Consortium Coordinator

The James River Association (JRA), on behalf of the Upper & Middle James Riparian Consortium (Consortium) is seeking a Consortium Coordinator. The timeframe for this position is May-December 2024, with the option to renew if funding allows. This position can be telework from home and/or from the Scottsville or Richmond JRA office, with some in-person travel for Consortium gatherings across the James River watershed. 

About the James River Association:
Founded in 1976, the James River Association (JRA) is the oldest and largest river conservation group in Virginia and the only organization solely dedicated to protecting and restoring the James River.  JRA has offices in Richmond, Lynchburg, Williamsburg, and Scottsville.  JRA pursues its vision of a fully healthy James River that supports thriving communities by protecting the James River and connecting people to it.  We work through four program areas based on a model of individual engagement – awareness, appreciation, action, and advocacy.  JRA’s core values are:  We are optimistic; We are catalysts; Credibility is our currency; and Community drives everything we do.

About the Upper & Middle James Riparian Consortium:
Founded in 2019 and convened by JRA, the Consortium is a group of partners with the shared vision of “Growing partnerships to create healthy streamside ecosystems for clean water in the James River today and tomorrow.” Consortium partners work together in this collaborative effort with a Steering Committee guiding decision making, Action Teams working on priority strategies, and an open door to new members and ideas. The Consortium mission is to support a network of partners to raise awareness, build workforce capacity, and increase implementation of riparian forested buffers across the Upper and Middle James watersheds through collaboration. The Consortium has four Action Teams that support the Vision through associated Goals, including the Planning Team, Implementation Team, Knowledge Network Team, and the Targeting & Outreach Team. Facilitation and coordination are shared between Dialogue + Design Associates and JRA. This position will add capacity for these tasks. Visit www.jamesriverconsortium.org for more information.

Summary:
JRA is seeking a Consortium Coordinator as a part-time employee or contract position for 9 months with the option to renew based on performance and funding. This position would work 20 hours per week. The primary focus of this position will report to JRA’s Restoration Director/Consortium Convener with activities directly related to the Consortium including communication, logistics for meetings, and administrative tasks across Action Teams.

This opportunity is a perfect match for individuals wanting to learn about regional scale restoration collaboratives, engaging partners across sectors to reach a common vision, and facilitation. This position will receive training on collaboratives and meeting facilitation.  The majority of work can be done remotely with the option to work from home or at one of JRA’s offices in Scottsville or Richmond. There will be some travel to Consortium meetings and activities across the Upper and Middle James Watershed.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Overall Consortium Support
• Member list upkeep
• Develop and send out monthly newsletter through Mailchimp
• Keep Consortium Calendar updated via Google Calendar
• Assist with logistics for, and attend, 2 Consortium Meetings and 1 Buffer Summit (i.e. food, venue, printing)
• Write monthly blogs about Consortium happenings
• Attend every other week Planning Team Meetings
• Attend Steering Committee Meetings, approximately every other month 
• Assists Convener as needed for Consortium efforts (i.e. website updates, material review, etc.)
• Additional tasks as needs arise and as time allows
• Action Team Support
• Setting up Action Team Meetings (~6 per year), writing meeting summaries, and working with Action Team partners to develop meeting agendas
• Work with Action Team partners to upkeep Action Team Worksheets
• Assist Convener with connecting ideas and strategies across Action Teams 
• Upkeep of Consortium metrics in central database
• Other support as needed

Qualifications:

A successful candidate will possess the following:

• Bachelor’s Degree and/or Masters preferred, but life experience will also be considered 
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to track multiple priorities at once
• Some experience coordinating and facilitating collaborative efforts, skill in facilitating in-person and virtual engagements
• Experience in project management
• A valid driver’s license 
• Computer skills, particularly in word processing and record-keeping (Microsoft Word and Excel), Zoom, Google Suite, and familiarity with internet communication and search tools
• Excellent at problem-solving, meeting deadlines, following schedules, and overall time management
• Ability to coordinate with partners and collaborators via email and phone
• Strong communications, analytical skills, teamwork, integrity, and reliability

Compensation:
JRA offers a dynamic and flexible work environment. This position is being offered either as a part-time position with JRA or to private business owners as a contract position. Depending on experience, the pay range is $30-$35/hour for part-time employees, and $35-$40/hour for a contract position, for 20 hours a week for up to 40 weeks. JRA is an equal opportunity employer.