Restore America’s Estuaries is dedicated to the protection and restoration of bays and estuaries as essential resources for our nation.
Unless otherwise noted, open positions will be posted until filled. With questions, please reach out to apply@estuaries.org.
Open Positions
Program Director, Great Lakes Environmental Justice Program
Summary
- Title: Program Director, Great Lakes Environmental Justice Program
- Hours: Full-time, exempt
- Compensation: $80,000 – $90,000/annually
- Benefits: 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums; generous employer 401(k) contribution; liberal PTO; flexible work environment; annual professional development stipend
Location: Must permanently, physically reside in a state that borders the Great Lakes; travel within the Great Lakes Region area up to 20%
Background
About Restore America’s Estuaries
Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) is a national leader in coastal restoration and protection, education and advocacy. Our local projects restore coastal wetlands, open fish passages, remove invasive species, build living shorelines, transplant seagrasses, replant salt marshes, and restore shellfish habitat.
As the leader of a national alliance, we provide a unified voice for coastal communities and advance the science and practice of habitat restoration through on-the-ground projects, groundbreaking science, high-level meetings, and our biennial RAE Coastal and Estuarine Summit.
About the Great Lakes Environmental Justice Program (GLEJP)
In 2024, the EPA Great Lakes Program launched a multi-million-dollar program to address environmental justice concerns impacting underserved communities in the Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes Environmental Justice Program will direct funds and technical assistance to communities affected by adverse and disproportionate environmental and human health risks or harms. The Program is a significant step to enhance equitable access and participation in the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes.
There are two components of GLEJP: creating and administering a competitive subaward program and providing a technical assistance program.
- Competitive grant program will provide at least $3 to 5 million of funding annually in competitive grants across four years;
- Technical assistance will be available to help establish or strengthen organizations’ ability to ease environmental-related burdens facing their communities. Examples of technical assistance topics include proposal preparation, applying for government grants, and project/financial management. RAE has structured the technical assistance program so trainings will be free, and stipends will be available.
Qualifications
- Candidate must meet either / or combination of the following qualification:
- At least six years’ experience leading community engagement efforts; environmental justice or with a strong focus on capacity development and training a plus
- At least six years’ experience managing federal, state or foundation grant programs; experience with federal funding, EPA funding a plus
- Ability to solicit feedback and foster consensus from working groups that that will support and engage in this program; lead and organize feedback loops towards shared consensus or collaboration from working groups which will support and engage in the program;
- Demonstrated understanding and commitment to working with underserved communities in the region and the ability to bring relationships from prior work to the Program;
- Experience managing vendors; experience with training vendors, meeting facilitators, and event planners preferred;
- Self-starting and comfortable working remotely in virtual work environment with a nationwide team supporting staff member on topics such as DEIJA, communications, finance, and administration;
- Fluency in spoken and written English; multi-lingual skills preferred and highly valued;
- Must reside full-time in a state that boarders the Great Lakes and be able to travel up to 25% of the time, with some travel outside the watershed; and
- Must have prior authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.
Primary Duties
Oversee Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grant Program
- Prepare and issue annual Request for Proposals responsive to Great Lakes priorities;
- Establish and facilitate review criteria and expert panels for evaluating and selecting subawardee proposals;
- Establish and oversee guidelines for the program that align with the Great Lakes priorities;
- Oversee subawards;
- Work with other RAE staff to ensure funds to subaward recipients are dispensed in a timely manner to reduce unliquidated obligations and as required by applicable grant regulations; and
- Qualitatively and quantitatively measure and report the outputs and outcomes of the environmental results of the projects accomplished through the subawards.
Learning Exchange & Training
- Organize an annual learning exchange peer-to-peer tech transfer for subawardees and community-based organizations to learn from one another;
- Solicit input from disadvantaged communities on challenges in addressing environmental burdens to facilitate effective training and capacity building.
- Administer training opportunities for community-based organizations targeting all staff in a broad range of skills areas such as administration, human resources, and program management; and
- Provide technical support to subawardees by coordinating outreach, training, and information resources to ensure success with their current grants and building the capacity to apply for other grants.
Communications & Impact
- Regularly update and coordinate with EPA’s Great Lakes communications team and the community on activities and impacts from grants and training;
- Work with RAE communications team to develop web-based information in coordination with Great Lakes team
Establish connections with local partners across the region
- Attend relevant EPA and regional meetings to share ideas, identify needs, provide input on program planning, and discuss program accomplishments and progress;
- Actively support the creation of partnerships; network and facilitate subawards to develop and commit to future partnering and implementation efforts;
- Help to identify suitable meeting locations in coordination with local partners; and
- Expand local partnerships with businesses, technology developers, and under-represented organizations.
Program Administration
- Supervise and support a project manager that will be assigned to the Program;
- Maintain good communications with EPA staff including regular meetings;
- Manage regular performance reporting, including reviewing reports and expenses;
- Coordinate program activities with administrative activities that support sound financial management, regulatory compliance, and program goals; and
- Serve as the main point of contact for ongoing requests or needs of EPA.
RAE
- Participate in team meetings, retreats and events;
- Participate in grants management team meetings; and
- Provide input and guidance to the Inclusive Coasts Initiative and other DEIJA efforts
Application Instructions
Please send a cover letter and resume to apply@estuaries.org, with Program Director in the subject line. This position is open until filled. RAE is an Equal Opportunity Employer; women, minorities, and individuals with differing abilities are particularly encouraged to apply. If you meet at least 75% of the qualifications of this description, we encourage you to submit an application. Candidates selected for an interview will be notified on a rolling basis. Please email apply@estuaries.org for accommodation requests regarding the application process.
Application Process:
- Initial screening phone call interview
- Video call interview
- Face-to-face final interviews in region
- Reference check
- Offer
Equal Employment Opportunity
RAE is committed to equal opportunity in employment. RAE actively seeks and employs qualified persons, and administers all personnel policies and practices affecting its staff, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. RAE is also committed to providing a workplace free from harassment based on any of the characteristics listed above. These policies apply to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, benefits, wage and salary administration, scheduling, disciplinary action, termination, and other programs.
RAE will also not allow any form of retaliation against individuals who raise issues of equal employment opportunity. If a staff person feels they have been subjected to any harassment or retaliation, they should bring it to the attention of the Operations Manager. If a supervisor is not available, or is the cause of the harassment, the President should be notified; similarly, if the President is involved, the Chair of the Board should be contacted.
Retaliation means adverse conduct taken because an individual reported an actual or perceived violation of this policy, opposed practices prohibited by this policy, or participated in the reporting and investigation process described below.
“Adverse conduct” includes but is not limited to:
- Shunning and avoiding an individual who reports harassment, discrimination, or retaliation;
- Excluding an individual from meetings or communications in which they would normally participate;
- Expressing or implying threats or intimidation intended to prevent an individual from reporting harassment, discrimination, or retaliation; or
- Denying employment benefits because an applicant or staff member reported harassment, discrimination, or retaliation or participated in the reporting and investigation process.
RAE is committed to creating and maintaining a workplace in which all staff have an opportunity to participate and contribute to the success of the mission and the organizational culture values for their skills, experience, and unique perspectives. This commitment is embodied in organization policy and the way we operate and is an important principle of sound management. As such, RAE welcomes applications from people with differing abilities and perspectives. We have taken steps to make our work facilities barrier-free and accessible as defined by state and federal statutes. We have sought to identify the essential functions and physical requirements of all distinct jobs at RAE, and will make reasonable adjustments, through scheduling, task reassignment and other methods, to reasonably accommodate applicants and employees with disabilities, absent undue hardship.
