Full job description
Hampton-Seabrook Estuary Collaborative Coordinator
THE HAMPTON-SEABROOK ESTUARY
The Hampton-Seabrook Estuary is a bar-built estuary on the New Hampshire Coast. Situated behind barrier beaches and surrounded by more than 4,000 acres of tidal marsh, the Estuary is a central feature of the towns of Hampton, Seabrook, and Hampton Falls. Hampton-Seabrook is one of two estuaries of national significance in the state and possesses geomorphic and biotic features distinct from the Great Bay Estuary. Hampton-Seabrook is also of regional significance within the Gulf of Maine, with the Great Marsh to the south and Maine marsh complexes to the north.
BACKGROUND
The Seabrook-Hamptons Estuary Alliance (SHEA) is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization whose mission is to help the NH communities bordering the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary (Hampton, Seabrook, Hampton Falls) preserve, protect, and become more informed about the Estuary’s health, potential, and future threats and its valuable ecosystem services.
Over the last three years, SHEA has participated in the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary (HSE) Collaborative, a group of local, state, and federal organizations with a shared focus on improving the long-term health and vitality of the Estuary and its communities. The Collaborative developed a prospectus that identifies habitat restoration and community resilience actions to pursue and has been convening regularly to:
- Articulate the value of a landscape-scale approach to coastal ecosystem and community resilience.
- Coordinate and align resources and activities to provide the science and data communities need to understand, manage, and protect the Estuary more effectively.
- Explore near-term collaboration opportunities to ensure these efforts are mutually supportive, contribute to commonly shared goals for the Estuary, and set the stage for longer-term, more robust monitoring, adaptive management, and restoration.
The HSE Steering Committee formed to advance both near-term and long-term strategic initiatives, recognized the critical need for additional capacity to effectively organize, advance, and monitor priority actions. To address this, SHEA piloted a part-time HSE Coordinator role from 2022 to 2024. Building on the success of this pilot, SHEA secured additional funding through a Congressional Direct Spending Request to extend and expand the position’s capacity.
Another complementary project to the efforts and goals of the HSE Collaborative was the development of the (EMP), completed in 2023. This plan identifies over 160 action items and strategies to achieve its goals. The EMP serves as a roadmap for collaborative estuary management across stakeholders, irrespective of political boundaries, aiming to understand the estuary’s stressors and provide a holistic management approach for communities to reach their shared vision.
COORDINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
The role of the HSE Coordinator, under the supervision of SHEA and with guidance from the HSE Steering Committee, is to enhance collaboration and strengthen relationships among Collaborative members to assist in advancing estuary-specific research, monitoring, restoration, and management.
Key Responsibilities Include:
Coordinate and support the following groups:
- HSE Steering Committee
- HSE Collaborative
Support Implementation of the EMP
- Manage a small grants program
- Support SHEA’s prioritization and progress reporting on EMP action items
Assist with:
- Grant writing (i.e., drafting project narratives, obtaining letters of support, and application forms)
- Project development (i.e., identifying project partners, draft scope of work, and budget estimates)
Facilitate:
- Networking among stakeholders
- Effective communication across groups
- Outreach efforts to engage the broader community
Additional details about this role are outlined below.
HSE Steering Committee
- Schedule and facilitate monthly virtual Steering Committee meetings. Prepare meeting agendas and minutes. Meetings are typically one hour. One focus of these meetings is to discuss potential agenda items for the next Collaborative meeting.â—‹ Maintain, review, and update the Steering Committee Charter.
- Work with the Steering Committee to identify priority projects for the HSE watershed based on findings and recommendations of the Prospectus and EMP.
HSE Collaborative
- Schedule, convene, and facilitate quarterly meetings. Develop meeting agendas, and identify and coordinate with guest speakers. Prepare meeting materials and minutes. Post meeting materials online.
- Expand and maintain the HSE funding database. Identify and coordinate with organizations that maintain similar funding databases (i.e. The Climate Resilience Funding Database).
- Expand and maintain the HSE project tracker database.
- Identify and develop additional tools and processes for enhancing networking among collaborative members.
- Maintain an up-to-date web presence for the HSE Collaborative.
- Maintain a membership database.
- Provide project updates, funding and collaboration opportunity updates to the Collaborative.
- Communicate Collaborative priorities and activities at the national, regional, state, and local levels.
- Provide supporting materials such as talking points and outreach material for HSE Collaborative members to share at local and regional meetings and events.
- Attend local and regional meetings and events as needed. Participate in the Salt Marsh Task Force.
Estuary Management Plan
- Work with the SHEA Board to develop a coordinated approach to implementing the EMP.
Small Grants Program
Manage a 3-year, NOAA-funded small grants program for municipalities and non-profit organizations to fund projects that specifically address Action Steps in the EMP. Up to 5 grants of $5k-25k annually are anticipated. Additional tasks related to supporting the grants program include:
- Assist with developing the framework and application for the small grants program.
- Provide guidance on grant applications and reporting.
- Review application submissions for accuracy and completeness.
- Organize and convene a Program Review Committee to offer guidance on program development and assist in reviewing grant applications.
- Submitting proposals/budgets of projects selected for funding to NOAA for review and approval.
- Draft award letters and finalize agreements with recipients.
- Monitor grantee projects through check-ins, addressing progress, obstacles and changes, and final reports.
- Maintain a project database to track progress and spending.
- Promote the grant opportunity and achievements through various platforms.
- Review and summarize project reports to meet NOAA reporting requirements.
Minimum Qualifications
Qualifications for this position can come from professional and/or lived experience. Below, we describe important qualifications for a candidate while remaining open to diverse experiences that can lead to these skill sets. We strongly encourage anyone who feels passionate about this work to apply.
The ideal candidate will be self-motivated with strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work effectively and collaboratively with various groups. They should also have strong organizational and analytical skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and facilitate meetings and discussions. Experience with grant administration is strongly desired. Experience working with municipal boards and commissions is a plus. The preferred candidate will have 2-3 years of experience in a professional environmental field related to water quality, environmental science, planning, management, or a related field.
This position requires knowledge of Microsoft Office products and the ability to learn new software products when necessary. Experience with social media posting and website updating is preferred.
Educational Requirements – A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in environmental science, resource protection, natural resource management, soil science, or other related natural resource field, or a combination of an associate’s degree with continuing education and relevant work experience.
This position involves a combination of office work that can be performed remotely, including virtual meetings, with occasional in-person presence required. This position will require occasional evening meetings. The majority of this work will be completed remotely, with check-ins, meetings, and document-sharing done via email, phone, virtual calls and meetings, and Google Docs. Anticipate weekly/biweekly in-person meetings during the first two-three months, and then as-needed.
COMPENSATION
This is a 32 hour per week position with an hourly rate of $36. This position includes 75 hours of paid sick, holiday, and vacation time per year. This is a grant-funded position through March 31, 2028, that may be extended if additional funding becomes available.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
SHEA values diversity as a cornerstone for advancing environmental protection and preservation within the Hampton-Seabrook Estuary. SHEA is dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants. SHEA is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
TO APPLY
This position is open until filled. To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter, and three professional references to Rayann Dionne, Executive Director, Seabrook-Hamptons Estuary Alliance at rdionne@shea4nh.org. Additional materials can be sent, such as a writing sample, authored scientific papers, or similar. Please, no telephone calls, but questions can be addressed to the email address. The initial review of applications begins in February 3, 2025.
Job Types: Part-time, Temporary
Pay: $36.00 per hour
Expected hours: 32 per week
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Paid time off
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Hampton, NH 03842