POSITION TITLE:  Manager of Equitable Ocean Communities 

DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM: Ocean Justice

REPORTS TO: Vice President, Conservation Justice & Equity

STATUS:  Regular Full time

LOCATION: Remote

ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY

Ocean Conservancy works to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Manager of Equitable Ocean Communities will report to the Vice President of Conservation, Justice and Equity and will have primary responsibility for guiding the development and cultivation of partnerships with various community-based or community-serving groups and organizations across the Americas whose missions advance ocean justice, improve equitable ocean access, strengthen port & coastal community resilience, promote or protect traditional Indigenous knowledge about the ocean, and/or seek to engage BIPOC communities in ocean science and management.

To do so, the Manager will coordinate with internal groups & teams (including our ocean plastics, science, Arctic, Florida, shipping/ports, development and communications teams) to guide and cultivate authentic, meaningful relationships with communities impacted by coastal, port, and ocean injustice. These relationships will support our on-the-ground activities, including the International Coastal Cleanup; as well as our Ocean Justice Small Grants program and our work to make our internal and external communications more inclusive of diverse ocean and coastal communities.

The Manager will also support the work of the Vice President of Conservation, Justice and Equity and the Director of Ocean-Climate Justice on the finalization and implementation of our strategy to integrate justice and equity (J&E) into the overall conservation work of Ocean Conservancy; and will further collaborate with our Senior Vice President of People and our internal JEDI taskforce to help establish a culture of best practices on building a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace.

The ideal candidate will be a collaborative and collegial teammate who works effectively across culturally, ethnically, and racially diverse teams, and who brings a proven commitment to elevating marginalized communities in the context of oceans, environment, and natural resources. This individual will have an active network of other experts and community contacts in justice and equity, and will have exceptional cultural competency in working within or alongside diverse communities.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborate with staff across programs and departments to incorporate justice and equity into the implementation of our work related to cultural communities’ uses and relationships to the ocean; community-led marine conservation; tourism & coastal economies; and coastal & ocean access
• Identify and develop new partnerships with external stakeholders that are focused on environmental and social justice in the context of coastal & ocean communities
• Collaborate with relevant Ocean Conservancy leadership to guide the expansion of our current partnerships & coalitions through a justice and equity lens; offer recommendations rooted in experience, research, and an in-depth understanding of environmental justice and social justice
• Manage discretionary budget

This is not an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities.

REQUIRED SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree + 4 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and years of experience with justice & equity in the context of environmental and ocean issues and ability to quickly become proficient in new issue areas
• Proven record of successfully forming and nurturing partnerships with cultural or ethnic minority communities, Indigenous communities, linguistically isolated communities, and/or socioeconomically disadvantaged communities
• Proven record of successfully collaborating with and/or leading diverse groups on matters of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the environmental or ocean conservation domains
• Knowledge of scientific, policy & other issues relating to costal and ocean rights & access; tourism and coastal economies; subsistence, artisanal, and/or Indigenous traditional fisheries; and community-led marine conservation
• Equipped with a network that supports conservation justice, equity and diversity
• Strong awareness of diverse cultural uses of & relationships to the global ocean and coasts
• Exceptional cultural competency and interpersonal communication skills, along with experience in relationship management.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Standard English, with proficiency in additional dialects (e.g. African American Vernacular English; Gullah English) or languages (e.g. Spanish; French; Mandarin or Cantonese; any Indigenous language) highly valued & appreciated
• Experience managing a program level budget
• No physical requirements for this role.
• Some travel required.

Ocean Conservancy is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, handicap, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. Ocean Conservancy is continually seeking to diversify its staff, particularly to broaden opportunities for individuals from demographic groups that are historically underrepresented in the sciences and in environmental advocacy.