Blue Carbon Program Director

Company: Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Location: Boston
Posted on: June 1, 2025

Job Description:

An Official website of the Commonwealth of MassachusettsALERTEffective January 25, 2024, Executive Order #627 cements the Commonwealth's well-established practice of skills-based hiring, paving the way to a more equitable hiring process. The Commonwealth is committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees feel respected, valued, and empowered to serve our citizens. Join us today!Job Description - Blue Carbon Program Director (25000033)Who We Are:The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) seeks to protect, preserve, and enhance Massachusetts' environmental resources and create a clean energy future for all residents. Through the stewardship of open spaces, the protection of environmental resources, and the advancement of clean energy, EEA works tirelessly to make Massachusetts a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family. Our commitment to environmental justice ensures that every resident, regardless of background or location, can live in a safe, clean environment and shares equally in the benefits of the clean energy transition.Who We Are as an Employer:At EEA, we create meaningful, inclusive opportunities that empower our employees to make a real difference in shaping the environmental future of Massachusetts. We foster a workplace culture where diversity is valued, innovation is encouraged, and collaboration thrives. Our employees are vital in advancing sustainability, environmental justice, and clean energy solutions, ensuring a positive and lasting impact on Massachusetts and its residents.The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is the state agency responsible for conservation of the state's natural resources. DFG exercises responsibility over the Commonwealth's marine and freshwater fisheries, wildlife, plants, and natural communities, and provides outdoor recreation opportunities to the public.Job Opening:The Department of Fish and Game seeks applicants for a Blue Carbon Program Director to perform the following duties:Blue Carbon is the term for the carbon captured by the world's coastal and ocean ecosystems, including salt marshes and eelgrass beds. This new Program will develop a financial incentive for protecting and restoring coastal ecosystems, which are highly effective at capturing and storing carbon, critical for wildlife and fisheries, and highly threatened by pollution and sea-level rise. Conserving and restoring coastal wetlands, including saltmarshes, in a Blue Carbon Program will help protect vulnerable ecosystems that serve as valuable regional carbon sinks to help mitigate the impacts of climate change, directly supporting net zero goals of the Commonwealth, reduce risks to coastal communities from sea level rise and storm surges, and protect wildlife and fisheries.Applicable adaptation actions that support restoration of full tidal flow are projected to result in estimated net greenhouse gas reduction of up to 1.3 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents over a 20-year time period and will be utilized to test and develop the proof-of-concept and serve as strong demonstration pilot project examples necessary for informing the development the Blue Carbon Program.The Blue Carbon Program will focus on permanently protecting salt marsh and other coastal wetlands with Fee Simple acquisitions and Conservation Restrictions, in coordination with the existing Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Land Protection Program, and restoring the ecological function of these coastal wetlands. The purpose of the Program is to create incentives for private owners to aggregate tidal wetlands for at-scale restoration or acquisition to state and municipal land.Responsibilities include:

• Lead the development of a Blue Carbon Program-evaluate the feasibility, design, and monitoring of coastal habitat conservation and restoration projects that increase carbon storage, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase coastal resiliency. Support the evaluation, design, and implementation of nature-based carbon offset projects focusing on blue carbon.
• Oversee consultants and contractors assisting in developing carbon offset and associated nature-based restoration and land acquisition projects.
• Build relationships with partners, including funders, non-profit organizations, municipalities, state and federal agencies, researchers and academic institutions, and landowners.
• Develop and manage a technical team, including federal and state agencies, academic institutions, and consultants, to build and support the program.
• Please coordinate with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Office of the Climate Chief, Department of Environmental Protection, and other relevant state agencies, as well as with land protection program staff in the Department of Fish and Game and its Divisions.
• Legal and policy analysis on market tools, coordination within and between government agencies, program planning and implementation, and ongoing project analysis and development. The Director will be responsible for developing the legal and policy tools needed to support a Blue Carbon Program and developing and managing the fiscal framework to operate said Program.
• Manage the reporting structure between contractors, consultants, and internal staff and review and approve work products, including but not limited to reports. The Director recommends program goals, priorities, budget, and structure to the Assistant Commissioner and Commissioner.
• Work closely with the Department of Fish and Game Chief of Staff, General Counsel, Chief Financial Officer, Director of Finance, Director of Communications, Environmental Justice Manager, and the Director of Land Protection and Capital Planning.
• Provides direct supervision and mentorship.
• Provide overall guidance and suggestions on program initiatives and priorities.
• Coordinate with senior leadership and program staff in the four Divisions.
• Coordinating with other relevant state agencies and plans, including, but not limited to, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Office of Coastal Zone Management, Department of Environmental Protection, federal agencies, and nonprofit and educational organizations.
• Work extensively with private landowners, NGO and private organizations, community groups, regional councils, and others.Under the direction of the Assistant Commissioner, the Blue Carbon Program Director makes decisions about specific elements of the program's structure, including metrics, verification, project selection, and monitoring, and its scope, including wetland type and geography.Preferred Qualifications:
  • Has experience conducting science-based technical analyses, performing geospatial modeling, completing literature reviews, and engaging diverse stakeholder groups.
  • Experience with carbon market standards and conservation finance mechanisms.
  • Project planning and management, including consultants.
  • Familiarity with ecology, wetlands, wetland restoration projects, and nature-based solutions.Minimum Entrance Requirements:Applicants must have at least (A) four (4) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, professional internship, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in business administration, business management, public administration, public management, clinical administration or clinical management or (B) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below.Substitutions:
    • A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience.
    • An Associate's degree in a related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience.
    • A Bachelor's degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required experience.
    • A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required experience.
    • A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for the required experience.When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.Official Title:Program Manager IVPrimary LocationJobEnvironmental and EnergyAgencyDepartment of Fish And GameScheduleFull-timeShiftDayJob PostingJan 16, 2025, 9:09:14 PMNumber of Openings1Salary75,714.28 - 116,389.58 YearlyIf you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator: Gabriella Knight - 8572680629Bargaining Unit: M99-Managers (EXE)Confidential: NoPotentially Eligible for a Hybrid Work Schedule: Yes
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Keywords: Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Salem , Blue Carbon Program Director, Executive , Boston, Massachusetts