a plus.
• The ability to research, organize, synthesize, develop visualizations and present complex information.
• The ability to do literature reviews in the general areas of atmospheric, watershed, climate resiliency, and estuarine science.
• 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, and compensates 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 $49,905. 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 early-mid December 2024. 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 [1-5 pages, excerpt from larger works accepted] 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. Please reference the STAR Environmental Management Staffer position in your email’s subject line.