The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) develops collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges. Our scientists explore dynamic ocean systems from marine life to environmental conditions to coastal economies.
We infuse our discoveries into the policy arena and design solutions with fishermen and seafood businesses to protect fishery resources, harvest them responsibly, and market them as premium quality food. We share our discoveries with the public and nurture a culture of leadership in communities that depend on the sea. Our education programs cultivate science literacy and build a foundation of collaborative problem-solving among our next generation of leaders, scientists, citizens, and stewards. Each year, we serve over 25,000 stakeholders from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia.
GMRI is seeking applicants for a combined project manager and research associate to work under the supervision of Dr. Kathy Mills; the position will be based in Portland, Maine. The successful candidate will support coordination and management of FishSCORE (Fisheries Strategies for Changing Oceans and Resilient Ecosystems by 2030), a global program endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. FishSCORE is a global network of fishery scientists, stakeholders, resource managers, community practitioners, and policy makers who will co-develop knowledge and tools for assessing and operationalizing climate resilience in diverse fisheries around the world. The successful candidate will coordinate, facilitate, and participate in a broad range of activities related to FishSCORE (see ‘responsibilities’ section for more details). While FishSCORE will be the primary focus, this position will also support research related to climate impacts, adaptation and resilience, which will contribute to the overall goals of the FishSCORE program. The successful candidate would serve as a research associate on a few projects aligned with his/her areas of expertise, experience, and interest. Within the existing project portfolio, topical expertise in quantitative ecological analysis, ecological and coupled social-ecological modeling, or qualitative social science would be valuable. This is an exciting and unique opportunity for candidates to hone their research skills while simultaneously gaining valuable project management experience.
Responsibilities/Tasks:
FishSCORE project management
- Help build the FishSCORE network with participants from fisheries around the world
- Support development of program structure, coordination, and implementation plans
- Coordinate and facilitate FishSCORE team meetings as well as projects and initiatives (e.g., working groups, webinars, workshops)
- Support internal communications within FishSCORE and external communications with other Ocean Decade entities and interested parties—including developing and maintaining communication platforms, websites, and data management systems as well as preparing materials for workshops, presentations, and media
- Lead project reporting for Ocean Decade entities, sponsors, and as needed for other purposes
- Manage project budgets and budget planning for FishSCORE, both within GMRI and in coordination with other partners and sponsors as needed
- Participate in FishSCORE activities and research as aligned with interests and expertise
- Conduct literature reviews and other scoping (including attending topically-relevant meetings) to develop background necessary to guide project activities and situate them within other ongoing efforts
- Contribute to strategy and proposal development to support future projects and activities, including research, engagement, communication, and synthesis efforts
Research Associate role
- Research responsibilities will be determined in collaboration with the successful candidate based on how project needs align with the interests, skills, and experience of the candidate. We have a strong need for more research capacity associated with species distribution modeling, but the full project portfolio in Dr. Mills’ Integrated Systems Ecology Lab spans a range of ecological and social science topics and approaches. In general, these responsibilities will include:
- Acquire and manage project data sets, including following data collection and management standards for biological and human subjects research and adhering to rules for use of certain fishery-dependent data sets
- Organize data and conduct appropriate analyses (e.g., statistical, modeling, qualitative)
- Visualize and synthesize results of analyses and modeling
- Perform literature reviews and syntheses associated with research topics
- Manage notes and code for manipulating and processing data in accessible, replicable, and well documented manners
- Contribute to writing of project reports and manuscripts
Other General Responsibilities:
- Participate as a member of Mills’ Integrated Systems Ecology Lab and GMRI’s research team, including joining lab meetings, research staff meetings, GMRI staff meetings, and other activities
- Collaborate with and contribute to GMRI’s community team and Climate Center on topics related to climate change and fisheries
- Interact with internal groups and external partners to help identify ways of improving, advancing, and better integrating our work on climate change impacts, adaptation, and resilience to enhance and extend its impact
- Occasional domestic or international travel to FishSCORE network meetings, project team workshops, and industry and scientific conferences
- Participate in GMRI Communications and Development activities, as appropriate
Requirements
- Master’s degree in a relevant discipline, including natural sciences, social sciences, and interdisciplinary degree programs or equivalent work experience in fisheries management or science
- Knowledge of marine fisheries
- Familiar with and conversant in terminology, concepts, and research associated with climate risk, vulnerability, adaptation, mitigation, and resilience
- Prior experience working in collaborative settings with scientists, natural resource-based industry or business stakeholders, natural resource managers, and/or community members
- Strong written and oral communication skills, including print materials and presentations for scientific, stakeholder, public, and/or media audiences
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team
- Excellent time management and organizational skills to manage multiple tasks and timelines
- Fluent in English
- Eligible to work in the United States
Salary: $52,200 to $67,000 yearly
