Extension Educator IV - Associate Director, Gloucester Marine Station

Job Summary

The University of Massachusetts Amherst Gloucester Marine Station (GMS) is launching a critical development period. With a recently completed strategic plan, significant infrastructure investments, deep community ties, and university support, GMS seeks an Associate Director to support the Director in a blended role of operational management and strategic coordination. The role will assist in developing a suite of high-quality, collaborative, marine and coastal research and extension/public engagement programs, in support of identified ecological, economic, and community resilience objectives.

Essential Functions

• Serve as the Associate Director and a senior leadership partner to the Director, exercising delegated authority to advance the Marine Station’s strategic priorities and to address emerging issues through shared leadership and independent judgment.

• In close coordination with the Director, provide operational and strategic oversight to ensure quality, coherence, and timeliness across interdisciplinary GMS initiatives, research programs, and applied projects.

• Guide and communicate emerging research opportunities and community-identified needs to interdisciplinary faculty teams, catalyzing new community-driven research concepts, competitive grant development, and expanded student engagement opportunities.

• Translate regional and statewide climate, clean energy, and economic development strategies into actionable, community-informed research and extension/public engagement programs, funding priorities, and applied economic development opportunities aligned with GMS mission and capacity.

• Assist in design of marine and coastal research, data management methodologies, and innovative student learning approaches.

• Lead and support the identification and pursuit of public and private funding to sustain and expand GMS research, demonstration, extension and student engagement activities.

• Communicate research priorities and emerging community needs to interdisciplinary faculty teams, supporting the development of competitive proposals, collaborative research concepts, and high-impact student opportunities.

• Contribute substantively to the design and implementation of marine and coastal research and extension programs, including research methodologies, program delivery, data management approaches, and innovative experiential learning models.

• Oversee and advance immersive student internship and applied learning opportunities in collaboration with faculty, staff and external partners, aligning academic, workforce, and community impact.

• Apply advanced research, evaluation, and coalition-building practices to strengthen cross-sector partnerships, program development, assess outcomes, and enhance the effectiveness of GMS initiatives.

• Represent GMS at professional conferences, public sector meetings, community forums, and university functions, as delegated by the Director.

• Coordinate with researchers (faculty, government), on-the-ground practitioners (municipalities, non-profits), and extension staff and industry partners to advance climate resilience research and application via cultivation of new research & demonstration projects at the GMS.

• Leverage GMS’s North Shore Blue Economy Phase I Findings & Vision Forward, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Climatetech Strategy, the Essex County Economic & Flood vulnerability study, along with our regional partnership network to advance sustainable socio-economic research and regional economic development opportunities.

• Identify capital to support research & demonstration projects at GMS in response to regional and state needs.

• Work with faculty, staff, and external partners to develop immersive student internship and applied learning opportunities.

• Use leading research methodologies for coalition-building and program development to create change and monitor effectiveness.

Programmatic Responsibilities

• Coordinate with researchers (faculty, government), on-the-ground practitioners (municipalities, non-profits), and extension staff and industry partners to advance climate resilience research and application via cultivation of new research & demonstration projects at the GMS.

• Leverage GMS’s North Shore Blue Economy Phase I Findings & Vision Forward, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Climatetech Strategy, the Essex County Economic & Flood vulnerability study, along with our regional partnership network to advance sustainable socio-economic research and regional economic development opportunities.

• Identify capital to support research & demonstration projects at GMS in response to regional and state needs.

• Work with faculty, staff, and external partners to develop immersive student internship and applied learning opportunities.

Other Functions

• Work collaboratively and effectively to promote teamwork, equality and inclusiveness.

• Work in partnership with colleagues within the CNS community and across the campus to support the Dean’s strategic priorities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in applicable field.

• Over five (5) years relevant professional experience, including three (3) years in roles with personnel management and/or financial management responsibilities.

• Ability to maintain a diverse schedule of local, regional, and statewide activities.

• Ability to work independently to organize multiple tasks and set priorities for action, take initiative, be creative, and operate with self-direction in a fast-paced office environment.

• Ability to set and meet deadlines while maintaining high standards of accuracy and quality.

• Ability to collaborate well to formulate plans and objectives in accordance with overall goals; ability to identify and implement process improvements.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact effectively and work productively in establishing and maintaining harmonious working relationships with a diverse population of faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders.

• Demonstrated professional experience leading teams, project management, leading data management and analysis, establishing successful programs.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite (e.g., PowerPoint, Excel, Word).

• Proficient managing online meeting platforms (e.g., Zoom, Teams).

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong ability to work collaboratively with a team and drive individual efforts.

• Strong interpersonal problem-solving and collaboration skills.

• Demonstrated ability to translate and communicate science – written and verbally - to a range of audience types including government, businesses, academia, natural resource managers, and elected officials.

• Knowledge of the northeast U.S. ecology of coastal systems and coastal Massachusetts communities.

• Significant demonstrated experience in one of the following related to Gloucester Marine Station priorities: regional economic development, coastal engineering as it relates to climate resilient design, , seafood systems, or business administration.

• Hightly organized multi-tasker.

• Curious and bold strategy builder.