Salary Range :45000.00 To 50000.00 (USD) Annually

Posted: Open to internal and external applicants

Reports to: Community engagement and inclusion manager

Status: Full-time, salaried, benefitted position

Hours of work: Standard Monday–Friday workweek, 8am–5pm. Regular need for weekend or after-hours work as related to programs and other projects.

Date needed: ASAP

Posting expires: Open until filled

About the organization:

The Seattle Aquarium is a respected authority on Puget Sound, the Salish Sea and the world’s one ocean. Our passionate staff increases awareness and drives the change needed to preserve and protect our marine environment through a variety of channels, including a compelling exhibit experience and engaging daytime and evening events, conservation education programs for people of all ages and backgrounds, community outreach to underserved populations, research that advances understanding of animals in our care and their counterparts in the wild, advocacy and policy work, an award-winning volunteer program, strong and consistent marketing efforts, and more.

We’re noted for our collaborative, communicative and team-oriented working environment. Our values, developed in conjunction with our staff, include commitments to adopting and promoting sustainable practices, creating awe-inspiring experiences, constantly learning and improving, fostering an inclusive community, maintaining scientific credibility through evidence-based practices, and honoring our unique place by using our location and history as a lens for larger understanding.

Proudly accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, we’re the eighth-largest aquarium in the U.S. by attendance and we welcome over 850,000 people through our front doors each year. Guided by our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment, we’ve developed a master plan to substantially increase in size and impact by opening a new exhibit building, the Ocean Pavilion. Our current annual budget is $18 million.

Position description:

The Aquarium is hiring an empathy fellowship coordinator to join the community engagement team. This position will design and implement a brand-new program for the Seattle Aquarium, with the goal of engaging communities typically underrepresented among staff of aquariums and zoos and in the environmental field in general, through a paid and benefitted fellowship program. Starting in 2020, a cohort of two to four fellows will collaborate with Aquarium staff and work in their communities to develop and deliver empathy-themed programming. The empathy fellowship coordinator will hire and supervise the fellows; create and deliver empathy-based outreach programming alongside the fellows; and, once the term is over, provide the fellows with wraparound services, including activities such as résumé writing and interview-skills coaching, networking opportunities, and the opportunity to engage with future fellowship cohorts to create an alumni network. The empathy fellowship coordinator will also play a role in updating and improving other professional learning opportunities at the Aquarium (internships and similar opportunities) with a particular focus on making these opportunities more equitable.

About the fellowship program:

Communities of color and other marginalized communities bear the brunt of environmental harm, and historically they haven’t reaped the benefits of the solutions proposed. The empathy fellowship will offer job experience in the marine conservation field, with a focus on the role that empathy can play in both marine conservation and addressing the disproportional impact of environmental degradation on communities of color and other marginalized communities. Outcomes for the fellows include that they culturally and linguistically reflect the community in which they will be working, they gain professional networks, skills and experience that may lead to jobs in the green economy, and they use empathy for people and animals as a tool for environmental justice in their communities. The coordinator will play a key role in refining the outcomes and building the program from the ground up to achieve these outcomes.

This position is grant-funded through December 31, 2022.

Essential functions:

  • Work in collaboration with the community engagement, volunteer engagement and HR teams to build and launch the new empathy fellowship program, including creating a logic model for the program and writing the fellowship job description.
  • Recruit and hire fellows from historically marginalized communities in the Salish Sea region by building on relationships in those communities with existing and new Aquarium partners.
  • Work with HR to hire, train and evaluate each of the cohorts of full-time, paid fellows.
  • Serve as an encouraging, supportive mentor for fellows; provide ongoing coaching and connect fellows with resources and opportunities as they conduct their work.
  • Work with Aquarium staff and fellows to co-create and deliver empathy-based outreach programming with our community partners.
  • Coordinate the wraparound activities for current fellows and alumni, including activities such as résumé writing and interview-skills coaching, networking opportunities, and the opportunity to engage with future fellowship cohorts to create an alumni network.
  • In collaboration with the volunteer engagement and HR teams, examine and recommend updates to the Aquarium’s internship program and other professional learning opportunities.
  • Collaborate with principle evaluator to evaluate fellowship program.
  • Participate in grant-reporting activities on the fellowship program, such as gathering feedback from partners and fellows and reporting on outreach activities.

Required skills, abilities:

  • Interest and expertise in marine science and/or environmental science and conservation.
  • Experience with launching a new project or initiative and skills to overcome challenges and barriers encountered particularly at the start of a new project.
  • Expertise and comfort with facilitating courageous conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion topics, such as social and racial justice and environmental justice.
  • Interest in fostering empathy for people and animals as a conservation tool.
  • Experience supervising and mentoring staff with differing skills sets and levels of professional experience.
  • Experience working in and/or with community-based organizations, building strong ties in the community and networking with people from diverse backgrounds.
  • Experience developing education/outreach programs, especially in an informal education setting.
  • Strong oral and written communication skills and ability to effectively communicate with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
  • Experience and confidence with delivering formal presentations and informal interpretation, and/or teaching experience.
  • Ability to handle a variety of situations, including those that may be complicated or challenging, with grace, empathy and a sense of humor.
  • Familiarity with MS Office programs, including PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Outlook.

Experience, education and certifications: We will consider various combinations of relevant experience and education in order to meet minimum requirements.

Required:

  • B.A./B.S. degree in education, science or related field.
  • Three years’ cumulative experience working or volunteering in an aquarium, zoo, environmental education/restoration agency, nature center, camp, community-based organization or similar.
  • Two to three years of experience doing outreach or delivering education programs to diverse communities, community organizing or similar activities.
  • One to two years of experience supervising an individual and/or group.
  • Washington or other state driver’s license, or eligibility to obtain one upon arrival and good driving record. Must complete a motor vehicles records check as part of the hiring process.*

Preferred:

  • Experience developing and refining education programs using an equity lens to ensure accessibility and inclusion for diverse audiences.
  • Ability to communicate in a language in addition to English.

Working conditions:

  • Occasional extended exposure to outside weather conditions.
  • Occasionally required to lift and carry up to 20 pounds (e.g. totes of outreach supplies).
  • Comfortable getting near the ground to be at the same level with young children and traveling at least a mile in outdoor settings, such as along beaches or rivers.
  • Job requires time spent in offices, exhibits, service areas, classrooms and outdoor settings, such as along beaches or rivers.
  • Driving Aquarium vehicles (car, SUV or van) to outreach and field locations within a roughly 50-mile radius of Seattle.
  • Flexible schedule required. This position will regularly work weekends and evenings to accommodate outreach program needs.

Salary and benefits:

$45,000–$50,000/year, D.O.E. Please include salary expectations in your materials. Full-time staff are eligible for Seattle Aquarium’s comprehensive benefits package to include medical, vision, dental, health reimbursement account, medical and dental flexible spending accounts, life insurance, short- and long-term disability, access to a subsidized ORCA pass, an Aquarium Family Plus membership and generous paid time off.

How to apply:

The Seattle Aquarium is a progressive, equal opportunity employer that values a diverse workforce. All candidates are encouraged to apply by uploading a résumé and one-page letter detailing interest and relevant experience in our online application.

Please let us know if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for this job.

Job app can be found here: https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=98930ce8-632f-495a-bf7b-12cd372446bd&ccId=19000101_000001&jobId=301193&source=CC3&lang=en_US

*Note: Must pass a background check and motor vehicle records check, upon job offer, to be eligible for this position. Regarding driving records, during the last 36 months you must not have had any of the following experiences: left the scene of an accident; been convicted of reckless, negligent or careless driving; had automobile insurance canceled, declined or not renewed; been convicted of an alcohol- or drug-related offense; had driver’s license suspended or revoked; or been convicted of three or more speeding violations.