Ocean Conservancy RAY Conservation Diversity Fellow: Climate Program

Climate change has had devastating effects on the ocean and the communities that rely on it. At the same time, the ocean is a source of sustainable climate solutions. Although the fight against climate change historically has overlooked ocean issues, there is now a growing movement to advance ocean-climate action. Ocean Conservancy is at the heart of this transformation. We work to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions—including CO2 emissions, which drive both warming and ocean acidification—and realize the potential of sustainable ocean-based mitigation solutions. We also work to build the resilience of communities and ecosystems on the front lines of ocean-climate change. To reach these objectives, we have a three-fold strategy: cultivating and steering decisionmakers at all levels of government; creating ocean-climate policy solutions; and building demand for action through advocacy and the mobilization of new voices.

As a full member of the climate program, general activities of the fellow would include:

The Climate Program RAY Fellow would work in the Washington, DC office and would be fully integrated into the climate program and its work, including cross-disciplinary work with the fish and Arctic programs, among others, in addition to day-to-day work with government relations and communications.

The Climate Program RAY Fellow would have an opportunity to gain a full range of experiences that would make the fellow a competitive candidate for climate or environmental think tanks or NGOs. This includes research and policy development; decisionmaker engagement and policy implementation; climate communications / advocacy (through blogs, etc.); stakeholder and NGO partner engagement; and authorship of both public-facing pieces and internal reports. If the fellow has an interest in ocean-climate justice specifically, there would also be the opportunity to focus on this body of work. In the course of the fellowship, the fellow would create a broad network across the ocean and climate spaces and would have the benefit of a number of mentors from different academic backgrounds and with different areas of expertise.

The fellow could engage in a range of projects (according to the interests and capacities of the fellow and the needs of the climate program), such as:

The fellow would work not only to advance external climate action but also to advance the climate policies of the organization itself. Specifically, the fellow would lead the coordination and authorship of the Ocean Conservancy annual sustainability report:

In addition to the responsibilities at the host institution outlined above, RAY Fellows will spend, on average, 2-4 hours per week (5-10% of work time) on the following:

RAY Fellows will also attend:

Eligible RAY Fellow applicants will:

This is a two-year, full-time fellowship starting on or after July 15, 2020.

The Fellowship is compensated and sponsored by Ocean Conservancy, who offers a competitive benefits package as well as training and professional development opportunities.

To apply for the RAY Fellowship Program, applicants must:

Complete the online application survey on the RAY Fellowship Program website through the external link on Handshake.

Follow the instructions on the linked application webpage to submit a curriculum vitae or a resume, two essay and one short answer responses, and a letter of support.

Applications must be submitted to the RAY Fellowship Program no later than March 22, 2020. Transcripts and additional writing samples are not required. Questions about the application process can be submitted to the RAY Program Coordinator, Guilu Murphy, via email at guilu@elpnet.org.