Community Engagement Specialist

• Location: Richmond, California
• Program: Resilient Landscapes
• Type: Full-time
• Experience Level: Some Experience, Mid level (ESI-ESII)
• Position Type: Permanent
• Salary: $98,490-$114,068. See details below.

Position Description

• Posted: September 17, 2024
• First review of applications: October 8, 2024
• Application closing date: Position open until filled

The San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) seeks a community engagement expert to join our interdisciplinary Resilient Landscapes program. SFEI’s mission is to deliver visionary science that empowers people and communities to revitalize nature. SFEI believes in and works to support the self-determination of underserved communities and Tribes, as well as everyone’s right to share equally in the benefits of a healthy environment and access to nature. We are building relationships with communities and Tribes to co-create projects that address the needs of those who have been historically excluded and disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and the impacts of climate change.

SFEI co-develops nature-based strategies with communities, Tribes, and a wide variety of other partners to support healthy ecosystems and communities. SFEI’s strengths lie in contributing objective data and applying rigorous science to problem-solving, and we recognize that science in and of itself is only one part of the equation. Partnerships and engagement with the communities in which we work are fundamental to achieving meaningful impact. We are building trusted partnerships and authentically engaging with communities to clearly uncover, understand, and communicate environmental threats and injustices; support the development of holistic solutions; and facilitate equitable access to key decision-making conversations, opportunities, and resources.

The Resilient Landscapes Program provides science-based guidance for decision-makers on equitable, nature-based approaches to habitat restoration and climate adaptation. The person in this role will lead SFEI’s participation in, and facilitation of, engagement and partnership-building activities—with a focus on underserved communities and Tribes—to center community expertise and needs in our work. The role involves working on a variety of projects across the Resilient Landscapes Program’s core domains, including urban ecology, wetland ecosystems, watershed management, shoreline resilience, and historical ecology. The role requires a combination of communication and facilitation skills, experience leading authentic engagement and community partnerships, experience with environmental justice issues, cultural competency, and interest in environmental science.

In addition to developing partnerships, a key part of the role will be working collaboratively with all entities involved in the engagement process. SFEI’s role in engagement varies from project to project; the Community Engagement Specialist may lead or co-lead engagement events, sometimes in collaboration with community-based organizations, Tribes, and outreach or engagement consultants. These partners often support SFEI in event facilitation, large-scale public outreach and communication, engagement logistics, environmental education, and specialized facilitation for complex or sensitive topics.

Primary position responsibilities will include:

• Fostering effective collaboration and trusted partnerships with Bay Area and Northern California community-based organizations and Tribes.
• Managing and building relationships with a diverse set of community-based organizations and Tribes.
• Crafting and presenting engagement materials in collaboration with SFEI science, communication, and design leads.
• Co-developing products (e.g., reports, maps, infographics) with community-based organizations and Tribes.
• Planning and facilitating engagement events, including collaborative work to support external partners or consultants, when applicable.
• Coordinating and tracking community and Tribal outreach for SFEI’s three program areas: Resilient Landscapes, Clean Water, and Environmental Informatics.
• Building capacity for community and tribal engagement at SFEI.
• Identify community engagement opportunities and needs across the organization, and contribute to proposals and fundraising efforts to enhance community engagement in our work.
• Participating in inclusive internal culture-building activities.
• Perform primary position responsibilities with minimal supervision

We encourage you to apply if you are excited about this role even if your past experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description. You may be just the right candidate for this or one of our other roles.

Qualifications

At our core, SFEI is a science organization that delivers visionary science to empower people and communities to revitalize nature. We are interested in adding a person to our team who has experience working with communities and has an interest in building partnerships to co-create environmental science projects that address community and Tribal needs. We seek a highly creative, empathetic, and communicative candidate to lead engagement and partnership building across a suite of scientific projects. The ideal candidate will have expertise in relationship-building and engagement with Bay Area and Northern California communities, particularly underserved communities and Tribes, experience with project management and fundraising, and an interest or knowledge in environmental science.

Position Requirements

• Located in the Bay Area (hybrid workplace)
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends, as needed for in-person engagement events

Required Experience

• Education in natural or social science and work experience with communities and Tribes
  • 13 years of relevant experience or
  • Bachelor’s degree with at least 9 years of relevant experience or
  • Master’s degree with at least 7 years of relevant experience
• Demonstrated commitment to environmental justice and equity

Required Skills

• Experience engaging with communities and Tribes, preferably within the Bay Area and California.
• Proven ability to build and maintain strong, authentic relationships with community-based organizations, government agencies, and Tribes that empower them to take action.
• Experience co-developing or co-designing projects with community groups and Tribal partners, e.g., planning and facilitating workshops and community events, conducting surveys, developing and presenting maps and infographics.
• Confidence in coordinating teams and managing partner and funder relationships.
• Strong organizational skills, keen attention to detail, and the ability to track and report on the relationship building and engagement outcomes to SFEI staff.
• Experience in project management, including managing multiple projects efficiently, tracking budgets, and coordinating staff.
• Understanding of, or interest in, environmental science.
• Familiarity with and interest in environmental justice issues in the Bay Area and California.
• Participate in an inclusive work culture and learn about DEI principles and tools used within SFEI.

Preferred Skills

• Translating scientific concepts into resources for communities, Tribes, or other partners (e.g., maps, infographics).
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly present scientific information to non-technical audiences and elicit feedback.
• Demonstrated ability to relate to community and Tribal partners.
• Experience with participatory research and processes for engaging communities, including underserved communities or Tribes.

Salary & Benefits highlights:

• This will be a Community Engagement Specialist position (equivalent to an Environmental Scientist). The anticipated salary range for full-time employment is $98,490-$114,068 for this position. Salary ranges take into account many factors for determining compensation, including but not limited to experience, education, internal equity, and organizational needs. We expect to offer starting salaries at or near the lower end of the salary range.
• Matching contributions to retirement plan (immediate vesting) (403B)
• Medical Insurance: health, vision, dental with employer and employee contributions
• 12 paid holidays
• Vacation days starting at 3 weeks accrual/year
• Professional development resources
• Hybrid workplace

About Resilient Landscapes

SFEI’s Resilient Landscapes Program develops innovative ecosystem restoration and management strategies to re-establish and sustain essential ecosystem functions and services. These strategies are helping integrate natural and human infrastructure to create systems that are more adaptive to climate change and other stressors. We are an interdisciplinary program of approximately 35 scientists (geomorphologists, hydrologists, ecologists), planners, landscape architects, and GIS specialists – we work closely together and collaborate with staff in SFEI’s other technical programs: Clean Water and Environmental Informatics.

About SFEI

At the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) our mission is to deliver visionary science that empowers people to revitalize nature in our communities. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a 30-year track record of providing robust and innovative science to decision-makers, policy-makers, practitioners, communities, and Tribes to measurably improve the health and resiliency of Bay-Delta ecosystems. As a boundary organization, SFEI operates at the interface between science and policy, and is recognized nationally for our ability to build consensus to support effective environmental decision-making and policy.

SFEI employs an interdisciplinary staff of more than 80. Our operations and IT staff are the backbone of our organization and keep everything running smoothly. SFEI has three major programs: Clean Water, Environmental Informatics, and Resilient Landscapes. Our program staff represent numerous scientific and technological fields, including chemistry, modeling, ecology, wildlife biology, landscape planning, historical ecology, geomorphology, geospatial analysis, and web development.

For more information on our mission, values, programs, and staff, visit the San Francisco Estuary Institute website.

Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action Employer

At SFEI, we celebrate the diversity of our staff and the places we serve, and recognize the value and strength of diversity. We are committed to growing together and are actively working to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. In 2022, SFEI developed and adopted mission and vision statements for DEIJ within and beyond our organization. We also created an action plan which is currently underway. We strongly encourage applications from women-identified people, people of color, and people with other identities commonly under-represented in environmental science. We invite you to share what you like about your professional experience as well as about yourself personally.

Once again, if you are excited about our organization and this role, we encourage you to apply even if your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description. You may be just the right candidate for this, or one of our other roles.

San Francisco Estuary Institute is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We are committed to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, physical or mental disability, family or parental status, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Accommodations Statement 

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request an accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our website or application portal as a result of your disability. To request an accommodation, contact us at 510-746-7355 or admin@sfei.org.

Other Key Information

Please note that SFEI cannot sponsor an employment visa (e.g., H-1B) to fill this position.

In the spirit of a fair hiring process, no phone calls or emails please.