Chesapeake Geospatial Project Manager

CHESAPEAKE GEOSPATIAL PROJECT MANAGER

Job Type: Full-time, exempt

Reports To: Deputy Director of the Conservation Innovation Center

Direct Reports: Geospatial Modeler, Senior Geospatial Analyst

Work Location: Annapolis, Maryland. The Chesapeake Conservancy office operates under a hybrid remote/in-person environment with one day in the office per week required.

Anticipated Start Date: November 2024

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY

The role of the Chesapeake Geospatial Project Manager will be to execute and manage a 5-year geospatial land characterization project between Chesapeake Conservancy’s Conservation Innovation Center (CIC), EPA and Chesapeake Bay Program’s (CBP) geospatial data and science team. Through close professional and organizational contacts, the Chesapeake Geospatial Project Manager ensures cooperation and collaboration among the CIC, partners and service providers to not only meet active grant requirements and financial obligations but to also improve CIC visibility, develop new collaborative partnerships and assess geospatial needs to identify and build business opportunities across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Chesapeake Geospatial Project Management

• Serve as the project manager for current and future bay-wide projects, leading a team of highly skilled analysts by providing guidance, instruction, troubleshooting support, feedback and evaluation 
• Manage the completion of the full life cycle of assigned portfolio of grants/contracts, including but not limited to developing work plans, official EPA Action Plans, workgroups, research, budget adherence, reporting, and related strategies
• Monitor project progress, track milestones and ensure adherence to timelines and quality assurances
• In close collaboration with the deputy director, serve as the key CIC staff representative to bay-wide data projects and partners
• Manage project timelines and staff schedules, and ensure cost-effective resource utilization
• Write and develop Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPP), Quality Management Plans (QMP) and Data Management Plans (DMP)
• Ensure the CIC and Chesapeake Conservancy complies with federal grant reporting requirements, including submitting complete reports (QAPPs, QMPs and others) on time
• Work with the operations manager to balance and monitor team workflows across active projects, identify and manage risks to projected timelines and motivate staff to deliver project outcomes on time and within budget
• Work with grant administrators and the deputy director to execute client contracts for future and current bay-wide grants
• Coordinate a response to urgent and unplanned needs such as ad hoc maps, reports or presentations from Conservancy and CIC leadership and the business development team

Administration

• Maintain organized records of subaward or contractor agreements, invoices and progress reports. Work with grant administrators to collect information and documentation needed for federal audit records. 
• Support the CIC management team by performing monthly reviews of personnel time allocations and making adjustments to project plans as needed
• Assist with the preparation of budgets and narratives for new proposals and grants
• Lead project reporting as required by EPA, CBP and stakeholders. Update internal grant deliverable tracking system and fulfill reporting requirements. 

Partnership Development

• Assist the deputy director in strategically aligning the Conservancy and CIC with the CBP partnership geospatial and data science needs and project planning
• Articulate highly technical geospatial concepts and analysis to technical and non-technical audiences
• Present projects to partners and the public in presentations and at networking events
• Maintain excellent and active working relationships with the CBP partners, working groups and Goal Implementation Teams (GITs), and other appropriate partners
• Identify and recommend funding and strategies to sustain the CBP-focused staff and administrative needs beyond core EPA grant funding
• Establish, develop and expand relationships among bay-wide partners and service providers 
• Coordinate CIC team member presentations to partners

Other Duties as Assigned

REQUIRED SKILLS/ABILITIES

• A bachelor’s degree is required, ideally with a concentration in Environmental Science or Geography. At least three years of relevant and progressively responsible professional experience.
• Complex project management experience and the ability to multitask
• Candidates must be familiar with advanced methods and procedures for implementing advanced geospatial data analysis using GIS and data science tools and methods such as ArcGIS, AI, GRASS or QGIS 
• A desire to advance the mission and goals of Chesapeake Conservancy, the CIC, CBP and the EPA
• Experience managing project team members to improve their skillset and to meet project timelines
• A commitment to assisting direct reports to be successful and to meet their career goals
• An ability to think strategically and creatively to advance the goals of the Conservancy and the CBP and to clearly and compellingly articulate a vision and strategies to partners
• An ability to anticipate or ascertain the needs of all partners and stakeholders
• Ability to communicate and present complex technical concepts and analysis to technical and non-technical audiences
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and an attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to forge relationships across a spectrum of professionals and stakeholders
• Organizational skills and proficiencies with Microsoft and Google Documents; experience using various platforms for remote meetings

PREFERRED SKILLS/ABILITIES

• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is required or the willingness and ability to complete training within the first month of employment
• Familiarity with the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program goals, committee and partnership structure and community
• Knowledge of and experience working to advance conservation, environmental health and social justice in the Chesapeake Bay region

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $75,000 - $90,000 depending on relevant experience. The Conservancy offers a competitive employee benefits package that includes:

• 3 medical plans, plus dental and vision insurance plans. The Conservancy pays 70-75% of the premium for medical and dental.
• Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account options
• Life and AD&D insurance and long-term disability insurance. The Conservancy pays 100% of the premium for these ancillary benefits.
• 15 days paid vacation leave accrued annually, increased to 20 days after 5 years of service
• 4 weeks paid sick and family leave accrued annually
• 13 paid holidays
• 403(b) retirement plan with up to 5% employer match
• Alternate Work Week and flexible work hours available
• Hybrid work arrangement
• Opportunities for advancement and professional development

Chesapeake Conservancy is a non-profit organization based in Annapolis, Maryland. We are a team of conservation entrepreneurs. We believe that the Chesapeake is a national treasure that should be accessible for everyone and a place where wildlife can thrive. We use technology to enhance the pace and quality of conservation, and we help build parks, trails and public access sites.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND JUSTICE

Chesapeake Conservancy understands that protecting and restoring the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed requires intentional commitment to inclusive practices and narratives within the conservation movement. Through our work we celebrate and elevate the people, places, and cultures of the region, especially by engaging underrepresented communities. Committing to the values of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice is critical to achieve our vision of a Chesapeake that is healthy, accessible to everyone, and a place where people and wildlife thrive. To that end, we commit ourselves to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice both in our programmatic priorities and our internal organizational development through inclusive recruitment of staff and board members and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture.

The Chesapeake Conservancy is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, color, age, sex, pregnancy, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, refusal to submit to a genetic test or to make available genetic test results, or any other legally protected characteristic.

If you require a reasonable accommodation for a disability during any part of the recruitment process, please contact HR Manager Helen Sieracki at hsieracki@chesapeakeconservancy.org or (443) 261-2376.