Program Director, Great Lakes Environmental Justice Program

Summary  

• Title: Program Director, Great Lakes Environmental Justice Program
• Hours: Full-time, exempt
• Compensation: $80,000 – $90,000/annually
• Benefits: 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums; generous employer 401(k) contribution; liberal PTO; flexible work environment; annual professional development stipend

Location: Must permanently, physically reside in a state that borders the Great Lakes; travel within the Great Lakes Region area up to 20%  

Background  

About Restore America’s Estuaries  

Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) is a national leader in coastal restoration and protection, education and advocacy. Our local projects restore coastal wetlands, open fish passages, remove invasive species, build living shorelines, transplant seagrasses, replant salt marshes, and restore shellfish habitat.  

As the leader of a national alliance, we provide a unified voice for coastal communities and advance the science and practice of habitat restoration through on-the-ground projects, groundbreaking science, high-level meetings, and our biennial RAE Coastal and Estuarine Summit.  

About the Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grant Program (GLEJGP) 

In 2024, the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office launched a multi-million-dollar program to address environmental justice concerns impacting underserved communities in the Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grant Program will direct funds and technical assistance to communities affected by adverse and disproportionate environmental and human health risks or harms. The Program is a significant step to enhance equitable access and participation in the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes.  

There are two components of GLEJGP: creating and administering a competitive subaward program and providing a technical assistance program.  

• Competitive grant program will provide at least $3 to 5 million of funding annually in competitive grants across four years;
• Technical assistance will be available to help establish or strengthen organizations’ ability to ease environmental-related burdens facing their communities. Examples of technical assistance topics include proposal preparation, applying for government grants, and project/financial management. RAE has structured the technical assistance program so trainings will be free, and stipends will be available.

Qualifications 

• Candidate must meet either / or combination of the following qualification:
• At least six years’ experience leading community engagement efforts; environmental justice or with a strong focus on capacity development and training a plus
• At least six years’ experience managing federal, state or foundation grant programs; experience with federal funding, EPA funding a plus
• Ability to solicit feedback and foster consensus from working groups that that will support and engage in this program; lead and organize feedback loops towards shared consensus or collaboration from working groups which will support and engage in the program;
• Demonstrated understanding and commitment to working with underserved communities in the region and the ability to bring relationships from prior work to the Program;
• Experience managing vendors; experience with training vendors, meeting facilitators, and event planners preferred;
• Self-starting and comfortable working remotely in virtual work environment with a nationwide team supporting staff member on topics such as DEIJA, communications, finance, and administration;
• Fluency in spoken and written English; multi-lingual skills preferred and highly valued;
• Must reside full-time in a state that boarders the Great Lakes and be able to travel up to 20% of the time, with some travel outside the watershed; and
• Must have prior authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Primary Duties 

Oversee Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grant Program  

• Prepare and issue annual Request for Proposals reflective of Great Lakes priorities, including those identified in the current GLRI Action Plan;
• Establish and facilitate review criteria and expert panels for evaluating and selecting subawardee proposals;
• Establish and oversee guidelines for the program priorities, including those outlined in the current GLRI Action Plan;
• Oversee subawards;
• Work with other RAE staff to ensure funds to subaward recipients are dispensed in a timely manner to reduce unliquidated obligations and as required by applicable grant regulations; and
• Qualitatively and quantitatively measure and report the outputs and outcomes of the environmental results of the projects accomplished through the subawards.

Learning Exchange & Training  

• Organize an annual learning exchange for peer-to-peer tech transfer for subawardees and community-based organizations to learn from one another;
• Solicit input from disadvantaged communities on challenges in addressing environmental burdens to facilitate effective training and capacity building.
• Administer training opportunities for community-based organizations targeting all staff in a broad range of skills areas such as administration, human resources, and program management; and
• Provide technical support to subawardees by coordinating outreach, training, and information resources to ensure success with their current grants and building the capacity to apply for other grants.

Communications & Impact 

• Regularly update and coordinate with EPA’s Great Lakes National Program Office team and the community on activities and impacts from grants and training;
• Work with RAE communications team to develop web-based information in coordination with Great Lakes team

Establish connections with local partners across the region  

• Attend relevant EPA and regional meetings to share ideas, identify needs, provide input on program planning, and discuss program accomplishments and progress;
• Actively support the creation of partnerships; network and facilitate subawards to develop and commit to future partnering and implementation efforts;
• Help to identify suitable meeting locations in coordination with local partners; and

• Expand local partnerships with businesses, technology developers, and under-represented organizations.

Program Administration 

• Supervise and support a project manager that will be assigned to the Program;
• Maintain good communications with EPA staff including regular meetings;
• Manage regular performance reporting, including reviewing reports and expenses;
• Coordinate program activities with administrative activities that support sound financial management, regulatory compliance, and program goals; and
• Serve as the main point of contact for ongoing requests or needs of EPA.

RAE 

• Participate in team meetings, retreats and events;
• Participate in grants management team meetings; and
• Provide input and guidance to the Inclusive Coasts Initiative