Marine Stewardship Program Manager

The Marine Stewardship Program Manager leads the Tribe’s marine science and coastal resilience efforts while managing a portfolio of marine and coastal grants. The role ensures effective planning, compliance, and integration of scientific data with Tribal knowledge and community input. It serves as a key liaison with Tribal leadership, community members, and external partners, supporting engagement and protecting cultural knowledge. The position also strengthens regional leadership by building partnerships and advancing long-term stewardship initiatives.

• Leads the Tribe’s marine stewardship and coastal resilience program.
• Provides technical expertise in marine biology, coastal ecology, climate impacts and coastal management.
• Manages a portfolio of marine and coastal grants, including planning, execution, and compliance.
• Develops and oversees work plans, budgets, timelines, and deliverables.
• Coordinates concurrent projects to ensure alignment, efficiency, and impact.
• Serves as primary liaison with funding agencies, partners, and regulatory entities.
• Oversees collection, analysis, and application of scientific and technical data.
• Guides development of coastal hazard assessments, vulnerability analyses, and spatial data outputs.
• Ensures integration of scientific data with Tribal knowledge systems.
• Leads community and stakeholder engagement, including outreach, workshops, and coordination with Tribal members.
• Protects cultural knowledge through appropriate protocols and practices.
• Oversees production and quality of reports, assessments, and other key deliverables.
• Builds and maintains partnerships with agencies, institutions, and technical experts.
• Represents the Tribe in regional initiatives and supports funding development and long-term program strategy.
• Upholds a work environment that promotes teamwork, partnership, recognition, mutual respect, and collaboration while role modeling the company values, behaviors, and culture of One.Team.Chumash.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology, Marine Ecology, Coastal or Environmental Science, or a related field is required.
• Five years of experience working with marine/coastal science programs, coastal ecosystems (wetlands, dunes, habitats, species), and climate-related impacts and programs (e.g., sea level rise, erosion, flooding).
• Experience in grant management or research project management including managing multiple grant-funded projects.
• Experience managing multi-partner or interdisciplinary projects.
• Experience working with Tribes or Indigenous communities.
• Familiarity with GIS and spatial data tools and coastal hazard modeling or datasets (e.g., USGS, FEMA, resilience models referenced in the grant).
• Knowledge of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) frameworks.
• Computer proficiency utilizing Microsoft applications, email, and Internet.
• Knowledge of applicable regulations, rules, procedures, and administration is required.
• The continuation of this role will be contingent upon the successful acquisition of grant funding.
• Native American hiring preference applies.
• Strategic Thinking: Understands and processes complex information and exercises sound judgment, considering the situation, the issues, the key players, and the levels of authority involved. Proposes courses of action that further the objectives, priorities, and vision of the organization.
• Leadership: Achieving results through people by successful objective setting, performance review, motivation, delegation, teambuilding, commitment gains, and empowerment.
• Attention to Detail: Taking responsibility for a thorough and detailed method of working.
• Planning and Organizing: Setting priorities and defining actions, time, and resources needed to achieve predefined goals.
• Written communication: Expressing ideas and opinions clearly in properly structured, well-organized, and grammatically correct reports or documents; utilizing language and terminology that is understandable for the reader.
• Technical Expertise and Usage: Acquiring and applying technical and functional knowledge in a technological area of specialty.