Job Description

Where You Will Work:

The Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS—pronounced: see-pass), under the UCP, provides an extensive portfolio of placement, management, and organizational services for the broad Earth System Science community. CPAESS develops innovative solutions to complex scientific challenges, advances research capacity, and fosters community collaborations.

CPAESS provides professional development, training, and research opportunities for early career to expert scientists.  The CPAESS community includes placements at prestigious postdoctoral fellowships, short- and long-term appointments at US Federal research labs and institutions, research internships, and summer school opportunities for graduates and postdoctoral scientists. These research and training opportunities provide mentoring and career advancement; lifelong collaboration through program alumni networks; and the advancement of science worldwide through university, federal, state, municipal level, and private sector partnerships. CPAESS employees and sponsors collectively work toward advancing scientific research for the benefit of society.  

What You Will Do:

This is a Program Specialist position with the NOAA Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program, Climate and Societal Interactions (CSI) division, as part of the Climate Program Office, for the benefit of the program’s scientific and stakeholder community. The position is hosted by the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Division, and will support work to connect climate adaptation research with decision-making processes in the territory. The incumbent is responsible for facilitating the incorporation of relevant research findings and analysis into a range of planning and preparedness activities across the islands of St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John.

The NOAA Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program in partnership with the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources Division of Coastal Zone Management and the University of Virgin Islands Caribbean Green Technology Center is seeking a Climate Adaptation Program Specialist to facilitate the connection between climate adaptation research and scientific assessments with territorial decision making (planning, policy development) to advance climate adaptation and resilience building. Special attention will be paid to the intersection among climate, water management and coastal management issues, which include coastal flooding and stormwater interactions, rainfall capture and reuse, seawater encroachment in stormwater infrastructure, and impacts of sea-level rise on coastal habitats and coastal assets. This position will regularly engage with and facilitate collaboration among key agencies, such as the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR), Department of Public Works (DPW), the Water and Power Authority (WAPA), Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA), Department of Agriculture (DoA), the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI). The specialist will facilitate interactions across the territory and, as relevant, across the U.S. Caribbean region to synthesize, generate, and disseminate regional climate information and guidance for local adaptation and inclusion into local agency decision-making.

For over 20 years, the RISA program has produced actionable climate research, helping to reduce vulnerabilities, including economic damages, that Americans face every year due to sea level rise, floods, forest fires, vector-borne diseases, and a host of other climate and extreme weather impacts. RISA creates lasting relationships with decision makers from the public and private sectors and currently includes a network of eleven RISA teams across the country, each working hand-in-hand with regional stakeholders and decision makers to ensure that research and information is responsive to their needs.

DPNR’s Coastal Zone Management Division is investing in programs and projects that will maximize the ability to responsibly balance the degradation and loss of natural habitat area with development interests in and around the coastal waters of the USVI. Specifically, CZM is focused on adapting the development setback distances from shorelines and critical habitats to mitigate the loss of land and ecosystem services from erosion and sea level rise, as well as operationalizing watershed-scale risk analysis of land use, stormwater, and development considerations.

This position will be located at the Mars Hill office in Frederiksted, St. Croix with frequent travel to St. Thomas.

Responsibilities:                

Collate, analyze, interpret and synthesize findings from existing climate adaptation or other plans, using climate adaptation science and climate impact studies, to translate and communicate these findings to inform decision makers and agency approaches that help advance climate adaptation. Use information from local agencies, UVI, local and regional partners, including those from neighboring states and territories, federal partners, and neighboring countries and institutions.
Organize and lead, as appropriate, stakeholder meetings and other required activities to build awareness, inform planning and share best practices based on water resource management recommendations and available climate risk and adaptation information.
Assist with the drafting of guidance documents for planning and design of adaptation measures. This includes supporting the development of novel visual and interactive products to communicate research findings, assessments, and climate case studies.
Coordinate on an ongoing basis with partners in Puerto Rico to share plans and findings, explore future collaborations and build regional approaches, where appropriate, to support climate adaptation.
Engage with the broader RISA network of teams and NOAA RISA Program Managers to share and learn from relevant practices, approaches, and research across the U.S. 

DECISION MAKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING:

Scientific and Technical evaluation: Understands new scientific concepts and methodologies particularly as they apply to program goals.
Planning and innovation: Capable of identifying strategic opportunities and works under supervision to implement innovative solutions.
Strategic communication: Tailor resources and talking points to specific target audiences based on an understanding of diverse stakeholders’ values, priorities, perceptions, and experiences.
Team work: Provides leadership in team-work enhancing personal strengths and facilitating problem solving. Works under general supervision. Work is reviewed for soundness of judgement and overall adequacy and accuracy. Applies knowledge of the program accordingly.

What You Need:

Education and Years of Experience:

REQUIRED:

Bachelor’s degree in climate, environmental/urban planning, engineering, social science, or other interdisciplinary environmental field plus at least two years of relevant program experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 

Experience synthesizing varied research findings and communicating with management and/or planning communities

DESIRED:

Research experience in the field of climate adaptation, human and natural dimensions of global change, and/or coastal resilience, preferably in the U.S. Caribbean and/or small island settings.

Experience working with communities, organizations or agencies on climate adaptation planning.

Understanding of land use planning, watershed processes and other cumulative impacts to the coastal zone in an island setting.

Experience producing actionable or usable science to support decision-making and experience working at the interface between research and decision making. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Required:

Understanding of the concepts of climate risk management, adaptation, socio-environmental hazards, and human and ecological resilience.

Sensitivity to the culture, history, experiences, values and concerns of marginalized and vulnerable populations.

Good written and oral communication skills, including the ability to make public presentations and develop outreach material (including but not limited to materials for websites).

Ability to understand and interpret scientific findings and to translate these results for comprehension and understanding by diverse, including non-technical, audiences.

Ability to successfully interact with a diverse set of people including researchers, technical program staff, local government agencies (staff and leadership), and community residents.

Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with technologies that enable virtual meetings, telecoms, telework.

Flexibility and adaptability coupled with attention to detail, experience working in a fast-paced environment, and ability to work effectively with a team (as a leader and member) as well as/coupled with working independently.

Willingness and ability to travel within the U.S. Virgin Islands and, as needed, to Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland, pending public health and safety guidelines.

Desired:

Good community engagement and networking skills, including the ability to support the organization and facilitation of multi-stakeholder meetings to promote the exchange of knowledge, collaboratively design decision-support services/tools, and convene communities to discuss climate adaptation in the context of their challenges and available capacity.

Applicant Notes:

This position is subject to work location requirements for obtaining access to facilities and research systems. These requirements may include a combination of national security checks, credit checks, fingerprinting, or other security clearance requirements.
A pre-employment screening is conducted in conjunction with an offer for employment. This screening may involve verifying or reviewing any of the following relevant information: restricted parties screening, employment verification, performance records of internal candidates, education verification, reference checks, verification of professional licenses, certifications, and Motor Vehicle Records. UCAR complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
Please note that while the position description details both minimum requirements as well as desired skills and experience, we want to remind applicants that you do not need to have all the desired skills and experience to be considered for this role. If you have the passion for the work along with experience in a related field, you are encouraged to apply. We can provide on-the-job training for the rest.