WHO ARE WE? The Xerces Society is a growing nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Our methods focus on advocacy, education, scientific analysis, and applied research to defend invertebrates such as bees, butterflies, mollusks, and dragonflies. Established in 1971 and based in Portland, Oregon, the Society is at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs. We take action by protecting endangered species and their habitat, producing ground-breaking publications on insect conservation, training thousands of farmers and land managers to protect and manage habitat for beneficial insects, and raising public awareness about the invertebrates of forests, prairies, deserts, creeks, wetlands, and oceans.
WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING: You’ll be joining a growing team of professionals working to conserve some of the world’s most important animals. The Xerces Society manages the largest and most advanced pollinator conservation program in the world and we offer unparalleled career opportunities for participating in some of the most innovative wildlife conservation happening today. Bee Better Certified™ is a first of its kind 3rd party food and farm certification program focused on pollinator conservation. It is designed to help reward conservation-minded farmers, increase ecosystem services provided to crops, and increase a farms’ capacity to sustain wildlife, including pollinators.
The program is slated to launch in the spring of 2017, and has initial backing from a number of major food industry partners and a National Conservation Innovation Grant from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Under the direction of the Bee Better Certified lead, this position will support the management of Xerces’ new, cutting-edge certification program Bee Better Certified™. The Administrator will track farmers moving through the certification process and help manage logistics for outreach to new and existing stakeholders.
The Program Administrator will also respond to inquiries about the program, provide administrative support to Xerces remote staff, and implement processes and procedures to improve the functioning of the certification program. In carrying out these activities, the Program Administrator will collaborate closely with Oregon Tilth (Bee Better Certified’s third party inspection body), farmers, and ingredient sourcing and purchasing specialists at some of the world’s largest food companies.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILTIES: This is a national level position that collaborates closely with Xerces Society staff in the pollinator and pesticide programs, as well as with corporate partners across the U.S. Strong writing, outreach, and organizational skills are required for this position. Successful candidates should also have experience developing and managing databases. Working under the direction of the Bee Better Certified lead, the Program Administrator will: • Develop a comprehensive database to manage farms going through the certification process. • Help develop the certification’s internal infrastructure. • Track metrics related to Bee Better Certified and develop reports for Xerces and the Bee Better Certified Advisory Board. • Work to refer farmers to Oregon Tilth, our third party certification partner organization, once they have completed their Bee Better Certified Conservation plan. • Participate in the review of large-scale habitat restoration and pesticide mitigation plans designed to help farms meet the Bee Better Certified production standards. • Help conduct outreach and education to existing and potential partners and farmers. • Work with Xerces’ Communications team to create or maintain Bee Better Certified’s webpage and social media accounts and on development of outreach materials. • Organize and support regular meetings with the Bee Better Certified Advisory Board. • Organize and support meetings, workshops, and outreach events with food industry stakeholders. This job will require some travel, and frequent communication with a remotely-based supervisor and/or co-workers.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE: The successful candidate for this position must have exceptional written and verbal communication skills, ability to develop and manage databases, and be capable of organizing meetings and presenting information to high-level stakeholders. The candidate should have a strong track record of managing large-scale projects and database systems, as well as knowledge of web- and social-media based platforms. Knowledge and experience in certification systems, crop pollination, on-farm habitat restoration, ecology, or related fields are also desirable.
QUALIFICATIONS: • Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in business administration, ecology, conservation biology, agriculture, entomology, or natural resource management, or 3–5 years experience in conservation science, certification programs, sustainable sourcing initiatives and/or an equivalent combination of education and experience. • Ability to manage complex or multiple projects. • Ability to synthesize, interpret, and communicate Bee Better Certified’s production standards to facilitate farmer adoption. • Ability to communicate professionally with a wide variety of people • Ability to manage time and diverse activities under deadlines, while delivering quality results. • Ability to work independently on assigned tasks. • Working knowledge of common software applications (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Web browsers). • Experience working with database systems (e.g., Microsoft Access). • Experience in maintaining and updating website content.
ADDITIONAL DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS: • Knowledge of certification programs. • Business administration and/or prior entrepreneurial experience (of any kind). • Background in marketing and negotiating professional consulting services. • Experience with the Adobe Creative Suite and ability to follow Xerces’ communications guidelines. • Experience with basic web video production and editing. • Experience with outreach via social media. • Understanding of bee-pollinated crop systems. • Basic knowledge of common agricultural pests, insecticides, and pest management systems.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: • Able to sit or stand at desk/workstation for periods up to 8 hours.
STATUS AND COMPENSATION: • $18.27-$21.63 per hour (approximately $38,000- $45,000 annually), commensurate with experience. • Non-Exempt/Hourly. • Position is a regular, full-time position, scheduled to work 40 hours/week. BENEFITS: This position includes a generous benefits package: eleven paid holidays, paid time off, paid health and disability insurance, option to participate in a pre-tax flexible spending account for medical and dependent care expenses, participation in a 401k retirement program upon eligibility and a flexible work environment. If based at the Portland headquarters, there is an additional public transportation benefit. TERMS: The Xerces Society is an at-will employer. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. MORE INFORMATION: The Xerces Society is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity. For more information on the Xerces Society and our programs, please see our website, www.xerces.org
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Combine cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information for three references into a single attachment in MS Word or Adobe PDF. 2. Use your full name as the file name. 3. Subject line of your email is: “Program Administrator (Bee Better Certified™)” 4. Send to careers@xerces.org
APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 2, 2017.
APPLICATION FOLLOW-UP: Unfortunately, due to the volume of communications we are unable to respond to individual applicants inquiries. We ask that applicants do not contact our office via phone or email about their application. You will be contacted if selected for an interview. All applicants will receive email notification once position is filled.