Position summary:

The San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) is seeking a Research Project Manager to join the Department of Conservation Biology.  

The Research Project Manager will primarily work on the Nat’s Healthy Canyons initiative. However, there may also be opportunities to contribute to another related initiative, the Urban Nature Alliance.

Healthy Canyons– San Diego canyons are a primary type of greenspace throughout the county and provide important benefits for people and nature. This project aims to conduct multidisciplinary biological surveys to determine the current state of biodiversity in canyons, engage local communities to build conservation capacity and connect people with nature, increase the accessibility of data on canyons to researchers, decision makers, and local communities, and contribute to urban greenspace conservation policy and action.  

Urban Nature Alliance– Los Angeles, the  , and San Diego are California’s major urban areas. These areas also have significant amounts of urban green space which creates a major opportunity to engage communities in scientific monitoring and conservation of local green spaces. The Urban Nature Alliance is a network of institutions in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and San Diego that come together to share and unite ideas and best practices for research and community engagement focused on urban biodiversity. 

The Research Project Manager will be based at The Nat in San Diego and report to the Director of Conservation Biology. They will collaborate closely with external partners and The Nat’s science and education staff. The position will involve some travel within California.

Responsibilities:

• Manage relationships with partners and community groups and help establish new partnerships that advance project goals.
• In collaboration with the Postdoctoral Researcher and museum scientists, co-lead surveys of flora and fauna in urban greenspaces.
• In collaboration with the Community Engagement Manager, develop and conduct community outreach efforts.
• Coordinate and facilitate meetings.
• Provide project-related logistics and administrative support.
• Coordinate volunteers and student interns.
• Support dissemination of results to a diverse range of audiences.
• Track and report on progress of project goals.
• Track project budget.
• Responsible for data management and data quality reviews.
• Contribute to data analysis and visualization.
• Contribute to writing and preparation of manuscripts and technical documents.

Qualifications :

• A Bachelor’s degree plus two years of experience or a Master’s degree focused on Ecology, Evolution, Conservation, Environmental Justice, Environmental Studies, Environmental Social Science, Environmental GIS or a related field.
• Experience working with stakeholders and local communities.
• Demonstration of excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstration of excellent organizational skills.
• Knowledge of California or Southwestern flora and/or fauna preferred.
• Bilingual (Spanish) is not a requirement but is preferred.
• In compliance with the San Diego Natural History Museum’s mandatory vaccination policy, the Museum requires proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Accommodations based on medical and religious exemptions will be considered.

Compensation and Benefits:

Compensation is $25/hour.

This is a three-year term position.

This is a full-time, non-exempt, hourly  position with benefits such as health insurance, vacation, 15 paid holidays, reciprocal free admission to all of Balboa Park’s museums, as well as to the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.