Free Workshop and Employment Opportunity 

Free Climate Change and Health Equity Workshop 

The Environmental Health Matters Initiative at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will host a workshop on Communities, Climate Change, and Health Equity on on October 12 from 11a.m. - 4 p.m. EST and October 14 from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. EST. This is a free, virtual event that will highlight the disproportionate impact of climate change on communities experiencing health disparities and environmental injustice, and discuss specific policy actions decision-makers can take to address the climate crisis and health inequities.

Attendees will have the chance to contribute questions and comments to the discussion via a virtual engagement tool. Get more information and register for the event online. 

Climate Adaptation Planning Specialist Position Available

Apply by deadline - October, 20, 2021

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. They strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

The Climate Adaptation Planning Specialist will support local governments in the Hudson Valley to adapt to climate change and build resiliency through planning support, capacity building, and coordinated research. The intended outcome of this work is an increase in physical resilience and adaptive capacity for flooding, drought, water quality, sea-level rise, heat stress, and other climate risks. These goals will be achieved in part by working with communities, partners, and consultants on the tidal Hudson River as well as those within the estuary watershed to implement resilience actions (Pledge Element 7) from NYS Climate Smart Communities.

The New York State Water Resources Institute (WRI) in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University works to improve the management of water resources in NYS. This is accomplished through research and partnerships with agencies and regional partners, such as DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program. Beginning in 2000, the Estuary Program initiated a watershed approach to improve and protect water resources and resilience in the Hudson River watershed by working with, and raising capacity of, local and regional partners, land use decision makers, watershed groups, agencies, municipalities, and landowners. The position and partnership will be guided by the five-year strategic plan known as the Hudson River Estuary Program Action Agenda 2021-2025.

Climate adaptation planning will consider issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) to help ensure underrepresented groups are meaningfully engaged through this program and that the work improves conditions in disadvantaged communities and mitigates negative impacts on them, where feasible.

The Climate Adaptation Planning Specialist will receive programmatic direction and oversight from the Estuary Program Climate Change Team Leader to independently implement these tasks and other Estuary Program climate priorities. As an integral member of the Estuary Program and WRI team, this position requires the ability to work with staff from a variety of partner programs, agencies, and organizations.

For More Information

• WRI Helping communities become climate resilient: https://wri.cals.cornell.edu/hudson-river-estuary/climate-change-hudson-river-estuary/helping-communities-become-climate-resilient/
• WRI Mainstreaming Consideration of Climate Change: New York State Leadership: https://wri.cals.cornell.edu/hudson-river-estuary/climate-change-hudson-river-estuary/resources-resilience/new-york-state-climate-change-resources/
• NYS DEC Climate Smart Communities short video series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iXSbw4WHLQ
• NYS DEC Climate Change Program for the Hudson River Estuary: http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/39786.html

This position, located in New Paltz, NY, is a one-year termed appointment position. The current appointment is through December 31, 2022, with each addition annual extension depending on performance and secured funding.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree plus two years of professional experience or associate's degree plus four years of professional experience or equivalent life experience (candidates who have taken a less traditional path may be considered if an aptitude for success and a strong willingness to learn is clearly apparent)
• Critical thinking skills and ability to work on multiple tasks in a fast-paced, changing environment
• Excellent and detail-oriented oral and written communication and editing skills
• Capability to coordinate projects with a diversity of stakeholders and partners with a range of interests and backgrounds
• Ability to work as part of a professional team, promoting cooperation, as well as exercising independent judgment to carry out discrete tasks
• General knowledge of the causes and impacts of climate change
• Interest in building expertise in climate adaptation and resilience through state support programs
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Power Point and Word) and remote collaboration tools (Microsoft SharePoint, Zoom)
• Ability to occasionally work nights and weekends to attend specific meetings or events
• Valid driver’s license or driver's permit by start date or willingness to acquire license within six months of hire (regional travel is required)

Preferred Qualifications

Some or all of the following:

• Bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in Planning (e.g., Urban, Regional or Community), Landscape Architecture, Building or Civil Engineering, Environmental Science or Policy, or similar field
• Professional or volunteer experience in county, municipal, community, or land-use planning, or climate change adaptation
• Experience with engagement and capacity building, especially with local governments and/or community-based organizations
• Creativity in developing and delivering outreach materials, including public speaking and translating technical information into clear and accessible messaging
• Knowledge of solutions for climate adaptation, equity, and resiliency, in tidal and non-tidal ecosystems, especially as it pertains to local and regional levels
• Working knowledge and/or lived experience with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) issues, including environmental justice
• Experience working with disadvantaged or marginalized communities to facilitate their participation in decision-making and/or to identify environmental issues of concern that affect them
• Working understanding of the roles of relevant federal and state regulations, guidance, and funding
• Familiarity with the Hudson River Estuary and the Hudson Valley region
• Proficiency or fluency in Spanish language
• Working knowledge of data visualization and analytics programs (such as GIS, R, Stata, etc…)