Outreach Specialist

Job Summary:

Provide professional support for the implementation of an externally funded project focusing on a coastal hazards mapping community of practice (CoP). Duties include outreach, training, support and collaboration with stakeholders throughout Wisconsin to successfully demonstrate shared creation and management of critical datasets needed by multiple agencies for coastal hazard applications. The project will demonstrate the potential of the coastal hazard CoP to provide technical assistance to local communities to develop policies that incorporate coastal hazard awareness. This position will collaborate closely with a GIS Research Specialist also being hired for this project, who will develop and test a technology-based collaborative support environment (CSE) with CoP participants to share data, documentation, workflows and methods, and best practices. A major focus of this project is a statewide shared culvert database to be used for hydrologic modeling and flood hazard assessment. This position will report to the State Cartographer and will interact with staff from the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA). This position involves some travel within Wisconsin and requires strong project coordination, interpersonal and communications skills.

Duties:

• Working with DOA and SCO management, create a coastal hazards mapping community of practice (CoP). (35%)
  • Build and maintain a database of individuals and organizations across the state with an interest in coastal hazards and culvert mapping, including representatives of federal, state, local, and tribal governments, NGOs, and citizens groups.
  • Organize and facilitate meetings, webinars, trainings and discussions of the CoP and provide regular communication with participants. Maintain a written record of important discussion topics, action items and decisions.
  • Conduct outreach and publicize project goals to build awareness of the CoP and encourage participation.
  • Maintain an up-to-date listserv of CoP members and update the group regularly on project status.
  • Create a CoP organization and operations document and a CoP operating procedures update (covering technical assistance).
•  Collaborate with the CoP and project team to develop geospatial data standards and best practices as they pertain to coastal hazards and culvert mapping. (25%)
  • Research and analyze NGO, university, tribal, local, federal and state agency mapping activities related to Great Lakes coastal hazards. Identify overlapping, conflicting, or duplicated programs, as well as gaps in data and lack of standardization. Focus efforts on culvert mapping practices.
  • Lead the CoP in an exploration and synthesis of culvert mapping technique alternatives, community needs, preferred methods, geospatial best practices, and data standards.
  • In collaboration with the GIS Research Specialist and CoP: Develop a culvert database standard to improve the efficiency of data integration; Develop a standard for field data collection and standards for derivative products, if deemed necessary by the CoP participants; Build a working prototype of a jointly managed culvert database; Produce a final hydro-enforced DEM product, and other watershed derivatives deemed important; Produce a culvert mapping best practices document and a culvert vulnerability assessment document.
• Demonstrate the potential of the coastal hazard CoP to provide technical assistance to local communities to develop policies that incorporate coastal hazard awareness. (20%)
  • Compare the derived products to other hazard mapping products (such as the FEMA Hazus flood assessment package), and demonstrate CoP derived products to local communities.
  • Create an Action Ready Plan that can be used by the CoP during a hazard event to assist local response. The plan should establish a go-to communication network for user groups to utilize and collect critical information more rapidly.
• Support the GIS Research Specialist in the development and roll out of the CSE. (10%)
  • Provide support to build and test the CSE and ensure it meets the needs of the CoP.
  • Provide support to develop and implement CSE training for CoP participants.
  • Assist in the development of administrative and participant instructions for the CSE.
• Communication and outreach. (10%)
  • Provide project assessment and reporting at yearly mini-summit event.
  • Contribute to a final project report, written in collaboration with DOA, to address project outcomes and suggest future improvements to the project objectives.
  • Make presentations to relevant stakeholder groups.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Geography, Environmental Studies, Environmental Engineering, Hydrology and Water Management, or related field.
• Hands-on experience with geospatial data and GIS software through coursework, internship or project. Experience with Esri software. Familiarity with LiDAR data and derivatives.
• Strong project coordination skills. Demonstrated ability in office practices and procedures for project planning and scheduling. Experience scheduling and planning meetings and project activities.
• Strong interpersonal skills. Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a diverse audience, both verbally and in written form (including conference calls, webinars, presentations, reports, web posts, and email).
• Meeting facilitation skills. Familiarity with adaptive management techniques to facilitate group decision-making. Ability to effectively lead group discussions and meetings, and capture relevant decisions and action items.
• Broad knowledge of Great Lakes physical systems and water resources, including major laws and regulations to protect them.
• Collaborative skills. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with others to achieve common goals.
• Experience with needs assessment and analysis methodologies desirable.
• Proficiency with office productivity software such as Google documents, Excel, Word, email, etc.
• Ability to plan, think strategically, be creative, and self-motivated.

Other Information:

This is a fixed-term position that is due to end with the completion of the project, however, there is a chance that this position may be extended or become renewable if there is a need for an ongoing position and has the available funding.

Apply online at link included