Environmental Management Staffer – Communications and Strategic Engagement

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 primarily provide support to the CBP’s Communications Team. The Communications Team supports efforts to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay by providing information to the public, working with the media, and branding and promoting the Chesapeake Bay Program. As part of the Communications Team, the Staffer is also an important member of the planning team for the annual meeting of the Chesapeake Executive Council (EC). The EC consists of the governors of the six watershed states, the mayor of the District of Columbia, the chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Together, the EC establishes the policy direction for the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. The Staffer also supports the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Strategic Engagement Team (SET) which assists Chesapeake Bay Program goal teams and workgroups when developing and/or implementing actions that utilize elements of communications, local engagement and social science.

Environmental Management Staffer Role and Opportunities

As the Environmental Management Staffer in this position, you will work closely with Communications Team members, SET coordinators and the EC planning team. The activities of all CRC Environmental Management Staffers generally fall into three categories: coordination and administrative support, projects and substantive assignments, and professional development. As the Staffer in this position, you will work with your teams and subject matter experts to create, maintain and market consistent, high-quality web content for the Bay Program that supports the work of the partnership; plan meetings and other important interactions, prepare briefing materials, track deliverables and support member needs. While these vital coordination and administrative support functions can comprise a large portion of each Staffer’s experience (~60%), they are balanced with consistent access to more substantive work such as working with the team to draft plans, strategy documents, and project proposals; develop news articles and blog posts for the Chesapeake Bay Program’s website; documenting success stories and case studies; and representing this work at various forums. 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 three 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 science communications, public engagement and outreach, environmental policy, watershed restoration and natural resources management.

Environmental Management Staffers work a hybrid 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 EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office located in Annapolis, Maryland.

Summary of Responsibilities

The following provides 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.

• Write, edit and develop content for the Chesapeake Bay Program website.
• Help manage the Chesapeake Bay Program’s social media accounts by developing content, tracking analytics, scheduling posts and researching industry trends.
• Develop and disseminate the daily Bay News, weekly Bay Brief and monthly Chesapeake Currents e-newsletters.
• Write the weekly Things To Know email for Chesapeake Bay Program staff.
• Manage the CBP Communications Office’s webinar series by pitching ideas, engaging speakers, marketing, moderating and supporting technology.
• Manage planning and implementation of the annual Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week.
• Support planning activities leading up to, and the day of, the annual Chesapeake Executive Council meeting. This includes taking minutes, determining logistics and other duties as they arise.
• Provide meeting support to the Strategic Engagement Team 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 the Executive Council and Strategic Engagement Team’s webpages on the Chesapeake Bay Program website (content management system training provided). Maintain internal committee and workgroup email distribution lists.
• Other duties as assigned may include writing and editing fact sheets, backgrounders and other communications products, as well as updating, tracking and consolidating feedback on documents or resources as necessary from workgroup members, leadership and other experts.

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 the inclusion of nontraditional or nonformal education and experiences, including volunteer and lived experiences, that contribute to your fit for the position.

• A bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, marketing, public relations, environmental communications or other relevant area of study. Individuals possessing a degree in natural or environmental sciences and/or management with an interest in environmental communications are also encouraged to apply.
• Solid writing skills and a strong interest in writing for a variety of formats, including press releases, newsletters, blogs and the web.
• Ability to use online social networking tools such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to distribute information, engage audiences and spur action.
• Ability to perform background interviews, research and analysis, ensuring that communication products are complete and technically accurate.
• Comfortable engaging with all types of people from across the watershed.
• 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, Google Meets, etc.).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint is required and experience with graphic design software (Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Premiere) is beneficial.
• 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.
• Experience with or an interest in building event planning and implementation skills.
• 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.
• Ability to take initiative and work collaboratively with a team.
• 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 encourage 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 $51,153. 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 training 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-July timeframe. An exact start date will be determined collaboratively with the selected candidate.