Academics Afield Facilitator

Location: Georgia Wildlife Federation (GWF), Covington, GA (in-state remote work is flexible)

Working Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8:00AM-5:00PM, but flexible with some work on evenings and weekends

Contract Period: Full Time April 1, 2022-March 31, 2023 with potential for extension

Contract: $40k-$50k Pay commensurate with experience

Education: Bachelor’s degree in natural resources or bachelor’s degree with a strong understanding of wildlife conservation

OVERVIEW:

This position will be funded through a grant titled “Expanding Academics Afield to Advance Equity in College R3 Programming,” from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. R3 is the Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation of hunters, anglers and shooting sport participants. Academics Afield (AA) is a program aimed at introducing students from non-traditional backgrounds to hunting and shooting sports. AA is active at seven Universities across the southeastern states and is being replicated at 10 additional universities in 2022. This recent expansion focuses on program establishment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); thus, the Facilitator needs to have a strong understanding of minority experiences in the outdoors. Our expansion begins with a “Listening Phase” collecting quantitative and qualitative data from HBCU students to ensure the program implementation is unique to their needs and barriers. GWF has partnered with researchers at North Carolina State University (NCSU) to fully understand the student’s backgrounds and will provide clear guidance on research protocols. The facilitator will work directly with partners to ensure reliable data collection, to guide them on local implementation and to effectively report program findings and impacts. The Facilitator will be the direct manager of the expansion to Georgia’s Fort Valley State University (FVSU) and Albany State University (ASU). The Academics Afield Facilitator will be trained in order to fulfill the position’s objectives. The position will be located at the GWF’s Alcovy Conservation Center in Covington, GA. However, remote work in the state of Georgia can be accommodated.

EXPECTED RESULTS:

1. Help recruit and retain diverse young adults into hunting and shooting sports
2. Assist with the completion of a comprehensive social science research assessment to improve understanding of different perspectives, as well as the variety of barriers that many young adults face when it comes to engaging with hunting and shooting sports
3. Ensure that NGO, university, industry and agency partners in all participating states have the necessary resources, infrastructure and partnerships needed to sustain AA
4. Coordinate the creation of data-driven recommendations for tangible strategies to better engage diverse young adult hunters. Results will be synthesized in an addendum to the comprehensive AA Toolkit (in progress)
5. Increase awareness of the GA Department of Natural Resources-Wildlife Resource Division by engaging Department personnel for support with instruction, training and hunts

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

1. Coordinate AA Expansion with awarded funds following predetermined goals and outlines
2. Be a resource for out-of-state partners by visiting in person and hosting regular virtual meetings
3. Supervise student interns helping them to strengthen and implement their programs
4. Encourage and develop partnerships within GA building infrastructure and capacity
5. Recognize contributions and celebrate accomplishments
6. Motivate others to improve quantity and quality of work performed and provide training and development opportunities as appropriate
7. Identify long-term funding sources for GA AA programs
8. Communicate regularly to supervisor and stakeholders on progress towards defined goals

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

1. Avid outdoorsperson, hunting background desired
2. Strong understanding of North American wildlife conservation and hunting’s role in it
3. Knowledge of staff and program management
4. Ability to evaluate training and instructional materials; write reports; develop procedures
5. Ability to create and conduct presentations, and training workshops
6. Experience using MS Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other related software
7. Ability to stay on task, meet goals, and keep morale high
8. Ability to develop realistic goals and measure progress to stay on track
9. Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate work assignments that often involve multiple staff including those with other organizations; monitor budgets
10. Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written forms
11. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with peers from a variety of different organizations and backgrounds

TO APPLY: Email a cover letter, resume and contact information for three references to Breanna Bashford at [email protected]. Applications due February 28th.