ENVIRONMENTAL OUTREACH SPECIALIST

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.

We are seeking an Environmental Outreach Specialist with wildfire policy or management experience who will serve as Deputy Director of Policy and Management for the Western Fire and Forest Resilience Collaborative.

With generous support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Collaborative is working to address the western US fire crisis by bringing together scientists and decision makers to co-create and implement a long-term research program that advances the predictive science of fire ecology and forest resilience. The Environmental Outreach Specialist will be responsible for developing and leading a stakeholder engagement and knowledge-transfer strategy. This strategy will successfully build a national community of practice with relevant stakeholders to understand their needs and to ensure the best science informs stewardship of western US forests and fire. Stakeholders include: state and Federal policy makers, state and Federal agency employees, environmental advocacy groups, and boundary spanning organizations. The Environmental Outreach Specialist will work with Collaborative scientists in setting the vision and strategy for the Collaborative’s administration and operations.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Outreach and engagement (50%)

1. Lead the development of a stakeholder engagement and outreach strategy to guide
(a) How the Collaborative identifies, cultivates, and nurtures relationships with key stakeholders in fire management and policy at state and federal levels
(b) How research questions and products are co-developed and produced collaboratively with resource managers and policymakers
(c) How scientific insights from the research program are shared with resource managers and policymakers
(d) How we measure success of the stakeholder engagement strategy
2. Lead the execution of the outreach and engagement plan in collaboration with Collaborative scientists conducting the research.
3. Lead the interactions with key boundary spanning organizations to coordinate stakeholder engagement activities in ways that maximize the impact of our research on decision making.
4. Regularly interface with decision makers to represent the Collaborative. This will include when decision makers ask for input from the Collaborative and by organizing convenings that engage decision makers around topics relevant to research activities.

Program leadership (50%)

5. Work with collaborative scientists across institutions to develop the vision and strategy for the operations and administration of the Collaborative.
6. Contribute to building foundation and Federal support for Collaborative efforts, specifically representing policy and stakeholder engagement.
7. Oversee day-to-day operations of Collaborative staff in partnership with partner institutions.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• M.S. degree in natural resource management, ecology, or other natural sciences
• Three years of experience in co-producing wildfire research for policy and/or management applications.
• Three years of experience in policy, environmental advocacy, facilitation, science communications, research co-production with management/decision makers, and/or project management.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Ph.D. in an environmental field, such as natural resource management, ecology, or other natural sciences.
• Five or more years of post-graduate experience in policy, environmental advocacy, facilitation, science communications, research co-production with management/decision makers, and/or project management.
• Excellent oral communication skills, including in one-on-one settings, meeting facilitation, and organizing convenings.
• Demonstrated success in grant writing and fundraising from a variety of sources.
• Experience supervising staff and leading teams.
• Experience working with scientists on large-scale regional to national research and outreach projects involving multiple academic institutions.

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.