AmeriCorps Science Outreach Specialist

Salary: See Position Description

Location : Clark County - Vancouver, WA

Job Type: Project (limited duration)

Job Number: 2023-CCD AESOS

Department: Clark Conservation District

Opening Date: 06/27/2023

Closing Date: Continuous

Description

AmeriCorps Member Position Announcement:

Science Outreach Specialist

Primary Job Responsibilities

The AmeriCorps Member will serve residents in Clark County by promoting sound agricultural, forestry, and urban stormwater practices to improve soil and water quality. The Member will create educational outreach material, complete outreach activities, and educate communities about available resources to improve soil and water quality. The Member will serve the agricultural and urban communities of Clark County by creating brochures and outreach material and conducting workshops to help educate residents about natural resource concerns in their counties. The Member will work with our Habitat Program and Working Lands Program to organize educational opportunities for residents on topics including mud and manure management, water quality, livestock, native plants, stream planting, and wildlife. They will expand our outreach by working with our highly collaborative team and partner network and will work with staff on our Poop Smart Clark marketing campaign.

We're seeking candidates who excel in relationship-building, are creative thinkers and results-oriented, have the ability to multi-task, prioritize actions, and have strong graphic design skills. You must be able to work independently and collaboratively with others and have a service-oriented attitude. The Member will build connections within Russian and Spanish-speaking populations. Additionally, the Member will help identify new residents to serve through surveys, outreach, and site visits. They will work with HOAs, local farm organizations, and urban groups to serve these communities through education on conservation programs, practices, and resources. They will create brochures to educate about resources, healthy farms, water, and backyard practices.

Duties

Major duties include the following:

Outreach and education.

Track the behavior change of workshop participants.

Work with staff on outreach objectives of the Poop Smart Clark Program

Manage the Facebook page.

Update and manage website content.

Manage a monthly newsletter.

Create digital and print outreach material, including pamphlets, workshop advertisements, and educational material for the District's website.

Develop and implement outreach objectives to promote District workshops and events.

Tabling and door-to-door outreach

Maintain and develop connections with partners in the region

Connect residents to available and new resources.

Track, evaluate, and report activities to demonstrate impact.

Operate standard office equipment.

Other duties as assigned. Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Possess an associate or bachelor's degree or 1-2 years of relevant job experience.

Possess a valid driver's license.

Pass a job-related driving record check and criminal background investigation.

Preferred Qualifications

Possess an associate or bachelor's degree with a major study in communications, graphic design, natural resources, environmental sciences or studies, education, marketing, or a related field.

Additional relevant job experience.

Experience with outreach, including web-based outreach.

Excellent oral and written communication skills, including teaching or public presentation experience.

Graphic design experience (Adobe Creative Suite)

Experience with Community Based Social Marketing

Advanced desktop computer literacy and computer software skills.

Ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Smartsheet, etc. and the ability to learn new technologies to perform the functions of this position.

Skill in creating and editing polished and professional written and verbal communications and adapting written and verbal communication to a range of audiences using formal and informal methods of communication.

Experience with Squarespace, WordPress, or other website hosting platforms.

Working knowledge of email marketing management platforms (Constant Contact, MailChimp, etc.).

Basic skill in using ArcGIS mapping software. Desired Skills

Ability to speak and write Russian

Ability to speak and write Spanish

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

The Member will have an assigned desk, telephone number, and computer at the Clark CD office. This position involves both office and periodic fieldwork. Regular office work includes long periods of sitting, typing, and reading from a computer screen. It is necessary to have adequate vision and motor skills to perform the duties of the position, including hearing voice conversation and the manual dexterity to operate a computer. You must be able to operate a motor vehicle safely. Work may occur outside in inclement weather conditions and may require you to traverse rugged terrain. Driving throughout the Clark County area in a District vehicle is required. The position will require occasional work on weekends or after regularly scheduled work hours. The member will serve a minimum of 1,700 between September 1 and July 15.

Supplemental Information

Compensation & Benefits

Education award, living allowance, and student loan deferment, provided per :

Monthly stipend of $2,171.43 before deductions and withholdings.

$6,895 education award for college costs or student loans.

Basic health insurance.

Assistance with childcare costs.

Forbearance of qualified student loans.

Payment of interest on qualified student loans accrued during the service term.

Serving in a full-time AmeriCorps position qualifies as "employment" towards the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Experience and partnerships to build your career. Clark CD offers up to $25/month as reimbursement for personal cell phone.

About the Clark Conservation District

Clark Conservation District was established in 1942 and is a legal sub-division of state government that administers programs to conserve natural resources. The District is a nonregulatory agency created to bridge the gap between local landowners and state and federal government. We work to conserve the natural resources of Clark County. Our work improves both rural and urban communities to benefit the health and well-being of our residents. The District consists of a small and collaborative team of dedicated staff focused on providing technical assistance, cost share, and building programs that serve our community and the natural resources in Clark County. We are governed by a five-member volunteer Board of Supervisors.

Location

The position is based in Vancouver within Clark County in beautiful Southwest Washington. Ideally located between Mount St. Helens, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, the Columbia River Gorge, and the Pacific Coast, Clark County boasts a vast array of activities, scenic landscapes, and historic attractions, all while being within the Portland metropolitan area. From the Clark CD office, it is a 20-minute drive to the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, over 5,300 acres of wetlands, grasslands, forests, and trails. A 35-minute drive gets you to campsites in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to the east and metropolitan downtown Portland, OR to the south. Filled with diverse activities and outdoor recreation, all within an hour's drive, SW Washington is truly a beautiful and enriching place to live.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Clark CD is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, religion, color, gender, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, gender orientation, veteran status, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable state, federal, or local laws. This policy covers all programs, services, and procedures of Clark CD.

To Apply

Interviews for this position are anticipated at the end of June to July; the position is open until filled. Failure to submit all required materials will remove an applicant from consideration. To be considered, applicants must submit the following:

Resume and one-page cover letter in PDF format that specifically demonstrates how the applicant meets the minimum and preferred qualifications for this position. Submit the form at:

An application on the My AmeriCorps website

Two references through the My AmeriCorps website.

This is a 10.5-month position. The start date for the position is 9/1/2023. The program will end on 7/15/2024.

For more information and position description, see the AmeriCorps website:

For more information about AmeriCorps and the Washington Service Corps, visit the Washington Service Corps website:

For further information, contact Ashley Smithers, Habitat Program Manager at or

More than Just a Paycheck!

Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Read about our benefits:

The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.

Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits.

Insurance Benefits

Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.

Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.

To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) website. The Washington Wellness program from the Health Care Authority works with PEBB to support our workplace wellness programs.

Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses.

Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction.

The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation

State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.

Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). This is a supplemental retirement savings program (similar to an IRA) that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.

Social Security

All state employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The state and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, and meet the qualifying criteria, you may be eligible to receive student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Holidays

Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid holidays and one paid personal holiday per calendar year.

Note: Employees who are members of certain Unions may be entitled to additional personal leave day(s), please refer to position specific Collective Bargaining Agreements for more information.

Full-time employees who work full monthly schedules qualify for holiday compensation if they are employed before the holiday and are in pay status for at least 80 nonovertime hours during the month of the holiday; or for the entire work shift preceding the holiday.

Part-time employees who are in pay status during the month of the holiday qualify for the holiday on a pro-rata basis. Compensation for holidays (including personal holiday) will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status in the month to that required for full-time employment, excluding all holiday hours. Pay status includes hours worked and time on paid leave.

Sick Leave

Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month. Overtime eligible employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month, earn a monthly proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Overtime exempt employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month do not earn a monthly accrual of sick leave.

Sick leave accruals for part-time employees will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.

Vacation (Annual Leave)

Full-time employees accrue vacation leave at the rates specified in (1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Full-time employees who are in pay status for less than 80 nonovertime hours in a month do not earn a monthly accrual of vacation leave.

Part-time employees accrue vacation leave hours in accordance with (1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on a pro rata basis. Vacation leave accrual will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment.

Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.

As provided in, an employer may authorize a lump-sum accrual of vacation leave or accelerate the vacation leave accrual rate to support the recruitment and/or retention of a candidate or employee for a Washington Management Service position. Vacation leave accrual rates may only be accelerated using the rates established WAC 357-31-165.

Note: Most agencies follow the civil service rules covering leave and holidays for exempt employees even though there is no requirement for them to do so. However, agencies are required to adhere to the applicable RCWs pertaining holidays and leave.

Military Leave

Washington State supports members of the armed forces with 21 days paid military leave per year.

Bereavement Leave

Most employees whose family member or household member dies, are entitled to three (3) days of paid bereavement leave. In addition, the employer may approve other available leave types for the purpose of bereavement leave.

Additional Leave

Leave Sharing

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Leave Without Pay

Please visit the State HR Website for more detailed information regarding benefits.

Updated 12-31-2022