Chesapeake Program & Contracts Specialist

About this role

This is a part-time, 19 hour per week, up to 2-year grant-funded position with the possibility of extension based on continued grant funding. Please note, this position is not eligible for benefits. Working location is remote from a home office within the continental United States, with the option of working out of the Easton, MD office. The chosen applicant must work Eastern Standard Time hours.

What We Can Achieve Together: The Chesapeake Project & Contracts Specialist will be a key member of TNC’s Chesapeake Bay Program and the Chesapeake Bay Agriculture Team working to restore a healthy Chesapeake Bay that supports over 3,700 species of plants and animals, thriving local communities, and sustainable industries such as fisheries, farming, and tourism. The Chesapeake Project & Contracts Specialist will bring their enthusiasm to work with multiple conservation teams to advance projects that improve water quality, sustain and increase biodiversity, and increase climate resiliency by facilitating efficient and effective communications among teams and partners, supporting rapid processing and approval processes to pay invoices and participant payments, draft contracts and facilitate approvals and deadlines, and track and report on project deliverables and conservation outcomes. 

Your Position with TNC: The Chesapeake Project & Contracts Specialist will support projects and contracts and coordinate cross-functional operational activities, including operations support, procurement, finance, and meeting support. Core focus areas include:  • Project Coordination: Advance the strategic priorities of the Chesapeake Bay agriculture strategy by completing tasks and activities that are critical to advance projects. They will be responsible for collaborating with team members to plan and coordinate parts of internal and external facing projects including those funded by large Federal grants; coordinating among internal TNC teams (e.g., Grants, Legal); coordinating project team meetings and associated follow-up; updating/maintaining intranet sites and other internal databases; and coordinating a variety of administrative and programmatic functions.  

• Contracts & Internal Systems Management: Perform Information Systems, Data Security, and Finance tasks, including processing and managing contracts, procurement, managing invoices, preparing reports and forecasts, and tracking existing budgets and contributing to budget forecasts. They will be well-versed in the systems and resources utilized by the team, including data security requirements, to execute assigned tasks.  

• Team Support: Provide guidance to ensure TNC policies and procedures, financial standards, and legal requirements are met. They will implement processes and practices to improve effectiveness. They will communicate with staff across the Chesapeake Bay agriculture strategy team, as well as with vendors and business partners. They will communicate or distribute information to assist staff in making decisions, solving problems, and improving workflow.  

We’re Looking for You: The Chesapeake Bay Program is a landscape-level team working across the Chesapeake Bay watershed to restore a healthy Chesapeake Bay that supports over 3,600 species of plants and animals and produces food for people locally and around the world. Our agriculture strategy is focused on leading the effort to promote agricultural sustainability and resilience across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. We work closely with public and private partners to identify barriers to the implementation of regenerative practices on farms and test new incentive structures, technologies, and risk abatement strategies to support the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture in the Bay watershed.  

We’re looking for a mission-driven, operations specialist to support multiple related projects in the Chesapeake Bay agriculture strategy. The successful candidate will understand how operations contribute to team and organizational success and have a strong project management skillset with experience leading operations functions for a diverse, multi-disciplinary team. They will possess exceptional communication and collaboration skills and experience organizing and supporting complex projects. If you have a passion for conserving and protecting the natural world, addressing climate change and enhancing the sustainability of our food system, and believe in TNC’s mission and values , please apply for this position and learn more about the Conservancy.  

Responsibilities & Scope: • Work within scope of program’s strategic goals; 

• Act independently on assigned tasks and exercise independent judgment based on analysis and experience, referring difficult questions and unusual problems to supervisor; 

• Coordinate projects with several variables, working within a defined timeline and budget; 

• Demonstrate sensitivity in handling confidential information; 

• Perform non-routine analysis, research and follow-through; 

• Ensure compliance with Conservancy policies and procedures, and external (donor/legal/IRS) requirements; 

• Ensure compliance with private and public grant terms and conditions; 

• Financial responsibility includes purchasing, processing invoices, contracting with vendors, and assisting with budget preparation; 

• May act as a resource to others to solve problems and act in supervisor’s stead when instructed; 

• Provide input through project teams for the improvement of existing programs; 

• Work environment involves only infrequent exposure to disagreeable elements and minor physical exertion and/or strain;

• Work is diversified and may not always fall under established practices and guidelines;

• May require occasional domestic travel for multi-day retreats in the mid-Atlantic region and working flexible hours as needed to coordinate with staff and partners located in the Eastern time zone in the U.S. 

What You’ll Bring: • Bachelor’s degree and 2 y

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