Applied Research Coordinator

THE WATER INSTITUTE OF THE GULF • New Orleans, LA

28d • $54,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Water Institute is looking for an experienced Applied Research Coordinator to support the Chief Scientist primarily and provide additional support to divisional leadership, as directed, to ensure that organization’s goals, priorities, and objectives are accomplished and that operations run efficiently. Additionally, the Center is seeking support to implement the expansion of the Community Resilience Catalyst to serve the broader Gulf Coast. The position will support all aspects of the Catalyst Program working with a range of teammates, topics, stakeholders, and external partners. The position will be located in Louisiana at our office on the UNO campus in New Orleans. The ideal candidate will be a proactive problem solver with exceptional communication skills and meticulous attention to details. This person should have experience working in an office environment, performing administrative duties, and providing support to leadership. Given the dynamic nature of the organization, we will rely on this role to be flexible and consistent while maintaining the confidentiality of high-level systems and operations. Additionally, it is expected that the successful candidate will be able to connect across technical fields, translate research into practice, and communicate with a wide range of audiences. This person needs a high comfort level working and interacting with diverse and technical collaborators, decision makers, stakeholders, and coastal residents.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with one-year work experience in environmental science, stakeholder engagement, conservation, community resilience, public policy, planning, political science, or a related field.
• Five plus years of proven experience in an administrative role reporting directly to senior management
• At least 2 years of experience in an organization that works in science and/or natural resource management
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong time-management skills and an ability to organize and coordinate multiple concurrent projects
• Demonstrated ability to communicate openly and effectively to build rapport, trust, and collaborative relationships with a wide range of partners, organizations, and agencies.
• Ability to implement multimodal outreach and engagement strategies (e.g., virtual platforms, in-person, phone and email campaigns, workshops, trainings, social media, etc.).
• Proficiency with office productivity tools and an aptitude for learning new software and systems
• Flexible team player, willing to adapt to changes and unafraid of challenges
• Proactive and positive attitude to problem solving, ability to work independently, and self-motivated.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of information related to the company and its employees

Nice To Haves

• 8+ years of experience in organizations that work in science and/or natural resource management strongly desired.
• Experience working in interdisciplinary project teams, in or with the public sector, with communities on the Gulf Coast, with community organizing.
• Specific technical skills to complement the Institute’s existing technical services, which could include:
• Graphic design and/or urban design skills
• Data visualization
• Expertise in developing and conducting meaningful community engagement practices
• Social science research methods
• Expertise in risk, vulnerability, and/or benefit-cost analysis

Responsibilities

• Manage and organize calendars and appointments to optimize Chief Scientist’s time and as requested for divisional leadership.
• Coordinate complex scheduling and calendar management, as well as content and flow of information to Chief Scientist and as requested to divisional leadership. This may include setting agendas, taking notes, following up on action items, tracking questions and routing appropriately, and ensuring answers are provided to the questions.
• Maintain and refine internal processes that support Chief Scientist and division as requested and coordinate internal and external resources to expedite workflows.
• Manage communication with employees by liaising as needed internally and externally on various projects and tasks.
• Plan and orchestrate in-person meeting and workshop logistics by organizing meeting locations and participants, booking spaces, tracking invitations and responses, purchasing supplies, setting up and breaking down meetings, printing materials to support AR billable projects
• Manage Chief Scientist’s travel logistics and activities, including accommodations, transportation, and meals and provide same assistance for other divisional leaders as needed.
• Provide administrative and office support, such as typing, dictation, spreadsheet creation, faxing, and maintenance of filing system and contacts database.
• In conjunction with Institute Office Administrator, manage office-management duties for the New Orleans office such as reporting maintenance issues, setting up for new hires and meetings, assisting with receiving and organizing of supplies, being a liaison with IT, etc.
• Maintain professionalism and strict confidentiality with all materials.
• Design and implement stakeholder outreach and engagement including one-on-one meetings, emails, social media, workshops, and trainings.
• Communicating technical findings and other information and concepts through a variety of modes including memos, reports, one-pagers, and infographics.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Flexibility: We understand that our team members have different needs and do our best to work with their schedules and provide benefits and resources to meet these needs.
• Inclusive environment: We are committed to building an inclusive environment where all teammates feel comfortable and supported.
• Fun! We love to keep things fun, both within our work and at company-wide events.
• Work life balance: We are respectful of people’s boundaries and support that through Institute values so that our team has time to recharge and do their best work within the mission of the organization.
• Growth opportunity: We are always learning and developing new research methodologies and working with partners to solve problems. You will have the opportunity to engage in growing and leading research with ample opportunities to take ownership and flourish.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 51-100 employees