Project Coordinator, Environmental Impact Bonds

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Published: July 26, 2017
Location
Skill Level
Mid Level
Job Type
Full-time
Categories
Project Management / Finance

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Description

~ Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the nation’s leading conservation organization dedicated solely to restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay, our nation’s largest estuary. ~

With over 230,000 members, an annual operating budget of $26 million, a $55 million endowment, CBF’s 185 full time staff work in offices in Annapolis and Easton, MD; Richmond and Virginia Beach, VA; Harrisburg, PA; Washington, DC; and in 15 field education program locations across the Bay watershed

CBF's headquarters - the Philip Merrill Environmental Center – in Annapolis is the world’s first USGBC LEED platinum building. In 2014, CBF opened the Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach; the Brock Center is the tenth certified Living Building and one of the most energy efficient, environmentally smart buildings in the world.

Position Overview

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation seeks an Environmental Impact Bonds Project Coordinator to be based at its Philip Merrill Environmental Center headquarters located in Annapolis, MD. This is a one-year term position, renewable for an additional year contingent upon funding.  It will be located at CBF’s Merrill Center headquarters in Annapolis, MD.  Travel within Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia is required.

Context of the Position:

Under federal/state municipal water pollution permits and other legal requirements, many public sector agencies in the Chesapeake Bay watershed – including local governments and water/stormwater utilities – must substantially reduce pollution from stormwater runoff into nearby waters.  To date, most attempts to undertake this remediation have employed standard, heavily-engineered “grey infrastructure” practices to hold and slowly release water. While these practices can reduce peak flows from storm events, they are costly, require long timeframes for implementation, and may not result in sufficient pollution reductions to meet new pollution reduction obligations.

“Green infrastructure,” which utilizes and mimics natural processes of ground infiltration and plant “uptake” to reduce run-off and pollutants, is generally less expensive and is now being deployed widely. However, green infrastructure is still considered by some to be “experimental” at scale in urban environments.  Additionally, while green infrastructure is “less expensive,” it still requires up-front capital investment to implement, as well as funding for ongoing maintenance.

To alleviate some of these expenses and address the perceived risk of using green infrastructure to meet regulatory obligations related to reducing polluted runoff, CBF and its contractual partner, Quantified Ventures (QV), will assist up to four municipalities/utilities in identifying, designing, structuring and obtaining access to private capital for public green infrastructure solutions.

CBF and QV will structure these investments through a “pay for success” model called “environmental impact bonds” (EIBs). In this model, private capital is used to fund the projects, and public sector stakeholders will repay investors based on environmental outcomes achieved, thereby allowing the public sector to access new capital and to transfer project risk to private investors.

Responsibilities

The Project Coordinator will help manage this grant-funded project.  This individual will:

  • Assist with project planning, and project budget and task management;
  • Help conduct research for, and outreach to, municipalities including educating about EIBs;
  • Review proposals from municipalities;
  • Manage internal contracts and workload;
  • Work with other staff to perform regular grant reporting;
  • Provide coordination, communication, and meeting support among consultant(s), other contractor(s), municipal partners, and CBF;
  • Provide general project task support as needed;
  • Provide support and assistance to municipalities or utilities that become project partners who provide CBF with expertise, data, studies and plans, etc.;
  • Assist with the preparation of educational materials and the development of other reports and presentations, as needed; and
  • Serve as spokesperson on project as needed.

Qualifications

Professional Experience & Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in business administration, economics, management, engineering, or related field.
  • 5-7 years’ experience in project management in investment banking, conservation finance, stormwater management, or related local government project-level analyses and management. Master’s degree in similar fields as above may substitute for 1-2 years of experience.
  • Knowledge of/exposure to public finance and impact investing, public infrastructure implementation, and environmental management issues at the local government level.
  • Knowledge of the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint (Total Maximum Daily Load and Watershed Implementation Plans) is helpful.
  • Proven problem-solving and analytic skills.
  • Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication capabilities.
  • Experience managing complex projects and workloads with multiple actors and objectives.

Compensation: CBF offers a comprehensive benefits package to include: 20 vacation days, 10 sick days, health, vision, dental, life insurance, and a tax deferred annuity plan. 

To Apply

Please click "Apply" below to email a cover letter, resume, and salary history and requirements no later than July 21, 2017 to: "Human Resources/FY18-001-EIBPC, Chesapeake Bay Foundation." 

~ The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer ~                          

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