Science Integration Coordinator

Ducks Unlimited, Inc. • Bismarck, ND

1d • $88,000 - $97,000

About The Position

Ducks Unlimited (DU) and the Northern Great Plains Joint Venture (NGPJV) are seeking a Science Integration Coordinator to work across the Northern Great Plains region. This is a new leadership position that will coordinate and support the NGPJV’s efforts to integrate social, economic, ecological, and traditional science into strategic habitat conservation outcomes. Rural, resilient communities and human well-being are foundational to grassland conservation and the NGPJV’s work; science to inform this work is only as good as it can be accessed and understood. This position will help connect gaps between the development and interpretation of science, habitat conservation, and the people stewarding the Northern Great Plains region to increase the effectiveness of conservation actions.

The NGPJV is a public-private collaborative supported administratively by DU that works to sustain resilient lands for birds, other wildlife, and people. We support working lands agriculture and voluntary, non-regulatory solutions to conservation challenges. Our work focuses on networking to catalyze conservation, communications to raise awareness, and integration designed to conserve priority landscapes through science-driven programs and policies in collaboration with local land stewards. This position will provide leadership to our science integration team. Excellent communication skills and the ability to forge relationships with a broad spectrum of people and organizations are critical. This is a full-time position supervised by the NGPJV Coordinator. Approximately 8-10 weeks per year of overnight travel will be required.

Requirements

• Excellent communications skills and ability to recognize diverse audiences and adapt communication styles accordingly.
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with a broad spectrum of stakeholders. Experience with locally led coalitions, and rural and Indigenous communities preferred.
• Ability to communicate scientific results to diverse audiences using a variety of oral, written, spatial, and other platforms and techniques to effect desired understanding.
• Ability to forge lasting relationships and build partnerships among people with diverse perspectives.
• Demonstrated interest in the intersection among the socio-economic and ecological sciences.
• Demonstrated practice of emotional intelligence through exercising self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
• Understanding of scientific models and spatial analysis as a tool to guide conservation decisions.
• Knowledge of Geographic Information Systems, spatial modeling, and other science tools and ability to use these tools in a meaningful way to inform and effect change.
• Familiarity with integrated landscape-level planning.
• Graduate degree in social, economic, or ecological sciences (PhD preferred) and at least 4 years of progressively responsible experience in natural resource science, ecological conservation, economics, and/or social science related to conservation implementation.
• Must be willing to travel independently across the NGPJV region, Nationally, and potentially Internationally to attend meetings, conferences, site visits, etc. Travel may be for multiple, consecutive days, up to once a month.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of grassland systems and habitat conservation programs, especially those applicable on private lands, is preferred but can be learned on the job by the right candidate.
• Supervisory and mentoring experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Understand the needs of people working and living in the grasslands. Collaborate with a broad range of conservation professionals, locally led collaboratives, and private landowners.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with the scientific community, including NRCS’ Working Lands for Wildlife, USFWS’ Habitat and Population Evaluation Team, Indigenous biologists, University, USGS, NGO, and other scientists. Disciplines to include, but are not limited to, ecological, social, traditional, and economic sciences.
• Interpret scientific findings to inform socio-economic-ecological drivers of rural and Tribal ranching communities. Develop frameworks and communications for incorporating social, economic, traditional, and ecological science into conservation decisions that work for communities with different social structures (ranching, farming, Indigenous, non-producer landowners, other).
• Explore, identify, track, and evaluate conservation outcomes and impacts of conservation planning and delivery.
• Support the adoption of key science findings to inform a new paradigm for retaining grasslands to be translated and communicated to national, regional, and state-level decision makers and to inform agricultural policy recommendations.
• Integrate population-habitat and landscape-level spatial models to help prioritize key landscapes and maximize conservation efficiency. This involves working with staff and partners to synthesize existing tools and develop new tools, models, and platforms to meet the needs of partners and further deliver strategic conservation.
• Energize and leverage partner skillsets on NGPJV Technical Committee. Identify and support science needs and identify partners that can fill need. Lead NGPJV Technical Committee’s work on planning and objective setting as needed to keep NGPJV plans current and relevant to include species, habitat, and people objectives.
• Coordinate with other science professionals within the Joint Venture community to include participation in JV Science Coordinators, JV8 Central Grasslands Conservation Initiative, and Central Grasslands Roadmap working groups, as relevant and time allows.
• Collaborate with NGPJV Communications staff to tell success stories and importance of conservation work.
• Supervise Science Integration Specialist positions, ensure cohesive science team within NGPJV, and help identify needed cross-state science and decision support tools.

Benefits

• comprehensive group medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance, including spouse and dependent coverage
• three weeks paid vacation
• paid sick leave and 10 paid holidays
• 401(k) plan (including partial employer match)
• tuition reimbursement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level