Community Engagement Coordinator

Community Engagement Coordinator

The Community Engagement Coordinator advances the Tennessee Aquarium's freshwater conservation mission by building community stewardship opportunities, ensuring equitable participation, delivering science-based community initiatives, watershed education, and strengthening long-term support for restoration priorities. The Community Engagement Coordinator develops, delivers, and evaluates public engagement approaches to fit the needs of active conservation projects, focusing on Regional Conservation Partnership Program areas, and areas where species are being restored and released. The Community Engagement Coordinator will collaborate with Aquarium Educators to lead professional development opportunities, such as River Teachers, and will conduct community science watershed monitoring training to targeted audiences with the goal of improving freshwater literacy in the state. The Community Engagement Coordinator advances and maintains relationships with other conservation organizations to create partnerships focused on protecting freshwater animals and habitats and represents the Aquarium at regional and local events to effectively communicate conservation actions and increase public participation environmental stewardship initiatives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Initiate and maintain relationships with communities throughout the state, including but not limited to, landowners and managers, local leaders, universities and high schools, nonprofit organizations, and other state or federal agencies.
• Develop, evaluate, and adapt community engagement plans to fit the needs of active conservation projects.
• Collaborate with other departments and communities to host Conservation Night at the Chattanooga Lookouts, Laurel Dace Day in Spring City, TN, and other conservation celebrations.
• Compile and share information about land use practices and ways to protect freshwater health on working lands with communities, landowners, and land managers in high-priority watersheds.
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications departments to contribute content to social media, newsletters, and web updates.
• Prepare and deliver key conservation messages and consistent content to host guests who tour the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute.
• Collaborate with conservation partners to develop a Tennessee statewide water quality monitoring (community science) program.
• Assist with tracking and evaluating outcomes of community engagement programs and adjust programs accordingly.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Department of Learning and Evaluation to deliver educational programs at Aquarium facilities and other venues, using conservation storytelling to inspire guest action.
• Support the supervision of volunteer, seasonal, and/or part-time community engagement positions.
• Collaborate with departmental staff to incorporate freshwater conservation messages into ongoing educational programs and media.
• Participate in watershed cleanups, species celebrations, and other awareness events in support of departmental and partner initiatives.
• Assist with research, habitat restoration, and species restoration programs in the field or laboratory, as needed.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required

• Effective communication, public speaking, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of key freshwater conservation issues.
• Ability to communicate effectively with people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
• Organization and ability to track progress on multiple projects independently and simultaneously.
• Computer skills and familiarity with Microsoft 365 applications.

Educational/Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Natural Resources, Environmental Sciences, or a related field is required.
• Minimum of two years in community outreach, volunteer coordination, event planning, or environmental education, preferred.
• Certification in Project WET, Project WILD, and/or Georgia Adopt-A-Stream or similar programs, preferred.

License or Certification Required

• Driver's license required (additional details in Working Conditions).

Supervises

• Volunteers, fellows, and/or seasonal community engagement personnel.

Working Conditions

• Outdoors in all seasons and conditions for fieldwork activities.
• Normal office environment.
• Work requires occasional overnight trips to conduct aquatic fieldwork, research and conservation support activities, and to attend various meetings.
• Schedule will require occasional weekend (Saturday and/or Sunday) work.
• Frequent travel throughout Tennessee and surrounding areas is required to support community engagement, outreach, training, and conservation activities. Employees may be required to utilize their personal vehicle for business travel and must maintain a valid driver's license and acceptable automobile insurance coverage.

Physical Demands

• The physical demands described below are representative of those that may be encountered while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Move and transport equipment weighing up to 50 pounds as part of regular job duties.
• Ability to safely navigate in and around water environments, including swimming, as required.
• Navigate uneven terrain and dense outdoor environments while handling required gear.
• Ascend and descend ladders and stairs as needed.
• Work in confined or restricted spaces that may require crouching, kneeling, or crawling.

Full-time, hourly ($21.00-24.00/hour); No set schedule. Flexible schedule, evening and weekend work required.