Program Officer- Restoration

Position Background:

The Chesapeake Bay Trust (the Trust), a non-profit grantmaking organization, seeks a Restoration Program Officer for our Annapolis, MD, location to play a key role in the Restoration team’s award programs. This position performs a wide variety of tasks both strategic and tactical. This role reports to the Vice President of Programs for Restoration. This is a hybrid position with an anticipated one to two days per week in the office, and the others may be remote.

This person will be a key member of a high-energy, collaborative team of 40+ professionals who work diligently to advance the Trust’s mission and daily consider the Trust’s core values of learning, science and innovation, grantee focus, diversity and inclusion, fiscal responsibility, and transparency accountability. This is a full-time, salaried position (40 hours per week), recently established to support the organization’s growth.

The Restoration team manages several award programs and partnerships that support stormwater best management practice planning, design, and implementation as well as research and small, scale rebate programs. The Restoration Program Officer will support the Pooled Monitoring Initiative’s Restoration Research Award Program (https://cbtrust.org/grants/restoration-research) and several other programs focused on restoration throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This will include supporting applicants as they develop project proposals, overseeing proposals reviews, compiling grant award agreements, managing awards and helping awardees throughout their projects (including performing site visits for restoration projects), and using the Trust’s online award-making system. This is an opportunity to support restoration aspects of the Trust’s award program portfolio that focuses on stormwater retrofits, climate resiliency, native plants and habitat enhancement, research, and supporting clean water goals for communities.

Established in 1985, the Chesapeake Bay Trust uses award making as a method to promote community-based participation in the restoration and protection of the natural resources of Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay region. In the past fifteen years, the Trust has doubled its grant-making five times through new revenue from a wide range of partners, with current annual grant-making of approximately $25 million. The Trust currently allocates these award funds through 350 to 400 awards per year to entities who apply through open, competitive calls for proposals as well as programs such as the Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps and Maryland Climate Corps.

Specific Responsibilities:

The Restoration Program Officer will play a pivotal role in driving the Trust's mission forward through the following responsibilities:

• Administer the Restoration team’s award programs focused on stormwater management and restoration best management practices (BMPS), climate resiliency, native plants and habitat enhancement, research, and supporting clean water goals for communities.
• Lead the refinement and/or development of Requests for Proposals and other program materials.
• Conduct outreach across the Chesapeake Bay watershed to encourage new and diverse applicants and provide technical assistance.
• Support applicants in developing strong proposals that consider future climate conditions and sustainable practices.
• Lead the analysis and review of grant applications.
• Administer awards in a wide range of sizes ($5,000 to potentially as large as $350,000), including preparing award agreements and contracts, assisting awardees, reviewing status and final reports, approving payments, reviewing revisions, and more.
• Work with awardees throughout their project to discuss and overcome any obstacles; perform site visits to assess the restoration; provide technical assistance; and report successes to funding partners, the public, and/or the Trust staff.
• Prepare summary reports and analysis for Technical Review Committees, funding partners, and the Trust’s Board of Trustees.
• Develop a suite of professional development activities, which could include participating in and presenting at conferences, at seminars, at symposia, and/or in publications.
• Advance recommendations received from the Trust’s external diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice advisory committee and the Trust’s internal action team.

Qualifications and Skills:

• A high level of proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite of programs, especially excel, word, and PowerPoint.
• Strategic thinking skills: ability to set priorities, balance short-term and long-term objectives.
• Exceptional project management and time-management skills, with the ability to manage and meet tight deadlines in order to meet milestones and deliver successful outcomes.
• Ability to work independently as well as in group settings.
• Demonstrated experience in and a track record of success in managing restoration efforts, e.g., watershed planning, oversight of design/implementation of restoration projects, implementing restoration projects, and/or active participation/membership in the Chesapeake Bay watershed/stormwater community.
• Experience in engaging underserved and/or historically excluded communities.
• Ability to conduct site visits to project locations (personal vehicle or access to a vehicle/transportation) and a valid driver’s license or access to transportation options required to facilitate site visit travel and travel to the office.
• Experience using the latest science, research, and/or best practices to guide restoration efforts is a plus.
• Proficiency in managing both budgets and contracts.

If you have most of the qualifications and skills listed above plus a willingness to learn, you are encouraged to apply. This position provides support for new staff directly by the supervisor and team as well as ongoing professional development opportunities to learn and expand skills.

Salary and Benefits: $64,000 to $74,000 with an excellent benefits package and opportunities for related professional development.

Benefits include:

• Health Insurance with choice of medical plan and prescription, dental, vision, and life and disability insurance options, along with flexible spending accounts;
• 401K retirement savings program with match;
• Starting at 10 accrued vacation days, 7 accrued sick days, and 4 personal days annually;
• Compensatory time available for overtime hours worked
• Ten paid holidays per year; and
• Individual Professional Development fund.

A successful candidate with less experience in some of the responsibilities listed above will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of this range. A successful candidate with more experience in the responsibilities listed above will be considered at a higher starting salary.

Application Instructions and Deadline:

The position will remain open until filled, but for best consideration apply by August 15, 2025. Please submit your resume and cover letter. Your cover letter is the most important piece of your application. In your cover letter, please address your ability, based on your skills and experience, to accomplish the specific duties of the position as outlined earlier. Please do not simply list your previous experience. Your cover letter should describe what makes you a strong candidate specifically for this position, and why this position is a match for you.

The Trust provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or disability in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and have or are able to relocate to an address in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, or DC. The Trust does not participate in programs that require sponsorship for work visas.