SUPERVISOR - ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST - South Florida Water Management District
West Palm Beach, FL
About the Job
The Coastal Ecosystems Section at the South Florida Water Management District seeks a Science Supervisor to lead staff in monitoring, research and modeling efforts that provide the scientific basis for management of freshwater flows to estuarine systems in South Florida. This includes real time management of flows and establishing inflow requirements for water protection rules. The Supervisor will work with staff in the section and contribute to a program focused on District priorities, which include Lake Okeechobee operational protocols, the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program, and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Program. This position is responsible for development of research plans, budgets, personnel and project management, and oversight of complex and multi-phased applied science projects in support of District priorities.
The candidate should possess a strong background in estuarine ecology and will be required to perform a variety of duties that include a combination of professional networking, data management and analysis, scientific writing, and technical presentations. Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to, technical support and review of the section’s estuarine science, data collection and analysis, writing and reviewing technical reports, and design and optimization of monitoring programs. The incumbent will be working with various interdisciplinary teams and will require exceptional and demonstrable written and verbal communication skills.
Knowledge of and experience working in tropical or subtropical estuarine systems is desirable and knowledge of and experience working in South Florida estuaries is preferred. The Supervisor must manage scope, time and cost of projects, provide technical leadership to contract managers, author or review technical reports and research articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and develop, lead and interact with high-level interdisciplinary teams, both internally and externally, in the application of basic science to the solution of applied problems. The ability to clearly communicate estuarine science to multiple audiences including stakeholders, agency personnel, District management teams, and the Executive Governing Board is required.
The supervisor should have the ability to effectively and efficiently supervise a team of high-level scientists to meet established deliverables and contributions to support the District’s core mission functions and water resource priorities; develop and support a sound functional organization for the team that assures clearly defined and documented roles for each member; foster coaching and mentoring initiatives to enhance staff's technical development and career paths; ensure staff's performance objectives and evaluations are clear, with meaningful measurable criteria, setting standards for performance that support the mission and vision of the Applied Sciences Bureau.
The supervisor should demonstrate knowledge of the District's budget, human resources policies and practices, procurement programs and processes, and the ability to attract, retain, motivate, and reward staff; consistently maintain the appropriate alignment of staff expertise to achieve teamwork products in the most effective and efficient manner while providing resources to resolve questions, mediate conflicts and support staff’s work efforts; implement and follow emergency management and safety policies, procedures and standards for staff; assure that staff are interacting with the Applied Research Bureau data stewards and appropriately archiving collected project data, therefore, knowledge of data management tools (software) is preferred.
The supervisor demonstrates the ability to assign, delegate, analyze, and prioritize workload to ensure that District metrics are achieved and maintained, and to effectively respond to special requests that require immediate attention; ability to monitor and measure staff accomplishments by quantifying workload complexity; ability to evaluate, change and create workflow processes.
Education/Experience Guidelines:
Master's Degree in Ecology/Marine Biology (Ph.D. preferred) or a related discipline and 8+ years of experience that demonstrates measurable career progression within a science discipline that can be applied to support District goals and objectives. Prior experience should include 2 years supervising scientific staff or assisting a manager leading a scientific department.
Familiarity and experience in experimental design, data analysis, and data interpretation is preferred. Demonstrable skills in technical writing, delivering technical presentations, working in remote estuarine environments, and excellence in team building and teamwork are required.
License(s) / Certification(s):
Valid State of Florida Driver's License required.
Physical Requirements/ Working Environment:
Due to the District's response role and in the total scope of emergency management, this position may at times, be required to provide support before, during and after major storm events and emergency situations, such as hurricanes or other declared emergencies, depending on assigned emergency response role.
Ability to work in estuarine environments in South Florida. The candidate must be able to swim and snorkel in coastal and estuarine environments. Ability to trailer and captain a small watercraft is preferred, but not required.
Veterans’ Preference:
Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. All documentation is due by the close of the job posting.
The candidate should possess a strong background in estuarine ecology and will be required to perform a variety of duties that include a combination of professional networking, data management and analysis, scientific writing, and technical presentations. Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to, technical support and review of the section’s estuarine science, data collection and analysis, writing and reviewing technical reports, and design and optimization of monitoring programs. The incumbent will be working with various interdisciplinary teams and will require exceptional and demonstrable written and verbal communication skills.
Knowledge of and experience working in tropical or subtropical estuarine systems is desirable and knowledge of and experience working in South Florida estuaries is preferred. The Supervisor must manage scope, time and cost of projects, provide technical leadership to contract managers, author or review technical reports and research articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and develop, lead and interact with high-level interdisciplinary teams, both internally and externally, in the application of basic science to the solution of applied problems. The ability to clearly communicate estuarine science to multiple audiences including stakeholders, agency personnel, District management teams, and the Executive Governing Board is required.
The supervisor should have the ability to effectively and efficiently supervise a team of high-level scientists to meet established deliverables and contributions to support the District’s core mission functions and water resource priorities; develop and support a sound functional organization for the team that assures clearly defined and documented roles for each member; foster coaching and mentoring initiatives to enhance staff's technical development and career paths; ensure staff's performance objectives and evaluations are clear, with meaningful measurable criteria, setting standards for performance that support the mission and vision of the Applied Sciences Bureau.
The supervisor should demonstrate knowledge of the District's budget, human resources policies and practices, procurement programs and processes, and the ability to attract, retain, motivate, and reward staff; consistently maintain the appropriate alignment of staff expertise to achieve teamwork products in the most effective and efficient manner while providing resources to resolve questions, mediate conflicts and support staff’s work efforts; implement and follow emergency management and safety policies, procedures and standards for staff; assure that staff are interacting with the Applied Research Bureau data stewards and appropriately archiving collected project data, therefore, knowledge of data management tools (software) is preferred.
The supervisor demonstrates the ability to assign, delegate, analyze, and prioritize workload to ensure that District metrics are achieved and maintained, and to effectively respond to special requests that require immediate attention; ability to monitor and measure staff accomplishments by quantifying workload complexity; ability to evaluate, change and create workflow processes.
Education/Experience Guidelines:
Master's Degree in Ecology/Marine Biology (Ph.D. preferred) or a related discipline and 8+ years of experience that demonstrates measurable career progression within a science discipline that can be applied to support District goals and objectives. Prior experience should include 2 years supervising scientific staff or assisting a manager leading a scientific department.
Familiarity and experience in experimental design, data analysis, and data interpretation is preferred. Demonstrable skills in technical writing, delivering technical presentations, working in remote estuarine environments, and excellence in team building and teamwork are required.
License(s) / Certification(s):
Valid State of Florida Driver's License required.
Physical Requirements/ Working Environment:
Due to the District's response role and in the total scope of emergency management, this position may at times, be required to provide support before, during and after major storm events and emergency situations, such as hurricanes or other declared emergencies, depending on assigned emergency response role.
Ability to work in estuarine environments in South Florida. The candidate must be able to swim and snorkel in coastal and estuarine environments. Ability to trailer and captain a small watercraft is preferred, but not required.
Veterans’ Preference:
Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. All documentation is due by the close of the job posting.
Source : South Florida Water Management District