assistant director for outreach - Seattle, United States - University of Washington
Description
As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.
UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.
Washington Sea Grant (WSG) has an outstanding opportunity for an experienced and innovative program manager to serve as the Assistant Director for Outreach. The Assistant Director for Outreach is a member of the WSG leadership team and fills a central role in strategic and operational planning, policy making and maintaining organizational effectiveness. The Assistant Director for Outreach assumes primary responsibility for managing WSG's outreach program, which engages with Washington's coastal communities and delivers information and technical assistance to address priority needs and help accomplish the mission of WSG. Reporting to the WSG Director, the individual will serve as supervisor to team leads, mentor WSG's outreach staff, and contribute directly to organizational priorities as a project lead on especially complex or challenging issues.
The Assistant Director for Outreach works with the WSG Director and other leadership team members to discern organizational priorities; address emerging needs and areas for improvement; and encourage program innovation, performance and sustainability. The Assistant Director for Outreach supervises and mentors professional staff with diverse backgrounds and needs who work independently and in teams to meet the priorities of coastal communities throughout western Washington. The scope of the outreach program demands a broad knowledge of marine affairs and coastal community needs, including their social, economic and political contexts. This position contributes to critical areas of Washington state's economy and health and welfare, including climate resilience, fisheries and aquaculture based livelihoods, coastal restoration, cultural and maritime heritage, education, and marine and coastal livability and sustainability. This position requires the exercise of independent judgment and problem-solving skills as well as communicating effectively with colleagues and constituents using tact and diplomacy.
Position Dimensions and Impact to the University
WSG is housed within the UW College of the Environment and is a unique unit with federally designated responsibilities to support marine and coastal research, education, outreach and communications for all of Washington. WSG is part of a national network of 34 Sea Grant colleges and institutions operating in all coastal and Great Lakes states. The National Sea Grant College Program is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and funded primarily through federal-university partnerships. WSG was one of the first Sea Grant College Programs, established in 1971, and is dedicated to improving the translation of research and scientific information into knowledge for use in the marine environment. To achieve organizational excellence, pursue its vision, and adhere to its mission, WSG maintains a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, by pursuing diverse perspectives, and enhancing cultural understanding. WSG works to create equitable access to resources and opportunities for Washington's diverse communities and seeks to incorporate their voices and priorities. WSG's values are informed by environmental justice and are based in a culture of inclusion, respect, long-term engagement and accountability.
WSG serves the state and the region by delivering information and technical assistance to marine resource users and managers, engaging the public in activities that promote ecosystem health, educating students of all ages and encouraging science-based and place-based solutions to marine and coastal issues. The WSG outreach program conducts research, outreach, education and engagement activities about the critical ocean and coastal resources of Washington state and the responsible, productive and equitable use of and access to those resources. The WSG Strategic Plan programmatic areas include Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development, Resilient Communities and Economies, Healthy Coastal Ecosystems, and Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture.
The Assistant Director for Outreach provides strategic leadership for the outreach program, and directly supervises team leads who each manage teams of outreach staff. The WSG outreach program has 20-25 full and part-time environmental outreach specialists with diverse expertise who connect with thousands of Washington residents each year and serve as university representatives locally, regionally and nationally. Outreach staff create and translate research into accessible information for diverse public use and decision-making contexts, and they provide training, tools and technical assistance for use in the coastal and marine environment, and maritime sectors to meet WSG strategic program goals. Outreach staff lead community engagement based in trusted relationships and a culture of integrity and inclusivity.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Lead WSG Outreach Program (40%)
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