At the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that celebrates and values diversity. We firmly believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices, working together, increases our capacity to serve our visitors and fulfill our mission. We welcome people from all walks of life into our team and strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and people with disabilities to apply.

Please note: This position is fully remote.

Program Overview:

Our goal is to demonstrate that it is possible to transform red-rated seafood production to sustainable systems that preserve ecosystem health, are resilient to climate changes, and sustain equitable livelihoods. We focus on projects that have potential to improve the environmental sustainability of some of the largest sources of seafood on the U.S. market and use innovative approaches tailored to individual industries and regions. The current portfolio of projects includes working with the farmed salmon industry to reduce antibiotic use in Chile, developing new approaches to improve and verify environmental performance of small scale shrimp aquaculture in Vietnam, India, Indonesia and Bangladesh, supporting community based small scale fisheries management for blue swimming crab in the Philippines and examining the effect of governance structures on sustainability improvements in the jumbo squid and mahi fisheries in Peru. This position will contribute to ensuring our sustainability projects have meaningful, clear, and demonstrable impact.

Job Summary:

With limited oversight, develop and implement a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system for Monterey Bay Aquarium global fishery and aquaculture improvement projects. Track progress of Monterey Bay Aquarium projects, from the initial ideation through to completion. Work collaboratively with a number of internal and external parties and incorporate new and dynamic information. Use data analytics and visualization to assess program impact and efficacy and provide actionable information to guide program strategies, advance Aquarium conservation goals and inform the broader sustainable seafood movement. Represent Monterey Bay Aquarium program data in external data collaborations and contribute to analyses which utilize program data. Develop performance and impact metrics, perform data collection, data analysis, quality assurance, and visualization; perform other duties as required. International travel required.

Core Activities:

• Lead the development of Monitoring and Evaluation framework:
  • Develop new methodologies and standards by which to measure fisheries and aquaculture project impact.
  • Design strategies to consistently and effectively implement a Monitoring and Evaluation framework including the development of measurement tools and processes (e.g. databases, SOPs and staff training materials, verification and QA processes).
  • Lead collaborative processes (e.g. brainstorming, feedback and decision-making sessions) with internal and external project stakeholders to define stakeholder needs, project benefits and impact for each fishery and aquaculture improvement project.
  • Establish individual Monitoring and Evaluation plans for each fishery and aquaculture improvement project.
• Implementation:
  • Define and maintain detailed project plans with key project milestones, workstreams and activities, using project management software.
  • Assess and track applicable metrics during the projects’ implementation phase and throughout the project life.
  • Lead on the reporting of results to project stakeholders and internal leadership, ensuring a continual flow of data for internal learning and donor reporting. Facilitate quarterly reviews with staff and project stakeholders.
• Process improvement:
  • Regularly assess the Monitoring and Evaluation framework and identify opportunities for process improvement within global projects.
  • Proactively identify and mitigate risks associated with programs and projects. Develop and recommend contingency strategies to address potential challenges and ensure successful outcomes.
  • Serve as the team expert on M&E for the organization’s global fisheries and aquaculture improvement projects. Support other projects with their M&E implementation. Stay current with the latest research in monitoring, evaluation and verification.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs):

• Master’s degree or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience in a related field
• Mastery-level knowledge of Monitoring and Evaluation systems
• Minimum 6-7 years relevant experience with assurance, with on the ground experience and familiarity with the operational models of a number of sustainability standard systems, market-based sustainability efforts and other types of verification or sustainability tools. Understanding of the limitations of existing assurance models and experience with other types of verification or sustainability tools. Experience with designing Quality Assurance protocols and processes. Examples of relevant standards include Marine Stewardship Council, Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Fair Trade and ISEAL Assurance Code.
• Ability to communicate complex technical issues and convey these clearly and in multiple formats to various audiences
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills, including a high comfort level with engaging diverse representatives of all stakeholder groups in seafood supply chains on a regular basis
• Experience leading teams and stakeholders to adopt new processes and procedures. Ability to collaborate and build positive relationships with personnel from other Aquarium divisions, leadership staff, contractors, and domestic and international stakeholders
• Capable of prioritizing complex workloads across multiple projects, delegating appropriately, and adhering to critical project timing while using good judgement, problem-solving skills, and follow-through
• Ability to work within and maintain Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Core Values

Physical Requirements to Perform Essential Job Functions:

• Typical office equipment
• Constant sitting, standing, walking, bending
• Occasional unassisted lifting up to 50 lbs
• Typical office environment, main aquarium and exhibits, occasional offsite events; travel to remote locations required for approximately 15% of time

Annual Compensation Range:

$93,500-$119,000 USD annually. Starting rate will vary based on previous experience and relevant skills/knowledge set.