Job Openings

The following positions are currently open at the Woods Hole Research Center :

 

Director of Development

SUMMARY: Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) is seeking candidates for the position of Director of Development (DD). WHRC is an acclaimed leader in addressing the great, global environmental issues of our time through science and policy. Located on a 10-acre campus near the village of Woods Hole, WHRC has an annual operating budget of about $11 million, and its scientific staff focuses on understanding and protecting the world’s forests and ecosystems and addresses the most crucial issues of global climate change, with projects in North and South America, Africa, and Asia. The DD works closely with the President to ensure financial stability through fundraising and constituent development.

Position Description: The DD is responsible for all aspects of fundraising and reports directly to the President. The successful candidate will lead a sophisticated fundraising enterprise that will ensure substantial long-range philanthropic and private foundation support for the WHRC mission and programs, with high priority given to recently developed plans for the Annual Fund, Major Donors’ Campaign, and Planned Giving. The successful candidate will define and implement a clear communication strategy for cultivating and stewarding current and prospective donors, expand private foundation support, and provide guidance to the staff and members of the Board of Directors to assist in Development activities.

Responsibilities:
  • Support President in all fundraising appeals, visits and donor cultivation
  • Work with President to create, lead and evaluate successful development strategies
  • Execute annual development plans and meet targets
  • Supervise and work as a team member with other development staff on all fundraising activities
  • Provide leadership and oversight for Development team, and delegate responsibility regarding event planning, the Annual Fund, and database management.
  • Work closely with Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors to identify, cultivate and steward new Board Members
  • Coordinate development work with the Director of Communications, including marketing and branding materials
  • Cultivate, steward, and secure gifts from current and prospective major donors
  • Execute the planned giving program
  • Expand foundation support and identify grant opportunities; assist with foundation proposals
  • Identify and secure support for corporate gift and sponsorship opportunities
  • Plan and manage endowment and capital campaigns
  • Serve as staff liaison for the Development Committee of the Board of Directors
  • Guide staff and Board of Directors in development activities

Qualifications and Experience:

  • BA required
  • Proven track record in securing major gifts
  • At least 10 years’ professional experience and demonstrated success in a non-profit development function
  • Excellent working knowledge of Raiser’s Edge database management
  • Proven ability in managing and forging relationships with multiple donor sources
  • Tangible experience of having expanded and cultivated existing donor relationships over time
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Proven ability to influence and engage a wide range of donors and build long-term relationships
  • Strong organizational skills
  • Flexible and adaptable style
  • Positive leadership to impact both strategic and practical fundraising initiatives
  • Ability to work both independently and with others, engaging as a team player at varying levels within and outside the organization
  • High energy and passion for the WHRC mission
  • Demonstrated ability in constructing, articulating and implementing annual strategic development plans

Application Deadline: November 15th, or until filled.

Desired Start Date: January 2013

Salary Range: Commensurate with experience, with full benefit package, exempt position

Application Instructions: Please refer to Job #DDEV12 and email cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to: .

 

Postdoctoral Researcher/Research Assistant, Forest carbon mapping and land use scenario modeling

SUMMARY: Woods Hole Research Center seeks a postdoctoral fellow or research assistant to participate in projects focused on mapping and monitoring carbon in tropical forests, incorporating field forest inventories with satellite observations (optical/radar/lidar) and development of land use scenarios and associated carbon emissions. The successful candidate will work closely with the principal investigator and collaborators in Africa, applying satellite observations to improve tropical forest characterization, monitoring and carbon management in the tropics. This position requires advanced remote sensing experience and knowledge of the DINAMICA modeling platform, including the ability to manipulate large data sets using personally developed scripts.

Responsibilities: The successful candidate will:

  • Conduct research on remote sensing data fusion and the development of robust algorithms, integrating ground and airborne data at local to national scale for forest carbon mapping
  • engage in a highly collaborative environment to analyze, synthesize, and present results
  • advance analysis of forest disturbances
  • perform complex geoprocessing, frequently beyond the ‘push-button’ approach
  • participate in capacity building and technology transfer in tropical countries, with a focus on Africa

Qualifications and Experience:

  • Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Environmental Science, Forestry, Biology, Geography, Computer Science and/or a related discipline
  • Demonstrated ability using earth observation imagery and a demonstrated ability to write scripts, conduct spatial analysis and manage databases
  • Demonstrated ability using a variety of software/geospatial tools and possess the ability to continuously learn new technical skills as needed
  • Processing multi-sensor imagery for mapping applications
  • Digital image processing software packages (Erdas, Imagine, Idrisi, ENVI/IDL, or open source alternatives)
  • Working with forestry data sets
  • Geospatial script writing (Python, R, gdal, C/C#, SQL, Perl, Java, and AML also useful)
  • Experience in performing GIS tasks in a multi-operating system environment (Windows/Linux/Mac/Solaris)
  • Knowledge of dinamica modeling platform
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a constantly evolving environment
  • French language skills desirable

Appointment: 3-year appointment

Application deadline: December 31, 2012

Desired Start Date: January 2013

Salary Range: $45,000 to $55,000, with full benefit package, exempt position

Application Instructions: Please refer to job #FCMRA12 and email cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to: .

 

Project Assistant in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Summary: The Project Assistant will report to the Project Manager for a pilot REDD+, community forest management and development project in Equateur Province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Project Assistant’s tasks will be administrative, logistical, and communications for the project, which is under the direction of the Woods Hole Research Center in collaboration with the DRC Ministry of Environment and a variety of local government and non-government partners. The project will include biophysical, social and economic research, along with implementation of pilot REDD community forest management initiatives in two locations in Equateur Province, Gemena and Mbandaka. Headquarters for the project and this position will be in Mbandaka.

Responsibilities – The successful candidate will:

  • Organize, administer and maintain the project office and its systems
  • Build a strong network of the institution and partners
  • Administer interoffice and external relations
  • Build a project network
  • Assist in development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation tools and systems for the project
  • Work independently, but also coordinate effectively as part of a team

Qualifications & Experience:

  • BSc, BA or equivalent in communications, public or business administration
  • Minimum of 3 years experience working with international programs in DRC, preferably in development and/or environment
  • Excellent writing and strong communication skills
  • Proven track record with institutional strengthening and partnership building
  • Strong organizational skills
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, demonstrating diplomacy and tact
  • Proven ability to effectively manage external relations and to build teams
  • Demonstrable respect for all persons regardless of religion, ethnicity, class, gender, or age
  • Willingness to reside in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Mbandaka, Equateur Province) and travel frequently to Kinshasa and Gemena

Appointment: Three-year appointment.

Application deadline: March 12, 2012

Desired start date: May/June 2012

Salary Range: Commensurate with experience

Application Instructions: Please send cover letter referencing Job #DRCPA01, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to .

The mission of the Woods Hole Research Center is to advance scientific discovery and seek science-based solutions for the world’s environmental and economic challenges through research and education on forests, soils, air, and water. Our scientists combine analysis of satellite images of the Earth with field studies to measure, model, and map changes in the world’s ecosystems, from the thawing permafrost in the Arctic to the expanding agriculture regions of the tropics. We merge natural science with economics to discover sustainable paths for human prosperity and stewardship of the Earth’s natural resources. Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Woods Hole Research Center considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, disability, age, marital or veteran status, sexual preference, ancestry or any other protected status recognized under law. We will evaluate your experience and background in relation to the requirements of the position(s) for which you apply. The Center will check references on all applicants, and any offer of employment is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of reference and background information. In addition, an individual offered employment will need to: complete appropriate tax forms, complete an I-9 form, and provide documents showing proof of eligibility to work in the United States.