Researcher/Coordinator 3

Overview

Be the bridge between science and action. In this role, you’ll collaborate with top researchers at to coordinate vital environmental projects, manage communications, and ensure research translates into measurable impact. Your organizational skills will help shape decisions that affect millions across the Great Lakes.

Join our team as a Research Coordinator/Scientific Project Facilitator and make a meaningful impact on Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory! In this dynamic role, you'll partner with the prestigious National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (NOAA GLERL), where you'll be at the intersection of cutting-edge environmental research and practical project management. You'll orchestrate critical modeling and prediction projects that directly inform decisions about lake levels, coastal flooding, and water quality—work that matters to millions of people across the Great Lakes region. As the vital link between scientists, stakeholders, and leadership, you'll coordinate project schedules, facilitate engaging meetings and workshops, manage key communications, and craft compelling technical documentation that brings complex research to life. This is your opportunity to apply your organizational expertise to real-world environmental challenges while working alongside leading researchers in a collaborative, mission-driven environment where your contributions will ensure the successful delivery of projects that protect and preserve one of North America's most valuable natural resources.

FWI has been recognized as a Top Workplace by the Washington Post in 2024 and 2025, offering excellent growth opportunities in a collaborative environment.

Work Schedule and Location:

Hybrid: This full time, hybrid position will work Monday through Friday. The percentage of work onsite will be determined by the customer.

FWI is expanding rapidly and has been recognized as a 2024, 2025 and 2026 Top Workplace, offering excellent growth opportunities in a collaborative environment. 

Responsibilities

• Providing guidance to technical project staff and project partners, clearly defining project objectives and outcomes
• Developing project schedules, including milestones and deliverables, and track and report progress against project goals
• Supporting the clear identification and assignment of project tasks
• Serving as a liaison between GLERL project leadership and a wide range of external project partners and stakeholders
• Identifying project risks and determining methods of mitigating or reducing the potential impacts of these risks
• Building and maintaining strong working relationships with staff at all levels
• Tracking allocation of project resources, including budgets and expenses, and communicating status to leadership
• Providing project quality assurance reviews and maintaining quality management records
• Supporting program reporting and record-keeping through updates to project databases and maintaining internal NOAA project records
• Providing additional project and program management and administrative support as assigned
• Planning, scheduling, leading, and facilitating virtual and in-person project meetings, including small team meetings and larger project workshops
  • Includes development of meeting agendas, planning of meeting logistics, dissemination of meeting materials to participants, and communication of meeting outputs
• Documenting and sharing products from team meetings, including minutes, white papers, and reports
• Leading meeting discussions and facilitating participation from among attendees
• Providing input to technical staff on the layout, writing, and editing of technical reports, white papers, presentation slides, and other project documentation
• Providing input on drafts for written content for external audiences on various platforms, such as websites, blogs, and social media
• Developing figures, graphics, and images to support communication of project plans, results, and outputs to support publications, presentations, and online dissemination techniques
• Providing input on written plans to describe project transition and deliverables

Qualifications

Required: 

• Bachelor's degree in science, mathematics, operations, business, management, public administration, or related field from an accredited school
• The ability to obtain a Public Trust clearance
• 4+ years of professional and/or academic experience in related duties
• Knowledge of and experience in creating presentations for a technical and non-technical audience
• Knowledge of office productivity software

Desired: 

• Knowledge of and experience in organization of technical projects, including creating plans, managing tasks, building schedules, tracking milestones and deliverables, and leading meetings for multi-year projects
• Experience in planning and facilitating meetings and workshops
• Demonstrable experience and/or expertise in organizing technical science projects
• Work experience and/or college coursework in relevant science and engineering subjects (hydraulics, hydrology, fluid mechanics, limnology, oceanography, ecology, physics, meteorology, computer modeling)

Why Join Our Team

At FWI, we place the highest importance on creating an exceptional employee experience. You'll have opportunities to achieve your career aspirations through internal promotions, professional development, and other recognition and rewards programs. Join our team and take advantage of the many benefits we offer, including:

• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Long-term and Short-term Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• 401(k) Plan
• Holiday Pay
• Paid Time Off

FWI is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/vets. 

Pay Range

Pay range is from 37 an hour to 42.01 depending on experience, education, and clearance level.