Job Opportunity

Communications & Project Coordinator

Position Type: Full time

Location: Work-at-home, with regular work on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and occasional travel to Southern Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware

Compensation: $48,000 - $60,000 with benefits, commensurate with experience

Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis; position open until filled

Targeted Start Date: March 2024

JBO Conservation, LLC is seeking a full-time Communications & Project Coordinator interested in building and supporting collaborations to restore waters, protect lands, and make a difference in people’s lives. The position offers the opportunity to work directly with a wide range of partners and across a variety of disciplines, including climate resilience, natural resource conservation and restoration, equity and inclusion, community engagement, agriculture, and more. The position would have the opportunity to manage and advance several projects to support one or more of these disciplines based on the hired individual’s experience and interest. The position will also create and implement communication strategies to enhance collaboration, inspire action, and elevate conservation and restoration across the region.

About JBO Conservation

Founded in 2015, JBO Conservation works to identify and carry out collaborative solutions for the benefit of wildlife, the environment, and communities. By building, facilitating, and advising longer-term multi-stakeholder collaborations and short-term catalytic engagements, JBO brings different groups of people and sectors together to solve shared environmental challenges with a focus on finding the overlap between community needs and environmental conservation. JBO routinely works with regional and local nonprofits, federal and state agencies, private landowners and communities, and scientific networks to clearly define the challenges faced and develop locally-driven, regionally-informed solutions. JBO has helped develop and/or lead collaborative initiatives for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, ShoreRivers, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.

Job Description

This position would work directly with the Founder and Principal of JBO Conservation and the Associate Partnership Coordinator to assist with the coordination and advancement of the Envision the Choptank partnership and the Middle Chesapeake Sentinel Landscape partnership. There is also potential for the position to assist with other, shorter-term projects and contribute to the development of new projects and grant proposals, as applicable.

Envision the Choptank brings together nonprofits, federal and state agencies, local governments, community groups, landowners, Soil Conservation Districts, and more to develop collaborative solutions that meet its mission of providing swimmable, fishable waters and enhancing the health and productivity of native oysters in a way that best meets the needs of surrounding communities. The partnership is guided by the Choptank Common Agenda, a strategic plan developed through an extensive stakeholder engagement process. Workgroups, developed to carry out the strategies described in the Agenda, are focused on topics including overcoming private landowner barriers to implementing agricultural best management practices; increasing local government capacity to address stormwater runoff and flooding; building climate resilience through large-scale restoration; and working with disenfranchised communities to implement actions that meet community needs and environmental objectives.

The Middle Chesapeake Sentinel Landscape partnership (MCSL) is one of 13 Sentinel Landscape partnerships operating across the country. Developed jointly by the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Agriculture, and Department of the Interior, the Sentinel Landscapes program’s mission is to strengthen military readiness, conserve natural resources, bolster agricultural and forestry economies, and increase climate change readiness. JBO Conservation serves as the coordinator of the partnership, helping to bring together federal and state agencies, land trusts, and local governments to advance joint goals across portions of Southern Maryland, the Delmarva Peninsula, and the Northern Neck of Virginia. In the near-term, the partnership is working to increase land conservation and resiliency-focused restoration, explore opportunities to increase public access to conserved lands, and engage and support a more diverse set of stakeholders.

Responsibilities of the Position:

Will take the lead in developing and implementing the communications strategy for the Envision the Choptank and Middle Chesapeake Sentinel Landscape partnerships. This includes:
- Creating communications materials for internal and external audiences, including newsletters, StoryMaps, webpages, presentations, and case studies
- Assisting with website content creation, updating, and maintenance
- Supporting information flow across each partnership, including collecting and distributing lessons learned, creating materials to share workgroup and project updates, and responding to questions and needs of individual partners
- Enhancing existing and creating new written and visual content to reach new constituents and sectors
Managing one or more projects/initiatives that could fall under one or more of the following disciplines depending on the experience and interest of the individual hired: climate resilience, natural resource conservation and restoration, equity and inclusion, community engagement, and/or agriculture. This includes:
- Developing implementation strategies and organizing activities across multiple partners
- Coordinating project teams and supporting communication and information sharing throughout the life of the project
- Researching issues and topics and synthesizing information to inform the projects
- Assisting partners in carrying out projects and initiatives
- Tracking project progress and contributing to grant reports
- Initiating engagement with new partners and sectors
Assisting with grant proposal development and grant management
Supporting meeting preparation and logistics
Depending on experience, the position may also assist with meeting/workshop facilitation and overall coordination of one or more workgroups
Assisting the Principal and Associate Partnership Coordinator in strategic planning for each partnership and working with the JBO team to explore and develop additional projects and initiatives

Minimum Qualifications:

JBO Conservation is seeking an individual who is passionate about collaboration as a means for advancing just, equitable, and sustainable futures for people and the environment. We seek applicants that enjoy being part of a small, nimble, and creative staff team and that find energy in the emergent aspects of partnerships. We seek applicants that are comfortable in dynamic environments; that can bring curiosity and compassion to their work; and can navigate with humility and good humor. Specifically, a successful applicant for the position will posses:

Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Excellent attention to detail, strong organization and time management skills, and the ability to multitask
Effective people skills and the ability to work with a broad range of stakeholders and people of diverse backgrounds and life experiences
Ability to work independently and a passion for working with people and the environment
Appreciation for the importance of diverse community engagement
Ability to manage multiple projects at once and sufficiently track and record information
Capacity to research and synthesize new info quickly and distill what they’ve learned for others
Experience developing communication materials and basic graphic design
Experience with website content development/management
Basic understanding of environmental issues related to the Chesapeake Bay
Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace
Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, natural sciences, social sciences, communications, or other relevant field
3+ year relevant professional experience (an advanced degree may substitute for experience)
Perseverance and a positive attitude
A valid driver’s license

Desired Qualifications (one or more of the following):

Experience writing grant proposals and with grant management
Experience working with a broad range of stakeholders
Experience working with multi-sector partnerships or teams
Experience managing multiple projects at once
Experience developing and putting new systems in place
Familiarity with ArcGIS and ArcGIS online, Squarespace, Mailchimp, Canva, Adobe InDesign, or similar software or platforms

JBO Conservation encourages applicants from all races, cultures, colors, religions, sexes, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, national or regional origins, ages, marital status, disability status, and veteran status. JBO recognizes the value of diversity and that each applicant for this role will bring unique skills, knowledge, expression, and background to this position.

Hours/Location: This position is currently offered as a full-time, primarily work-at-home position. The position must be available to attend in-person meetings on the Eastern Shore of Maryland at least twice a month and occasional meetings in Annapolis, Southern Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. The hired individual will be expected to maintain high-functioning internet sufficient for video conferencing.

Compensation: Salary and benefits are commensurate with the candidate's relevant professional experience and/or education, with an expected salary range of $48,000 - $60,000. The position will also receive 20 vacation days, 8 sick days, and 11 paid holidays.

Application: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Application review will begin on February 1st, 2024. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to Emily@jboconservation.com. Indicate “Communications and Project Coordinator” in the email subject line. Qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview. If you meet more than 75% of the Minimum Qualifications of this description, we encourage you to apply. Let’s do this!