Field Logistics Coordinator

Digital Harbor Foundation•Baltimore, MD

9d•$50 - $75•Remote

About The Position

The Field Logistics Coordinator is a contract role anticipated through February 2027 with Arête Glacier Initiative. This role is responsible for serving as the science team’s primary logistics planner and ALE liaison. This is a planning and coordination role as much as a field role. The coordinator will work closely with our science team and ALE staff to ensure that every logistical requirement for the expedition is anticipated, communicated, and resolved - from cargo manifests and instrument shipping to field safety protocols and day-to-day communication at Thwaites. You will be the person who knows both the science team’s needs and ALE’s systems well enough to keep the two in sync. Arête Glacier Initiative is supporting a multi-institutional glaciology research expedition to Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica, deploying in the upcoming austral summer (December/January). A science team of approximately five researchers will conduct geophysical fieldwork - including seismic sensor deployment, GNSS/GPS stations, and ground penetrating radar - at a fly-in field site accessed through Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions’ (ALE) Union Glacier camp. Field logistics on the ice will be handled by ALE. Arête Glacier Initiative is a new nonprofit initiative dedicated to understanding the risk of catastrophic sea-level rise and assessing the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of potential interventions to stabilize ice sheets. Digital Harbor Foundation is dedicated to fostering learning, creativity, productivity, and community through education with a vision of digital equity for everyone.

Requirements

Demonstrated polar field experience, preferably including at least one Antarctic season, with strong working knowledge of the realities of remote ice-sheet fieldwork
Experience working within or alongside a commercial or national Antarctic logistics provider; familiarity with how field plans, cargo systems, and flight scheduling work in practice
Strong organizational skills; ability to manage complex, multi-party logistics with long lead times and limited margin for error
Excellent communication skills; able to represent the science team’s needs to a logistics provider and translate operational constraints back to scientists
Comfortable working independently and collaboratively in a remote environment across a geographically distributed team
Deep understanding of what it takes to plan and execute a remote Antarctic field campaign
Proactive and detail-oriented, able to anticipate problems before they reach the field and resolve them efficiently across time zones and institutions
Clear communicator who can work effectively with both scientists and logistics providers, and know how to bridge those two worlds
Comfortable working in an early-stage organization where priorities may evolve and initiative is valued
Organized, reliable, and able to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines simultaneously

Nice To Haves

Direct prior experience with ALE operations and Union Glacier staging
Personal Antarctic field experience, providing firsthand understanding of the environment and constraints the team will be working in
Background in glaciology, geophysics, or a related cryosphere science; familiarity with seismic, GNSS, or radar field operations
Experience coordinating multi-institutional science teams
Prior role as field PI, science coordination office member, or expedition manager on a polar project

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary point of contact for ALE for all expedition logistics: flight scheduling, cargo, camp configuration, field movement planning, and communications setup
Work with the science team to develop a detailed Field Plan covering site access, instrument deployment sequences, traverse routes, daily schedules, and contingency plans
Coordinate equipment procurement, packing, documentation, and cargo shipping to Punta Arenas staging
Coordinate team medical/fitness clearances and any ALE-required training or documentation
Liaise with science team members across multiple institutions to consolidate logistics requirements
Oversee equipment repatriation, cargo tracking, and shipping from Punta Arenas
Compile a post-season logistics report documenting lessons learned, ALE costs, and recommendations for future seasons