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Show me jobs like this one| Job Ref: | 39519 |
| Employer: |
Nature Conservancy. |
| State/Province: | California |
| Type of Employment: | Full Time |
| Environmental Categories: | Conservation |
| Job Description: |
OFFICE LOCATION OFFICE LOCATION Position is based in California. Specific office location tbd based on project assignment. ABOUT US ABOUT US The Nature Conservancy is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in all 50 states and more than 33 countries. Founded in 1951, the mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. TNC DEPARTMENT OR PROGRAM SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT OR PROGRAM SPECIFIC The Conservancy uniquely embodies the concept of working locally and globally simultaneously, tapping local results to inform global strategies and policy. That scope, size, and track record positions us to be a transformative global leader in solving some of the world’s toughest environmental challenges. The California Chapter is the largest and among the most innovative chapters of the organization, with approximately 180 employees and $625 million in assets. The Nature Conservancy believes that what happens in California doesn’t stay in California—that the solutions the organization forges here can have repercussions across the country and the world. Through our on-the-ground and in-the-water projects across California’s diverse habitats and communities, we seek innovative solutions that protect critical landscapes and seascapes and that can be used to shape and inform public policy, the practices of industries, and the actions of conservationists around the world. TNC POSITION SUMMARY POSITION SUMMARY This is a ten (10) week donor funded position available to MBA candidates midway through graduate program. Come join the California Chapter through our Associates Program to test the fit of your academic training with conservation initiatives. By sitting in the chair of a Project Director for a ten (10) week period, you will gain exposure to strategy in action. Some of the functions of Project Directors are listed below. The Associate(s) will work under the supervision of a Senior level Project Director for one of the Chapter’s Strategic Initiatives. PROJECT SAMPLES There are a variety of project opportunities focused on Strategic Initiatives relating to migratory birds, renewable energy, salmon and climate change. A sampling of some projects include: Migratory Birds Initiative Location: Sacramento or San Francisco Output – Expected work products: The Migratory Bird Initiative is currently working with Audubon California and PRBO Conservation Science to develop field management practices that provide enhanced benefits to support wintering birds in the Central Valley and Delta. Our initial effort focused on rice in the Sacramento Valley, and a recent program through the Natural Resources Conservation Service resulted in more than 70 farmers committing to implement the preferred practices on more than 25,000 acres. The next step is to apply this model to other crops, including alfalfa, wheat and corn. We seek an Associate to develop an assessment on the economic and social incentives for farmers to adopt preferred field management practices for these new crops. The report would provide a recommendation on which crops to focus on (based on an expected return on conservation investment) and a strategy to guide outreach. This assessment would build upon our experience in the field, as well as an existing report on avian use of these crops. Actions &/or Required Activities: The Associate will conduct research to understand the economic drivers of producing each crop, identify potential points of leverage and conduct interviews with key growers, academics, industrial organizations, agencies and partners. Within The Nature Conservancy, the Associate will seek input from a multi-disciplinary team of scientists and conservation practioners. Preferred Qualifications: Experience with or an understanding of agricultural production is preferred. Experience with interfacing with multi-disciplinary and diverse audiences and strong research skills required. Renewable Energy Initiative Location: Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, San Francisco Output – Expected work products: The Renewable Energy Initiative is working to influence the siting and mitigation of utility-scale renewable energy projects to minimize impacts to biodiversity and maximum the benefits of conservation investment. Our team will be completing an assessment of the West Mojave that identifies places of least impact for development as well as considerations for mitigating in locations with regional importance for biodiversity. Based on earlier assessments, we already know that public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management contain some of the highest conservation values and these lands are continue to face threats to biodiversity. We seek an Associate to develop an assessment of the current mitigation approach and changes that are needed to ensure that mitigation actions achieve their stated objectives over time. In particular, this work will require an analysis of existing federal and California state mitigation requirements that have been approved for utility-scale renewable projects, derived from CEQA, NEPA, Endangered Species Acts and the Clean Water Act to evaluate their cost, ecological effectiveness and endurance. The final assessment should also include recommendations, including implementation frameworks, incentives, and penalties, to ensure that mitigation actions achieve their stated objectives. We are looking for a specific focus on implementation of off-site mitigation on public lands. Actions &/or Required Activities: The Associate will conduct research to understand the mitigation requirements that have been approved for utility-scale renewable energy projects in California as well as those in Nevada where a mitigation investment was applied to public lands, the costs of these actions, and the framework that is in place for ensuring that the mitigation investment meets the goals stated through the permitting and environmental review process. The Associate will conduct interviews with key environmental, agency, industry and academic partners. Within The Nature Conservancy, the Associate will seek input from a multi-disciplinary team of scientists, policy experts and conservation practitioners. Preferred Qualifications: Experience with or an understanding of CEQA, NEPA, the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act is preferred. Experience with interfacing with multi-disciplinary and diverse audiences and strong research skills required. Salmon Initiative Location: San Francisco Output – Expected work products: Brief – 5- 10 page report and set of recommendations outlining:
Actions &/or Required Activities:
Preferred Qualifications: Knowledge of watershed and/or salmon conservation Familiarity with current marketing or public relations tools, including effectively relaying conservation messages through printed materials, social media or websites to reach both traditional and non-traditional audiences. Climate Change Initiative Location: San Francisco preferred, Ventura acceptable Output – Expected work products: The California climate change team is designing and implementing a comprehensive suite of nature-based solutions to address climate change. This program includes strategies to use conservation to help human communities adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. To build support for adopting “green” or nature-based solutions, we seek to understand better the economic comparison to engineered, or “gray” responses. The Associate would prepare a written report comparing the costs of wetland restoration and construction vs. construction of levees and sea walls at Ormond Beach, Ventura County. Report will be integrated into Ventura Coastal Resilience project and used in development of decision support tools for local decision makers and in setting priorities for land based conservation in the Ormond Beach / Oxnard plain area. Actions &/or Required Activities: The Associate would follow up on an economic analysis we have currently underway being conducted by UC Berkeley Environmental Economist David Roland-Holst to develop a set of analytic tools to compare cost of green infrastructure vs. gray infrastructure. The intern would work with the Climate Change Team and the Ventura Coastal Resilience project team to apply the tools developed by the consultant at the site scale as part of our climate change / coastal hazard demonstration project in Ormond Beach. The project would involve travel to Ventura, meetings with various TNC staff and other stakeholders, research on possible actions, economic analysis and report production. Preferred Qualifications: Excellent analytic and writing skills are essential. Some familiarity with sea level rise and climate change preferred but not required. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS The Conservation Associate will gain a brief exposure to directing aspects of protection, science, stewardship and community relations for a region within the California Chapter. S/he will gain some contact experience with a variety of stakeholders that may include government agencies, other conservation organizations, foundations and the academic community. This will include limited exposure to one or more of the following functions:
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
ADDITIONAL JOB INFORMATION PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
COMPLEXITY/PROBLEM SOLVING
DISCRETION/LATITUDE/DECISION-MAKING
RESPONSIBILITY/OVERSIGHT – FINANCIAL AND SUPERVISORY
COMMUNICATIONS/INTERPERSONAL CONTACTS
WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL EFFORT: The Conservation Associate may work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances. These conditions may:
This position may also:
BENEFITS BENEFITS The Nature Conservancy offers competitive compensation, excellent benefits, flexible work policies and a collaborative work environment. We also provide professional development opportunities and promote from within. As a result, you will find a culture that supports and inspires conservation achievement and personal development, both within the workplace and beyond. TNC HOW TO APPLY HOW TO APPLY To apply to position number 39519, please submit resume and cover letter as one document. All applications must be submitted in the system prior to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on January 13, 2012. Failure to complete all of the required fields may result in your application being disqualified from consideration. The information entered in the education and work experience sections are auto screened by the system based on the basic qualifications of the position. You must click "submit" to apply for the position. Click "save" if you want to be able to return to your application and submit it later. Once submitted, applications cannot be revised or edited. EOE STATEMENT EOE STATEMENT The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. |
| Post Date: | 11/05/2011 |
