POSITION OVERVIEW

The International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification (“OA Alliance”) is a voluntary initiative made up national and subnational governments, alongside non-government affiliate members. Together, members work to increase ambition for climate action and transform planning and response to climate-ocean change. This includes supporting governments in understanding the information they will need to protect coastal communities and livelihoods from the threat of ocean acidification and other climate- ocean impacts.
The OA Alliance is seeking a Program Manager to guide the strategic direction of OA Alliance programing in accordance with the annual workplan and in coordination with the communications team. The Program Manager will also be responsible for implementing core programs of the OA Alliance and assisting in communication campaigns. The Program Manager will work with the Executive Manager, communications lead, and all program leads.
Reporting to the Executive Director, OA Alliance, this position will be remote. This full time, term-based position extends through December 2025.

Strategic Direction

• Provide strategic guidance on the programmatic offerings of the OA Alliance, consistent with the annual work plan
• Develop the communications strategies of the OA Alliance, consistent with the annual work plan
• Collaborate with a broad coalition of partners on shared priorities and where appropriate, collaboratively developed products
• Stay up-to-date with significant science, research, and policy developments on ocean acidification domestically in the US and internationally
• Assist with grants and contracts management, including grant reporting and proposal development
• Research funding opportunities for OA Alliance programs and communications projects

Communications

• Support the implementation of the annual communications strategy, in collaboration with the communications lead and Executive Director
• Offer guidance on creative, strategic, and consistent approaches to elevating ocean acidification in the media, public, and among decision makers
• Support fast, accurate, and high-quality copy for special communications materials and projects
• When needed, provide content creation support to the communications lead including content on the OA Alliance website and ArcGIS platform

Program Support

• Lead the OA Alliance’s responsibilities as co-champion of the Ocean Acidification Research for Sustainability Programme under the UN Decade of Ocean
• Support the Execute Director of the OA Alliance by co- organizing and/or co- facilitating projects and, initiatives, assisting in the creation of new working groups, organizing webinars, workshops, and generally helping to advance the programmatic offerings of the OA Alliance
• Coordinate with Program Leads to better understand and define engagement opportunities and needs of government members of the OA Alliance
• Coordinate with the Special Projects and Communications Coordinator to better understand and define engagement opportunities with Affiliate member non-governmental entities

Selection Criteria

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree or completed coursework in a field related to communications, policy, or ocean or climate issues is preferred
• Eight or more years of work experience, with a strong track record of success on related projects or initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Possess an entrepreneurial spirit and be a creative and flexible thinker
• Possess a collaborative and service-oriented focus, with ability to balance multiple perspectives
• Demonstrated strategic, analytic, and synthetic abilities
• Ability to design and implement collaborative processes and engage effectively with a diverse portfolio of public and private contractors, partners, and collaborators
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate scientific and technical
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and remain flexible when faced with short or changing timelines
• Working knowledge of ocean acidification science and policy issues and/or willingness to learn to fill gaps.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and understanding of applying an environmental justice approach to ocean policy and advocacy.
• Experience with Salesforce or other customer relationship management tools
• Experience with Salesforce and Sharepoint platforms
• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree or completed coursework in communications, policy, or ocean/climate issues preferred.
• Eight or more years of work experience with a strong record of success in related projects or initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with creativity, flexibility, and problem-solving skills.
• Collaborative and service-oriented focus with the ability to balance multiple perspectives.
• Proven strategic, analytical, and synthesis skills.
• Ability to design and implement collaborative processes and engage effectively with a diverse portfolio of public and private partners and contractors
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex scientific and technical information for diverse audiences.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and adapt to short or changing timelines.
• Working knowledge of ocean acidification science and policy issues, or willingness to learn to fill knowledge gaps.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and ability to apply an environmental justice approach to ocean policy and advocacy.
• Experience with Salesforce and SharePoint, or other customer relationship management tools