Sea-Level Rise Fellow

~ The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the largest regional non-profit conservation organization working solely to save the Bay. ~

Established in 1967, CBF has a staff of approximately 185 employees working in offices in Annapolis Maryland; Richmond and VA Beach, Virginia; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Washington, D.C., and in 15 field education program locations. Our staff and volunteer corps work throughout the region educating students and adults, advocating for clean water polices, restoring waterways, and litigating when necessary.

CBF's headquarters office in Annapolis, MD is the Philip Merrill Environmental Center, the world's first U.S. Green Build Council's LEED platinum building. In 2014, CBF opened The Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach, VA. The Brock Center is one of the most energy efficient, environmentally smart buildings in the world.

CBF has an annual budget of approximately $21 million and is supported by more than 200,000 members and e-subscribers. For more information on CBF please visit our website. 

Position Overview

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation seeks a Hampton Roads Sea-Level Rise Fellow to be based at Brock Environmental Center located in Virginia Beach, VA. This is a two-year fellowship position. 

Hampton Roads localities are seeking ways to reduce recurrent flooding problems and improve local water quality in cost-efficient ways. The primary responsibility of the Hampton Roads Sea-Level Rise Fellow will be to ensure implementation of storm water management techniques that improve water quality while reducing flooding.

Responsibilities  

Essential functions include:

• Identify local, regional, state, and federal partners who wish to collaborate on sea-level rise and water quality issues. Reach out to partners via phone calls, emails, attendance at local meetings, etc. Establish partnerships to discuss and work on the mission of the position and how to further its goals.
• Identify geographic targets for project(s).
• Execute survey for local officials to determine baseline knowledge on sea-level rise and water quality issues. Include attitude and understanding of coastal flooding and how water quality projects intersect with these efforts.
• Host collaborative workshop(s) on sea-level rise and storm water management techniques.
• Conduct research to collect data on regional sea-level rise initiatives and adaptation practices. Review reports and case studies to determine efficacy and usefulness. 
• Catalog and quantify practices that will reduce coastal flooding and improve water quality. Include logistical contexts for such recommendations - how to further implementation, funding recommendations, etc.
• Identify locations in the Hampton Roads region where the above practices exist. Visit locations, take photos, and write brief success stories about these projects.
• Identify potential new sites for such practices. Contextualize these practices in terms of cost abatement - demonstrate how implementing these measures will have multiple outcomes, save resources long-term, and meet water quality goals of the localities. Create document describing these findings. Publicize findings via press conference and outreach to local government officials.
• Develop policy recommendations based on findings, including a plan for pursuit of these recommendations. Hold training sessions on these recommendations.
• Work with identified localities to help implement recommendations. Highlight via press stories new projects that have resulted from recommendations.
• Execute follow-up survey for local officials to determine if their knowledge on these issues has evolved. Compare these results to original survey findings to determine if outreach was successful.
• Develop a summary of work, evaluation, lessons learned, and work plan for next steps.

Qualification 

Professional Experience and Qualifications: 

• Minimum 1-5 years experience in water quality issues, including development and design of storm water management projects, urban storm water engineering and planning, water quality standards, state/federal water quality reporting requirements, watershed management, and Total Maximum Daily Loads.
• Experience in advocacy of complex environmental issues. 
• Graduate level degree in engineering or related field preferred. 
• Excellent public speaking and written communication skills. 

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 use the email address below to send cover letter, resume, salary history and requirements no later than October 31, 2015 to:

Human Resources/FY16- 09- SLRF
Chesapeake Bay Foundation

~ The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ~