The Center for Coastal Studies
Position Description
Job Title: Center Director
The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS), founded in 1997 on the shores of Bahía Magdalena in the fishing community of Puerto San Carlos, Baja California Sur, Mexico, seeks an enthusiastic, team-oriented Director. You will lead a team consisting of two Lecturers, a Student Affairs Manager, two Interns, two Cooks, a Bookkeeper, an Administrative Coordinator, a Site Maintenance Assistant and a Night Watchman, to oversee delivery of a high quality, field-based academic/research program to primarily American undergraduate students. Because Center staff and students live on site, our directors get to know both their fellow staff members and their students on a level not often achieved in a conventional university setting.
Start Date: July 1, 2003
The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) is one of seven international field sites of the US-based School for Field Studies (SFS). Founded in 1980, SFS is a university-level study abroad program that focuses on teaching and conducting community-based environmental research.
Institutional Mission: As an international, non-profit academic institution, SFS provides environmental education and conducts research through its field-based programs. SFS is committed to providing hands-on, interdisciplinary education and environmental research in partnership with natural resource dependent communities. Our goals are twofold: to provide students with a unique and challenging educational and life experience that assists them in successfully advancing their careers as skilled professionals and globally aware citizens; and to work with local community stakeholders to develop models for the sustainable management of their natural resources.
Academic Approach: Our academic program is delivered within an interdisciplinary case study format and includes three field-lecture courses: coastal ecology, principles of resource management, and economic & ethical issues in sustainable development. A fourth course introduces students to the planning and conduct of field research.
Research Focus: The center's current Five-Year Research Plan focuses on how to help the government and community of Puerto San Carlos promote ecosystem conservation and resource sustainability in Bahía Magdalena, as well as support the resource dependent socio-economic growth and stability of their community. Partial funding for this work has been provided by The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
Job Summary: The purpose of this position is to manage an effective and well respected environmental problem solving organization in the local and regional community through academic research and program design and implementation; Center administration; fundraising and development; financial management; personnel management; risk management; and community outreach. The Director teaches the course: Economic and Ethical Issues in Sustainable Development, which examines the broad social and economic contexts that surround the problem of effectively managing the wealth of natural resources in Bahía Magdalena. The Director's research responsibilities include managing the implementation of the center's Five-Year Research Plan and overseeing and advising individual student directed research projects.
Location: Center for Coastal Studies, Puerto San Carlos, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Reports to: SFS Vice President for Operations
Salary & Benefits Package: US$42,000. Housing and meals on site; excellent benefits package
Minimum Qualifications:
Ph.D. (strongly preferred) in marine/coastal resource economics; social and environmental policy
2-3 years senior management experience including supervision and team building, budget & facilities management, risk management
Proven experience with: institution building; fundraising; project management; running academic and/or research programs; negotiating with program partners
Experience managing people in a field based residential system
Proven ability to develop and work with community and research partners
Demonstrated ability to coordinate and be part of an interdisciplinary teaching and field research team
Field research experience in an area related to the focus of the center
University-level teaching experience in environmental/ecological economics; environmental policy and socio-economics
A track record of research publications
Experience living or working in Baja California preferred
Fluent Spanish and English
Other Expectations:
Willingness to work flexible hours and live on site at the field station with a small team of permanent staff, groups of US and Mexican undergraduate students and visiting researchers or programs
Ability to travel locally and internationally to support Center administration and initiatives
To apply: Send CV and cover letter detailing qualifications and experience to: Center for Coastal Studies, c/o SFS Headquarters (Job#1326), 10 Federal Street, Salem, MA 01970, USA; Fax: 1-978-741-3551; Email: [email protected]. EOE. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Mexican citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.
