Jobs

DEPARTMENT: Environmental Education and Outreach
GRADE/STATUS: Full Time, Exempt
REPORTS TO: President

POSITION SUMMARY: Are you passionate about science and sharing that knowledge with young people? Do you have a passion for education and watching young people learn and grow? Are you committed to broadening the diversity of youth who have access to science, nature, and the outdoors? If so, we are looking for an individual to build on Manomet’s 50+ years of banding birds, research, and education. Manomet, Inc., a 51-year-old non-profit based in Plymouth, Mass. committed to science-based decisions for humans and nature, is looking to grow its education and science outreach in the region, and nationally through its virtual university program, U360.

This person would be responsible for growing two efforts for Manomet: the Manomet Observatory and the Wandering Classroom, leveraging programs and assets developed over the past 50 years. The Manomet Observatory includes the opportunity to seat Manomet’s 40-acre campus as a hub for knowledge and community engagement. The primary assets include a 40 acre campus which will have an interpretive trail by summer 2021; a 20 acre adjacent property which could be used for additional teaching and training; and, thanks to a continuously dedicated cadre of staff and interns a bird banding lab with 50+ years of data from fall and spring migrations This person will be responsible for working with the current staff and the VP of Science to structure and build the research opportunities on campus and in the SE Mass region in partnership with universities and other NGOs.

Manomet has been providing education and teaching for all ages over the past 50 years. This has included Climate Lab, U360, and university biology classes. This person would be responsible for building on this history and overseeing what we are now calling the Wandering Classroom’s growth. This person will be responsible for building partnerships with other organizations working in nearby communities such as New Bedford, Fall River, and Brockton and employ online technology to expand the range of our education goals. He/she will oversee all education and community engagement offerings which will include broadening the diversity of community members and students we serve.

The Vice President also has the opportunity to bolster the science that occurs on campus and in the region, leading the Manomet Observatory program. He/she will supervise staff managing the banding lab, ensuring consistent high-quality standardized spring and fall data collection and publishing research findings with other ecologists to achieve our conservation and societal mission. There is tremendous opportunity for creativity in this portfolio. But, this person will be responsible for seeing that there will be clear goals and outcomes annually and will be accountable for achieving those, as well as overseeing the annual budget for the program.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Maintain and continuously improve the education and landbird research and monitoring programs.

2. Supervise staff, interns, and volunteers to provide leadership and training in these techniques and practices. See that reports and publications are produced for scientific, policy, and popular public purposes.

3. Pursue opportunities to advance the Manomet Observatory, including ecological research, and develop solutions on significant conservation, education, and economic issues in cooperation with other Manomet staff and/or multi-organizational teams.

4. Build and lead innovative education offerings for Manomet’s Wandering Classroom.

5. Work closely with development and communications staff to maintain relationships with our board, key donors, and the media. Lead trips, provide presentations, and meet with supporters and others to build institutional resources and expand support for our mission.

6. Provide the senior “face” of Manomet’s practical education and conservation research to external audiences and visitors, including scientists, students, partners, members, the public, and media.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• PhD in education preferred, or ornithology, zoology, or similar biology discipline.
• At least 15 years of experience in education/natural history.
• Extensive supervisory and management experience with staff, teachers, and volunteers.
• Relevant publication record.
• Excellent writing, communication and interpersonal skills with diverse audiences.
• Experience with database and statistical techniques in relevant fields helpful.
• Excellent teaching skills in formal and informal settings; strong overall natural history knowledge; and, familiarity with local science standards in education.
• Unwavering enthusiasm for teaching and sharing science.

Manomet is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Competitive salary with excellent benefits and travel opportunities, commensurate with experience.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please email your resume and cover letter as attachments to jobs@manomet.org. Please reference the job title in the subject line.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

U360 is an experiential education and professional development program focused on business sustainability offered by the nonprofit Manomet. The U360 internship is designed to train the next generation of change-makers by helping college students gain the professional, technical, and interpersonal skills needed to make a difference in the world through their future careers. U360 increases students’ knowledge of environmental issues; the “triple-bottom line” of business sustainability (environmental, social, and governance); and business management—and their critical thinking and problem-solving skills—through real-world applications. The two-semester program incorporates applied science, business, and sustainability workshops, career skills training, sustainability assessments of small businesses, and a Capstone project.

U360 complements academic programs by offering real-world experience in three vital areas that are critical to both effective change-making and career preparation: applied knowledge of practical sustainability, how to engage people with different viewpoints, and professional skills. (Specifically, the U360 curriculum focuses on helping students develop the soft skills that employers most seek: communication, professionalism, teamwork, creative problem-solving, and strategic thinking.) U360 empowers college students to take action on the environmental, social, and economic challenges that will disproportionately impact their generation, and gives them skills and knowledge they can bring to any job or industry. Additionally, with an extensive focus on career preparedness, U360 gives students a unique professional experience that differentiates them from their peers when entering the workforce and helps them gain exceptional communication skills, confidence, a professional network, and a vast understanding of small business operations.

While there are countless opportunities today for college students who want to complete an internship or experience real-world learning outside of the classroom, what distinguishes U360 from other opportunities is its innovative approach of connecting students with small business owners for direct, real-world learning. Students spend the majority of the program interviewing up to 30 small businesses each about their current practices and administering Manomet’s assessment of their triple-bottom line sustainability. The U360 Program Manager guides students through researching and interviewing small businesses, analyzing their current level of sustainability, and identifying areas for improvement. The U360 internship ends with each student creating a Sustainability Action Plan for one business they interviewed and presenting it to a panel of business and sustainability professionals in a final Capstone Competition.

As a high-impact internship, U360 provides students with an in-depth understanding of how the triple-bottom line approach is applied to small businesses; tools and strategies for creating sustainability solutions in the real world; an opportunity to create a customized and feasible action plan for an actual business; and skills for effectively communicating with individuals and businesses about sustainability. Additionally, Manomet believes that addressing today’s environmental, social, and economic challenges requires bringing together individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, and is committed to working with people who are underrepresented in this field and enrolling U360 classes that have geographic, academic, racial and ethnic, socioeconomic, and age diversity. As such, participating students have the unique opportunity to meet and work closely with students from other colleges throughout the east coast; becoming part of a network of peers who also want to make a difference in the world. More information can be found at: https://www.manomet.org/project/u360/

JOB DESCRIPTION

Details

• U360 is designed for students enrolled in business, economics, science, environmental, sustainability and/or liberal arts programs, but all majors are welcome to apply.
• This is a team program, and each year, up to 40 students are enrolled from different colleges and divided into teams of no more than eight.
• In order to increase access to this program for students, U360 is (and always has been) an entirely virtual program with a high level of mentorship, support, and engagement between the students and U360 staff. Students participate from their own campuses and will not have to travel to the Manomet office.
• The program is an average of 10 hours/week, which includes team trainings, workshops and weekly meetings, and independent research, outreach, and interviews with businesses. Students create their own schedule and work remotely outside of the mandatory group time. (The workshops and team meetings will be scheduled once the teams are formed, in order to accommodate every student’s schedule.)
• Students are required to attend all workshops and the weekly team meeting from their campus via live video conference.
• This is an unpaid internship, but students can often earn university credit for participation (depending on university policies, major requirements, etc.). Ideally, the internship takes the place of a class in the student’s schedule and is not being done on top of a full course load.

Timeframe:

• U360 is a two-semester internship; the program starts the first week of the fall semester and concludes on the last day of the spring term; excluding all university holidays and breaks

Experience required:

• Sophomore and higher undergraduate students are eligible
• Interest in business and/or sustainability
• Basic computer skills (specifically Microsoft Office and Google programs)

Additional skills and experience preferred:

• Ability to work independently and manage time effectively
• Ability to listen and communicate effectively (verbally and in writing)
• A willingness to contact and interact with professionals (in person, over the phone, and via email) and some degree of comfort with doing so
• Strong interpersonal skills and attention to detail

Instructions for applying:

• The deadline to apply for next school year is at 11:59pm on June 30^th
• Submit your current resume with a cover letter and three references (include each reference’s name, relationship to you, email address, and phone number) to Lora Babb, U360 Program Manager, at lbabb@manomet.org. (NOTE: at least one reference must be a professional reference and no direct relatives can be listed as a reference.)
• Complete this online questionnaire: http://goo.gl/forms/DFB3gWbSj9

Links for more information:

• U360 Curriculum Brochure
• U360 Overview Video (3 mins)
• U360 Alumni Testimonials Video (2 mins)
• U360 Alumni Testimonials (written)