Job Description

Classification Title:

Research Coordinator II

Classification Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in an appropriate area and two years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Job Description:

Priority Water Quality Projects

Track, implement, and participate in ongoing activities that address regional land-based sources of pollution, water management, water quality, and the identification of policies and procedures needed to reduce impacts to Biscayne Bay.

• Work to implement water quality goals, objectives, and strategies identified in the BBAP Management Plan and Biscayne Bay Commission Strategic Plan, as prioritized by DEP.
• Assist with maintaining progress tracker documents for water quality-related projects.
• Research and identify new technologies and projects that would improve Biscayne Bay water quality.
• Create a list of priority projects at several different price ranges to potentially be completed with public interest funds.
• Work with BBAP Manager, DEP, and external agencies to address feasibility of water quality improvement projects.
• If projects are determined to be feasible, work with BBAP Manager to assist in implementation of the project.
• Coordinate with DEP staff to plan, execute, and facilitate water-quality related meetings and workshops, as needed.
• Assist in maintaining DEP’s water quality monitoring equipment in BBAP, including cleaning, calibration, mounting, and preparing of sondes for deployment.
• Train state government and non-government agency staff in water quality monitoring, including sonde cleaning, calibrating, maintenance, deployment preparation, and data management.
• Complete data management for sonde stations maintained by DEP within BBAP in collaboration with the Water Quality Specialist.
• Ensure that discrete water quality data collected by Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve staff is regularly updated into WIN and that methods meet or exceed MDQS.

Water Quality Coordination

Facilitate coordination of an ecosystem-wide multi-agency approach to water quality management in Biscayne Bay.

• Create and oversee a working group including all agencies and organizations that collect water quality data in Biscayne Bay’s watershed and affected waterbodies.
• Identify points of contact for all monitoring entities to share data and provide an open forum for discussion on monitoring.
• Facilitate the production of a guiding document for the working group based on the Biscayne Bay Commission’s Strategic Goal 1 “Enhance Water Quality Monitoring”.
• Produce analysis of BBAP’s water quality data in a way that can be used to inform management issues.
• Assist with addressing any Biscayne Bay Commission-identified water quality priorities, including drafting project scopes of work, seeking grant funding, coordinating action plans with implementing agencies, providing recommendations and project updates at commission meetings, and other tasks as needed.
• Coordinate with agencies and organizations collecting water quality data throughout Biscayne Bay to ensure comparability between results, reduce overlapping efforts, and identify gaps. This will help inform source identification as well as project implementation.
• Provide outreach to potential data providers on the importance of entering data into the Watershed Information Network (WIN), including WIN Minimum Data Quality Standards (MDQS).
• Communicate Biscayne Bay Commission water quality achievements to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Water Quality Protection Program and vice versa.

Scientific and Field Assistance

Assist BBAP staff in the field, office, and lab with research and restoration projects. This will include the broad range of monitoring and research that BBAP conducts and is flexible based on the candidate’s expertise and time allowed. Field assistance may involve captaining a small vessel, snorkeling, SCUBA diving (if approved by FSG and DEP), resource restoration, coastal species monitoring, and/or collecting benthic samples as deemed appropriate based on the candidate’s experience and abilities.

Organization

• Tracking allocated funds for BBAP water quality monitoring.
• Assisting with procurement of needed supplies and equipment.
• Providing reports required by the BBAP Manager, central office, department, or partner agency.
• Ensure that office records and files are properly maintained and backed up electronically on DEP Share Drive/Cloud.
• Assist DEP’s Coral Protection and Restoration (CPR) and BBAP teams on projects addressing water quality issues in Biscayne Bay to develop scopes of work, budgets, and administer allocated state funds in compliance with state and federal laws, policies, and procedures

Other duties as assigned

Expected Salary:

$52,530

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Valid FL driver's license.

Preferred:

At least one year of verifiable related experience.

• Master of Science degree in marine, environmental, or biological sciences from an accredited college or university.

Knowledge of a variety of water quality monitoring methods, including the use of data sondes.

• Knowledge of submerged aquatic vegetation, particularly seagrasses.
• Knowledge of field work and/or education in a scientific setting.
• Skills in planning, organizing, and facilitating large multi-stakeholder group consensus-building workshops.
• Skills in reviewing and editing technical research proposals and creating management summaries.
• Ability to manage projects including budget and purchasing experience.
• Open water SCUBA-diving certification from a nationally recognized organization. AAUS-certification with the ability to transfer to the University of Florida. Without AAUS certification and acceptance by UF, it may not be possible to SCUBA dive in this position.
• Master of Science degree in marine, environmental, or biological sciences from an accredited college or university.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

In order to be considered, you must upload your cover letter, resume and list of professional references.

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.

This is a time-limited position.

Health Assessment Required: NO