NEON Engagement Coordinator - CO

Battelle • Boulder, CO

17h • Hybrid

About The Position

Battelle manages and operates the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) program, which is solely funded by the National Science Foundation. A 30+ year project dedicated to understanding how changes in climate, land use and invasive species impact ecology, the observatory’s scientists and engineers are collecting a comprehensive range of ecological data on a continental scale across 20 eco-climatic domains representing US ecosystems. Our teams use cutting-edge technology, including an airborne observation platform that captures images of regional landscapes and vegetation; mobile, relocatable, and fixed data collection sites with automated ground sensors to monitor soil and atmosphere; and trained field crews who observe and sample populations of diverse organisms and collect soil and water data. Once structures are completed, a leading-edge cyberinfrastructure will calibrate, store and publish this information. The Observatory includes more than 500+ personnel and is the first of its kind designed to detect and enable forecasting of ecological change at continental scales. We are currently seeking a NEON Engagement Coordinator. This hybrid position is based in Boulder, CO. The Engagement Coordinator is a key member of the NEON Engagement team, responsible for developing and maintaining the Observatory's education, engagement, and outreach efforts in collaboration with NEON headquarters and field staff at Domain offices. The Engagement Coordinator will coordinate NEON's Domain Outreach Liaison Program, supporting a team of 18 designated field ecologists in identifying, planning, executing, and reporting on external engagement activities across the country. As part of this effort, the Engagement Coordinator will work closely with the Engagement Lead and external evaluators to track progress and metrics on activities aligned with NEON's Strategic Interaction Plan. The Engagement Coordinator will use and maintain NEON's customer relationship management (CRM) database (i.e., Salesforce) to plan, document, monitor, and report on engagement-related activities. Additionally, the Engagement Coordinator will contribute to broader outreach efforts, including collaborating with the NEON Communications Specialist and Graphic Designer to develop and update engagement materials, tools, and training resources that promote strategic and impactful engagement. Other responsibilities include coordinating NEON's presence at conferences and scientific meetings; supporting staff in representing NEON at such events; and coordinating with key internal stakeholders on annual planning and implementation of community engagement with priority audiences. Applicants should have demonstrated experience building and maintaining relationships with a nationally distributed network of staff and partner organizations. To learn more about the NEON Project, visit: https://www.neonscience.org/

Requirements

• High School Diploma with 2-4 years of experience participating in or coordinating the design, implementation, and evaluation of outreach and engagement efforts; or equivalent education and years of experience.
• Good oral and written communications skills and ability to prioritize and organize work, including experience in conducting meetings, note taking, and communicating with large audiences.
• Self-initiative and ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Requires a working knowledge of commonly used PC applications, including tools such as MS Teams and/or Zoom, and MS Office.
• Ability and willingness to travel as needed (less than 10% time).
• Applicants must have authorization to work in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of any employment Visa at this time.

Nice To Haves

• Associate degree with demonstrated experience planning, designing, and conducting engaging and effective outreach or engagement plans and activities with target audiences
• Experience with Salesforce as a CRM tool
• Experience working successfully with a geographically dispersed team
• Experience preparing technical and administrative reports
• Effective problem-solving skills and ability to work on multiple projects at a time and act on changing priorities
• Familiarity with or willingness to learn to work with monitoring and evaluation tools (e.g, survey tools, data dashboards)
• Familiarity with or willingness to learn introductory/basic coding in R and/or Python
• Familiarity with or willingness to learn content management systems to update basic website content (e.g., Drupal)

Responsibilities

• Manage NEON's Domain Outreach Liaison Program, including: Ensuring each Domain develops and executes annual plans aligned with NEON's Strategic Interaction Plan and priorities Leading and maintaining annual training content for Domain Outreach Liaisons Coordinating regular meetings to monitor Outreach Liaison needs and progress on implementing 200+ outreach activities annually across the United States Fulfilling materials requests by printing and shipping resources to Domain offices Identifying impactful activities, success stories, or case studies to highlight more widely and contributing to reporting requirements Supporting leadership on budget tracking for Domain Outreach activities
• Coordinate with NEON's science and engineering staff (engineering, observation science, instrumentation science, airborne observations platform/hangar, NEON Biorepository, and NEON Research Support Services) on engagement planning to increase awareness of and promote the use of NEON data, samples, and infrastructure in advancing scientific research and workforce development
• Utilize and maintain the organizational CRM database (i.e., Salesforce) to document, monitor, and report on community interactions and partnerships, including providing training and best-practice guidance to staff to ensure high-quality data entry and recommending system modifications to maximize functionality
• Contribute to evaluation activities to gather feedback and improve upon future engagement and outreach efforts aligned with the NEON Strategic Interaction Plan, including establishing and reporting on performance metrics on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis; developing and analyzing surveys or other feedback tools; and acting upon lessons learned
• Work closely with the Engagement Lead and NEON Communications Specialist to coordinate NEON's presence at national scientific conferences (e.g., AGU, ESA), including staffing exhibit booths, coordinating field trips to local NEON field sites, and supporting presentation awards or accolades
• Assist the NEON Data Skills team in planning and conducting data skills workshops and training for a variety of end users
• Provide news items and updates related to NEON engagement and outreach efforts on internal platforms and in team meetings
• Provide ad-hoc support to the NEON Communications Specialist in executing external communication strategies to increase visibility of NEON
• Assist with coordination of headquarters site tours as requested
• Support and consult with NEON staff and program leadership to develop, maintain, and track productive relationships with a broad spectrum of environmental science communities, including universities, research institutions, professional scientific societies, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and industry partners
• Assist the Engagement Lead and contribute to other engagement activities as needed

Benefits

• Paid time off
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage with wellness incentives and benefits plus a variety of optional supplemental benefits.
• Coverage for partners, gender-affirming care and health support, and family formation support.
• Industry-leading 401(k) retirement savings plan (Battelle contributes 5% regardless of employee contribution and matches employee contributions).
• Tuition assistance is available to pursue higher education.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED