Employment Opportunities

Employment Opportunities

Fairchild Challenge Program Coordinator

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden seeks a talented and motivated individual to coordinate the award-winning STEM education program, The Fairchild Challenge. The Fairchild Challenge is the award-winning, interdisciplinary, environmental science competition designed to engage students of diverse interests, abilities, talents, and backgrounds to explore the natural world. The program has been recognized as a benchmark for exceptional STEM education and empowering PreK – 12th-grade students to become the next generation of scientists, researchers, educated voters, policymakers, and environmentally-minded citizens. The Challenge is linked with Fairchild’s major science initiatives, including Growing Beyond Earth, the Million Orchid Project, and Connect to Protect Network.

The Fairchild Challenge Program Coordinator will assist in developing, implementing, and assessing the Fairchild Challenge.

Position responsibilities include:

developing Fairchild Challenge program curriculum including pre and post materials, resources, Challenge activities, and training sessions that correspond to M-DCPS Pacing Guides, local and national academic standards, and Common Core
coordinating detailed program logistics and event planning
maintaining communication with teachers, students, partners, and administrators, including daily requests for clarifications, additional information, and procedures
assembling Challenge timelines, reports, and statistics on an ongoing basis that serve to document the progress and create an archival record of the program
attending to financial tasks, including budget reconciliation and program expenditures
assisting with the coordination of research and evaluation relating to the program
developing teacher professional development, adult education classes, and student workshops associated with the annual challenges
assisting in the development of new research initiatives as opportunities arise
communicating with and recruiting volunteers for special events and challenge evaluations
Other duties as required

Minimum requirements are:

Bachelor’s in science education, Biology or Environmental Science; Masters Preferred
minimum of 3 years formal or informal teaching experience
experience in grant writing and reporting
Fluent Spanish speaker preferred
Ability to work some weekends and evenings

Effective communication skills and experience speaking to diverse groups of people
Team player with a positive, can-do attitude who is flexible, proactive, and can anticipate and troubleshoot program details
Creative, organized, efficient, and detail-oriented, with a strong work ethic

This position reports to the Director of Education. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references to Amy Padolf, Director of Education Program, at apadolf@fairchildgarden.org. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is an Equal Opportunity Employer and in compliance with ADA/Drug-free Workplace

Botanist

The Conservation Team at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden seeks a skilled, experienced botanist to advise the Rare Plant Program of Broward County Parks in Broward County, Florida. The Botanist reports to the Program Manager of the South Florida Conservation Program at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, and will work closely with Broward County Parks and Recreation Natural Resource Division to maximize vascular plant diversity of County natural plant communities through data-driven in situ and ex situ conservation activities. Full-time and part-time options exist; a part-time applicant must be available to work at least 24 hours per week (or 48 hours per 2-week period). Benefits of full-time position include health insurance, life insurance and retirement plan.

Primary responsibilities:

Maintaining a spatial database of County rare and sensitive plants,
Maintaining a database of all plant species in county preserves,
Leading informed propagule collection efforts based on pre-approved conservation goals,
Conducting demographic monitoring of select rare plant populations,
Providing consultation for County resource managers regarding restoration and land management activities that may impact rare species or sensitive habitats, including invasive plant management strategies,
Designing, conducting, and monitoring experimental translocations of rare plant species into County Preserves,
Training County employees to identify plant species,
Engaging in occasional outreach with schools, facilitating their growing plants for County restoration projects, and
Writing quarterly and annual reports of worked performed under the agreement.

Minimum qualifications:

Skill in plant identification,
An undergraduate degree and at least two years of similar or relevant experience to the position as described, along with a strong working knowledge of the flora South Florida,
Computer literacy in MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and Access,
Excellent written and oral communication skills,
The abilities to perform outdoor physical labor in full sun in hot, humid conditions and to hike in uneven terrain,
Valid Florida driver’s license and a reliable vehicle.

Qualifications of the ideal candidate:

Team player with a friendly, positive, can-do attitude who is detail-oriented, flexible, independent, and has a strong work ethic,
Expertise in the flora of South Florida,
A graduate degree in a relevant field (botany, ecology, etc.),
Knowledge of endangered plant species issues and familiarity with South Florida and Caribbean native plants and ecosystems,
Knowledge of ecological restoration processes and techniques,
Familiarity with GPS and GIS,
Familiarity with taxonomic keys and use of herbaria to identify unknown plant species, and
Experience in data analysis.

How to apply:

Send letter of interest, resume, and contact information (name, phone and email) for three references to: Jennifer Possley, Conservation Program Manager, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Rd., Miami, FL 33156 or jpossley@fairchildgarden.org.

Closing date for applications: July 30^th, 2021.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is an Equal Opportunity Employer and in compliance with ADA/Drug-free Workplace