Salary: $88,481.00 – $95,117.00 Annually
Location: Thurston County – Olympia, WA
Job Type: Full Time – Permanent
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: 2023-PSP-008
Department: Puget Sound Partnership
Opening Date: 07/21/2023
Closing Date: 8/6/2023 11:59 PM Pacific
Funding for this position is scheduled to end on June 30, 2025.
Schedule:  Please see WORK LOCATION below for details on this flex/hybrid position.

As the Puget Sound Partnership’s Social Science Coordinator, you will be an integral part of the Science and Evaluation Team and a key supporter for the Science Panel and the Social Science Advisory Committee. Although you will not be a practicing scientist, you will get to apply and guide analytical and scientific support assessments of human dimensions of Puget Sound ecosystem recovery.

Who We Are
The Puget Sound Partnership is a non-regulatory state agency leading the region’s collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound ecosystems. We are also one of the Executive Cabinet agencies under Governor Inslee’s Office. The Partnership brings together hundreds of partners to mobilize action around a common agenda, advance sound investments, enable strategic learning, and advance priority actions by supporting partners.

For more information, visit our website: www.psp.wa.gov.

Position Details
The successful candidate should be a team player, committed to equity and inclusion, possessing initiative and a driving passion for the work, bringing humility to their job and interactions with others, and having excellent people skills. According to the organizational chart, this position is a member of the Science and Evaluation Team in the External Programs Division. This full-time unrepresented position is exempt from civil service law. What does “EMS” mean? Exempt Management Service (EMS) is the term used to identify positions exempt from state civil service law. These positions do not have the same rights as classified positions. 
 
WORK LOCATION: The Partnership offers a modern hybrid work environment, which includes both remote and office settings in Olympia and Tacoma. Although the official duty station for all staff is currently Olympia, staff may choose which office location they prefer to conduct work at and it can be interchanged as the employee desires. In addition, the agency currently utilizes a co-work space at a location in Seattle as a drop-in work environment option for staff. All staff are required to report for in-person work in group settings, which can be outside of an office, or for in-person work at an office building at least once a week, including this position. You may be required to work more frequently in an office setting than others if you’re unable to effectively conduct work remotely or as business needs arise. You will be expected to report to the Olympia office on your first day of employment for onboarding. Travel throughout the Puget Sound area on a regular basis will likely be necessary. The Partnership encourages use of public transit (paid for by the ORCA card mentioned above). The Partnership offers agency vehicles for use by all staff when traveling to meetings, conferences, or other work-related events that are not part of the employee’s regular commute. Use of the vehicle and a gasoline card for fueling is at no cost to the employee. When needed, staff may use their own vehicle; travel reimbursement is provided per state guidelines and may be affected by where you reside, your official duty station, and the destination of your work-related travel.
 
The annual salary range of compensation for this position is between $88,481 – $95,117 depending upon qualifications, although the expected hiring salary will typically be less than the top of the range, to allow for growth and development movement. We encourage applicants from outside of Washington to apply! The successful candidate would be required to relocate to Washington state within 30 days of the appointment date. The expectation of this position’s starting appointment date is in late summer or early fall 2023.

A little bit about the Science and Evaluation Team
The Science and Evaluation Team is responsible for coordinating and implementing a shared, science-based system of measurement and monitoring that allows the assessment of collective actions. This team’s work informs updates to the Puget Sound Action Agenda by tracking the status of Near-Term Actions and ecosystem recovery indicators and assessing the effectiveness of recovery efforts. Science & Evaluation staff report ecosystem recovery progress through the Puget Sound Report Card and Vital Signs websites, as well as the biennial State of the Sound report. The Science & Evaluation Program also provides support to the Science Panel, including the development of the Quadrennial Science Work Plan, and provides support for the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP).

Duties
Some of the duties:

• Lead the coordination of social sciences efforts to support Puget Sound ecosystem recovery, including coordination with social science advisors, PSEMP workgroups and participants, and partners (including Implementation Strategy leads and Local Integrating Organization coordinators) who manage and adapt recovery plans; analysis and synthesis; and presentation/communication of results. This can include building relationships with organizations and individuals who can contribute underrepresented social science disciplines and perspectives to diversify the perspectives being engaged in ecosystem recovery.
• Work with the Partnership’s Science and Evaluation Program, Science Panel, Social Science Advisory Committee, and PSEMP to expand, strengthen, and coordinate assessment of and messaging about social and institutional aspects of ecosystem conditions (especially as measured by Vital Sign indicators) and human dimensions of the effectiveness of interventions.
• Manage contracts for assigned inter-agency agreements and contracts related to social sciences. Develop and manage project budgets as required.   
• Oversee the summary and incorporation of key data, results, and messaging related to human dimensions of ecosystem recovery into Partnership planning and evaluation documents, including watershed salmon recovery chapters and local ecosystem recovery plans, Implementation Strategies, Action Agendas, State of the Sound reports, and science work plans.
• Facilitate the Social Science Advisory Committee and serve as liaison from that committee to the Science Panel and to PSEMP leaders. 
• Assist strategy leads (e.g., for Implementation Strategies and the Action Agenda) and others to develop key assessment questions, convene groups and coordinate efforts that can provide technical answers or resources to answer questions around the human dimensions of the status and effectiveness of ecosystem recovery efforts.

Qualifications
Required Education, Experience, and Competencies

• Graduate degree in a social sciences discipline relevant to ecosystem recovery (e.g., economics, psychology, anthropology, decision sciences, geography, political science, law, etc.) Graduate degrees include M.S., M.A., MPA, JD, etc. 
• Strong analytic skills, encompassing quantitative and qualitative methods. 
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills
• Familiarity with ecosystem management policies, laws, and decision processes.
• Ability to read complex documents and summarize key results. 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and experience, including communicating with other scientists, and with colleagues from a diversity of backgrounds.
• Ability to facilitate group meetings and processes.
• Knowledge of socio-ecological systems and how human behaviors, values, and attitudes are affected by and influence ecosystem conditions.
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice efforts. 

Lived experience equivalent to competencies of the required experiences listed above may be considered in substitution. 
 
CONDITIONS OF THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
   With or without accommodations, I am willing and able to:

• Work indoors, at a desk/workstation the majority of a workday, in an open office environment with possible conversation and other noise distractions 
• Work in a tobacco-free, drug-free, and alcohol-free environment
• Work a 40-hour work week (A flexible work schedule may be considered upon request and supervisory approval, after an initial review period)
• Occasionally work in excess of 40 hours per week and/or to adjust normally scheduled hours, which may include evenings and weekends, to meet program needs and critical deadlines
• Occasionally travel throughout the state, which may include overnight stays, as required, while performing the duties of this position
• Work in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities and competing deadlines
• Maintain confidentiality regarding information accessed or discussed while performing the duties of the position
• Interact and work with partners and staff in a positive, friendly, and supportive manner that meets the needs and standards of the office and the agency
• Permanently reside in Washington state throughout employment and available to report in person at Puget Sound agency offices and meetings on a weekly basis.

Preferred/Desired Education, Experience, and Competencies:

• Ph.D., LL.M, or equivalent in a social sciences discipline relevant to ecosystem recovery 
• A minimum of 5 years of experience conducting social science investigations or applying social sciences findings and processes to support ecosystem recovery
• Experience coordinating technical work involving multiple partners, and/or collaborative research/writing
• Knowledge of issues and science related to human dimensions of the recovery of Puget Sound

To Apply
For more information and to apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4132051/social-sciences-coordinator-exempt. Please attach the following documents in order to be considered; failure to do so may result in you not being considered for the position:

• A letter of interest that describes why you are a compelling candidate and how you meet the specific qualifications for this position. If you’d like lived experience to be considered in lieu of any education or professional experience, please include how that lived experience is equivalent to any of the educational or professional experience requirements. You are welcome to include the name and pronoun you would like to be referred to in your materials and we will honor this as you interact with our organization. 
• Current resume, detailing experience and education.

** You will want to ensure you have a current list of at least: 

• Three (3) professional references, OR
• Two personal references and at least one professional reference for lived experience.