Program Associate, Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund

Program Associate, Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund

Summary

• Title: Program Associate, Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF)
• Hours: Full-time, exempt
• Compensation: $52,500 – $60,500/annually
• Benefits: 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums; generous employer 401(k) contribution; liberal PTO; flexible work environment; annual professional development stipend

Location: Must physically reside in Connecticut or New York; travel within the Long Island Sound region up to 20%.

Background

About Restore America’s Estuaries

Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) is a national leader in coastal restoration and protection, education and advocacy. Our local projects restore coastal wetlands, open fish passages, remove invasive species, build living shorelines, transplant seagrasses, replant salt marshes, and restore shellfish habitat.

As a leader in coastal issues, we provide a unified voice for coastal communities and advance the science and practice of habitat restoration through on-the-ground projects, groundbreaking science, high-level meetings, and our biennial RAE Coastal and Estuarine Summit.

About the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF)

In 2022, the Long Island Sound Study (LISS) launched a multi-million-dollar program to address environmental justice concerns impacting underserved communities in the Long Island Sound (LIS) region. The Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF) will direct funds and technical assistance to communities affected by adverse and disproportionate environmental and human health risks or harms. LISCIF is a significant step to expand the reach of LISS program benefits – and enhance equitable access and participation in the protection and restoration of Long Island Sound.

There are two components of LISCIF: creating and administering a competitive subaward program and providing a technical assistance program

• LISCIF’s competitive grant program will provide at least $1.5 million of funding annually in competitive grants ($5,000 to $100,000 per award). LISCIF is unique in its focus on supporting underserved communities as well as its structure to provide smaller grants than other LISS programs.
• Technical assistance will be available to help establish or strengthen organizations’ ability to ease environmental-related burdens facing their communities. Examples of technical assistance topics include proposal preparation, applying for government grants, and project/financial management. RAE has structured the technical assistance program so trainings will be free, and stipends will be available to approximately 50 individuals per year.

Environmental Justice (EJ) is one of three cross-cutting principles to integrate into all efforts to implement the LISS Comprehensive Conservation & Management Plan (CCMP), along with resiliency to climate change and long-term sustainability.

Qualifications

• At least three to five years experience working in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, ideally in coastal communities (from urban harbors to coastal wetlands).
• Strong interest in community engagement and capacity building, as demonstrated through work, volunteering, internships, etc.
• Experience working with or in historically underrepresented or marginalized communities; urban communities or immigrant communities is particularly valued.
• Familiarity with the following estuary priorities: pollution prevention/reduction, ecology, community resilience, sustainability, habitat restoration, community-based science, data management.
• Have experience or ability to support with Comms and outreach efforts.
• Ability to seamlessly move between working autonomously and in a highly collaborative environment.
• Ability to present complex and at times sensitive information in a variety of accessible formats.
• Willingness to change focus and support additional projects as they arise.
• Comfortable occasionally traveling within the U.S.
• Fluency in spoken and written English; multi-lingual skills preferred and highly valued;
• Must reside full-time in Connecticut and be able to travel up to 20% of the time, with some travel outside the watershed; ability to drive preferred.
• Must have prior authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Primary Duties

This position will primarily support LISCIF’s Community Engagement goals (90%) but may also assist other projects within the organization (10%). Examples of duties include:

Community Engagement (90%)

• Engage organizations, municipalities, Tribal groups, and underserved communities in Connecticut and New York (with a focus on Connecticut).
• Support and lead outreach efforts on grant releases and engagement in understanding the priorities of communities.
• Support with LISCIF Comms, including creating/managing newsletters, and supporting the Communications Manager with social media/outlets.
• Build relationships with key stakeholders in the region.
• Support in building capacity-building training (in-person and virtual) depending on the needs of the region.
• Support to convene and organize in-person gatherings for the Annual Learning Exchange and mini learning exchanges in Connecticut and New York.

Other Responsibilities (10%)

• RAE is a dynamic organization and appreciates the entrepreneurship and collaboration of staff. Additional responsibilities will be developed based on the candidate’s experience, career goals, and RAE staffing needs. Other areas may include supporting conferences, managing grant programs, supporting new strategic projects, supporting the science and practices of nature-based solutions like living shorelines and blue carbon, working on national policy, or developing communication pieces.
• Serve as RAE’s representative on external DEIJA activities.
• Attend meetings and advocate for improved practices in the sector; create talking points for RAE staff; assist with communications.