COASST SCIENCE COORDINATOR - University of Washington

Req #: 240126 Department: AQUATIC AND FISHERY SCIENCES Job Location Detail: 100% IN PERSON ROLE Posting Date: 10/18/2024 Closing Info: Open Until Filled Salary: $5,950 - $6,600 per month Shift: First Shift Notes: As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here. (https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/benefits-professional-staff-librarians-academic-staff-20230701\_a11y.pdf) **Priority review will be given to resumes received by 11/10/2024.** As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world. UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. The Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) is a 25 year old citizen science organization at the University of Washington. COASST recruits and trains coastal residents in the Pacific Northwest (northern California, Oregon, Washington) and Alaska to rigorously monitor a beach of their choice for beachcast items. At present, COASST maintains two separate data streams and associated training modules: beached birds, and marine debris. COASST data are collected by hundreds of participants on a monthly basis, and data are entered into a database by data collectors or undergraduate interns. After verification, COASST data are used in both science and resource management. COASST maintains a large set of partnerships in service of maintaining geographic breadth, deep community engagement, relevance to actionable science, and the highest quality of data and information. The Science Coordinator is a key staff position in COASST, responsible for working directly with the Executive Director to direct and manage the science side of the program, including: maintain all long-term program operations within data collection, verification, curation and use; create and maintain excellent relationships with science, funding and data collection partners. The Science Coordinator must manage up and down, serving as the central staff position for the program. Managing up means working with the Executive Director (E.D.) on long-term sustainability, staffing, funding and prioritization of activities, helping to translate the myriad program needs into action items the E.D. should attend to. Managing down means translating and prioritizing incoming program needs and requests to program staff, postdocs and students to make sure that everyone is working at the best and highest capacities while not being overwhelmed or overworked. At the same time, the Science Coordinator must "manage in and manage out." Managing in means maintaining and growing collegial relationships with science and scholarly partners within the University of Washington and more broadly within the Academy. Managing out means maintaining and deepening relationships with public-facing organizations in service of translating COASST science for public engagement. These four directions: up, down, in and out require the Science Coordinator to constantly manage multiple tasks and activities, be able to respond in the moment to short-term crises while never losing sight of longer-term goals, prioritize and reprioritize, and identify and balance apparent and actual conflicts as they arise. As the main face of science, other than the E.D., the Science Coordinator must have the expertise and experience to present to the participant community (over 1,000 coastal residents) as an "approachable expert." As a public-facing, actionable science organization, COASST presents its data and its science to both the mainstream science community (university scientists, agency scientists) and to a wide range of publics, including the news media and elected decision-makers at local, tribal, state and national levels. COASST is regularly featured in national and international news media stories. Attention to the highest quality of data, to understanding of and respect for all audiences, and to the quality and consistency of all COASST products is paramount for program success. Next to the E.D., the Science Coordinator is the central position in the organization responsible for maintaining this quality, consistency and audience-centric approach. **DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES** - Advance and support funding acquisition, management, and reporting of all grant, contract, and service agreements; manage budgeting and payroll (40%). - Develop and maintain positive strategic external partnerships with data users and community stakeholders, including coordinating data use requests and maintaining relevant research permits and MOUs with agencies (20%). - Coordinate research including, but not limited to, production of research progress reports and annual reports, management of weekly staff meetings and all project-specific meetings, contribute and edit peer-reviewed publication writing (10%). - Adaptive management of program elements including trainings, data collection and data management procedures, protocols, and infrastructure (10%). - Provide leadership to a Continuing Education Coordinator, a Research Consultant, and other temporary staffing or student employees. May also supervise the Research Consultant and other temporary and student staff in the absence of the PI/Faculty Supervisor (10%). - Serve as a participant trainer, and as presenter at professional meetings and conferences (5%) - Provide leadership and assistance to the COASST Participant Coordinator and COASST Verifier (5%). **MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS** Bachelor's degree in marine science or equivalent, plus two years of related experience. **Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.** **ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS** - Demonstrated database experience. - Demonstrated organizational skills to manage multiple tasks and establish clear priorities in a highly dynamic environment. - Excellent written and oral communication skills, with demonstrated success in communicating with a variety of audiences (e.g., public audiences, natural resource managers, scientists, funders) and specifically including Indigenous communities. **DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS** - Master's degree in marine science, biology or related field. - Teaching experience, in both formal and informal settings. - Two years of experience working in a community science, citizen science, or public engagement in science program. - Social skills to tackle even the most difficult and awkward of situations - a resource manager who needs data yesterday, a funder who is not returning calls, a disgruntled participant - with wit, grace, and aplomb. - Knowledge of marine science and specifically coastal systems of the North Pacific. **WORKING CONDITIONS** - Flexible and available to travel for data collection and participant training, including occasional nights and regular (at least monthly) weekends. - Able to lift up to 60 pounds; and able to load and unload a vehicle, move equipment in and out of training locations, and set up and break down trainings. - Able to walk on beaches, and hike into remote coastal locations. - A valid Washington state driver's license. **Application Process:** The application process may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select "Apply to this position". Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you log into your "My Jobs" page. If you choose to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed. University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.