Application Due Date: November 16, 2026

As the Environmental Management Staffer in this position, you will work closely with the Clean Water Goal Team and workgroup chairs and coordinators to support day-to-day activities, coordinate goal team and workgroup meetings, communicate with group members and Chesapeake Bay Program staff, and track collaborative team actions. While these vital coordination and administrative support functions can comprise a large portion of each Staffer’s experience (~60%), they are balanced with developmental work, including projects and assignments that provide opportunities to build skills and leadership experience. As part of the Environmental Management Career Development Program, you will also spend time on activities to support your own professional growth and development like participating in workshops and conferences, taking a course to develop or enhance a skill, networking with professionals in informational interviews, and more.

As an Environmental Management Staffer in this program, you would have a unique opportunity to develop up to three years of professional experience through your day-to-day work activities while having dedicated time and support focused on your individual professional growth. This position offers an opportunity to work with a broad team of partners from across the Chesapeake Bay watershed representing a vast network of government (federal, state, and local) and non-government entities. The skills and network gained from this position will be valuable to someone seeking further education and/or career development in the environmental policy and science field with a focus on water quality, watershed restoration and conservation, and natural resources management.

Environmental Management Staffers work a hybrid schedule, dividing time each week between in-office work and telework. The candidate selected for this position will work as a CRC employee at the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office located in Annapolis, Maryland.

The following provides some specific responsibilities that are likely to be assigned to the person accepting this position. This list is not exhaustive, and not all activities are concurrent. Staffers are considered a critical part of the team, working daily with networks of dedicated and passionate professionals, and can share in guiding and shaping important aspects of the work.

• Participate as an engaged contributor to the Clean Water Goal Team as well as the goal team’s workgroups and action teams.
• Provide meeting support by scheduling meetings and developing meeting agendas, setting up hybrid meeting technologies such as video conferencing and collaborative tools (training provided), drafting concise meeting minutes, and tracking and following up on action and decision items with various staff and partners.
• Manage communications and outreach to workgroup members, develop and maintain member engagement; and track internal workgroup email distribution lists.
• Manage and update content, contacts, and calendar items on goal team and workgroup webpages on the Chesapeake Bay Program website (content management system training provided).
• Assist with coordination, implementation, and tracking of actions specified in the Clean Water Management Strategy.
• Update, track, and consolidate feedback on documents or resources as necessary from workgroup members, leadership, and other experts.
• Other duties assigned may include drafting reports, presentations, briefing materials and communication pieces; producing the quarterly Clean Water Goal Team newsletter; performing analyses; consolidating data; and other tasks as needed or as desired for professional growth.

The ideal candidate for the position would have the following background and interests. However, if you meet more than 75% of the qualifications of this description, we encourage you to apply. We welcome inclusion of nontraditional or nonformal education and experiences, volunteer, and lived experience that contributes to your fit for the position.

• A bachelor’s degree in natural sciences, environmental management, public policy, environmental law, watershed planning, environmental economics, or a related field, with specific knowledge or experience in watershed management, agriculture, nonpoint/point source pollution, and clean water law and policy. Candidates from related fields of study are welcome to apply if interested and/or experience aligns with the listed subject areas.
• Ability to perform background research, analysis, and synthesis on policy and science related topics.
• Familiarity with, or interest to learn about, the federal Clean Water Act and its implementation in the Bay watershed.
• Skills in data visualization using GIS (experience with ESRI ArcPro, ArcGIS Online software and/or college level GIS courses) are a plus and would allow the Staffer to connect with a wider array of developmental opportunities.
• Ability to provide support by independently planning meetings, developing agendas, drafting concise meeting minutes and tracking action items.
• Experience with producing content for various written and web-based communications.
• Familiarity with using hybrid meeting technologies such as video conferencing (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, etc.).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint is required and experience with Google Suite, Adobe Acrobat Professional, and scheduling apps such as Doodle or When to Meet is beneficial.
• Experience with or interest in collaborating with a range of partners and stakeholders as part of interdisciplinary teams representing a variety of interests, in an environment meant to build consensus.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong time management and organizational skills that support the ability to manage, prioritize, and meet deadlines for multiple tasks with attention to detail.
• Creative and collaborative problem-solving skills.
• Able to adapt in a dynamic working environment. Taking initiative to complete tasks independently and fulfill shared responsibilities as part of a team.
• Interest in learning how a multi-stakeholder, regional governmental-environmental-management partnership sets and achieves goals through collaboration, adaptive management and science-based decision making.
• A willingness to explore career options and interest in engaging in professional development activities.

All Environmental Management Staffers are required to successfully complete a federal background check upon hire.

Chesapeake Research Consortium is committed to a diverse workforce and encourages people from all backgrounds to apply. CRC recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

The annual salary for all Environmental Management Staffer positions is $52,432. Our competitive benefits package includes paid vacation, sick and personal leave; affordable health, dental, and vision insurance options; paid holidays; and access to retirement saving options with an employer contribution. In addition to the experience gained through your work assignments, CRC can support your attendance at professional conferences, workshops, and training related to your position, identified future career interests and individual professional development plan.

We are looking to start a new Staffer in this role in the early to mid-December timeframe. An exact start date will be determined collaboratively with the selected candidate.

Complete applications will include the following components:

• cover letter which includes information about your immediate and long-term career goals,
• resume,
• list of three references that describes your relationship with the referee (no more than one sentence required) and provides the referee’s email address and (if available) phone number,
• academic transcript (unofficial copies are accepted), and
• writing sample that is approximately 1-5 pages (longer samples are accepted but may not be reviewed in total) where you are the sole author. Excerpts from larger works accepted.

Applications should be sent electronically to Melissa Fagan, Environmental Management Career Development Program Coordinator, at faganm@chesapeake.org. Please refer to the Clean Water Goal Team Staffer position in your email’s subject line.