Fisher Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Senior Coordinator, Fisheries Technology

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.

POSITION SUMMARY - This position is based in Seattle-WA (preferred), Honolulu-HI or Arlington, VA

The global fisheries sector remains one of the most analog and opaque industries, creating conditions for illegal fishing, fraud, and human rights abuses. Crew on distant water industrial fishing vessels are especially vulnerable to exploitation, often lacking connectivity to report grievances, access support, or contact friends and family. Emerging technologies, including satellite Wi-Fi systems, offer promising solutions to improve oversight, transparency, and crew wellbeing, while also advancing ocean conservation. Since 2022, CI has led pilot projects to test the application and implementation of these technologies in the fishing sector and are now focused on scaling this initiative to critical fishing ports across the Pacific.

The Fisheries Technology Senior Coordinator will work at the intersection of this rapidly evolving space, playing a critical role within CI to scale Wi-Fi connectivity for crew at sea on industrial fishing vessels. The Senior Coordinator will provide administrative, logistical, research, and overall project planning and implementation support to the Offshore Fisheries Program. Working closely with the Fisheries Technology Manager and the Labor Rights and Fisheries Program Manager, the Senior Coordinator will bring organizational and technical capacity to successfully deploy a highly complex project, contributing to outcomes on the water and protecting both ocean ecosystems and human rights.

This role is based within CI's Blue Communities team in the Center for Oceans and will collaborate closely with various CI teams and external partners

RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical

• Support the implementation of crew Wi-Fi (and other technology solutions) on participating fishing vessels through CI's Accountability at Sea initiative, including managing logistics and timelines, planning installations, coordinating international travel, and liaising with internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Manage travel logistics and planning for Wi-Fi installation and training trips, including tracking vessel schedules and port arrivals across multiple geographies.
• Provide technical advice and support for the installation of crew Wi-Fi systems and other associated technologies, including configuring individual crew IDs onboard participating fishing vessels and monitoring Wi-Fi usage.
• Support external partnerships and the creation and processing of contract agreements, contract amendments, sub-grants, and other administrative processes as needed.
• Monitor and update project workplans, budgets, and timelines, including reporting on progress internally and externally, and planning and facilitating workshops, meetings, and site visits.

Program Admin

• Coordinate, plan, and participate in Offshore Fisheries and Blue Communities team convenings. Proactively produce meeting agendas and notes, and coordinate scheduling for team members.
• Coordinate and submit weekly/monthly reporting and aggregate necessary information to support internal and external requests for program updates, impact, and performance. This includes weekly and monthly reports to leadership, as well as annual impact reporting.
• Manage the Blue Communities team SharePoint site, including streamlining the organization and flow of information and resources.
• Organize internal and external meetings, manage agendas, logistics, notes, and reporting.
• Develop program communications, including drafting memos, presentations, maintaining relevant websites, and related communication efforts.
• Support general program events, travel logistics, venue oversight, travel reimbursements, and related event expenses as necessary.
• Support other administrative tasks for the Blue Communities team as necessary.

Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Periodic domestic and international travel to project sites and other office locations (approximately 10% or more as needed).
• Comfortable working outdoors for extended periods.
• Ability to work in remote locations or under difficult working conditions.
• Ability to work outside the normal work schedule to meet project deadlines.
• Guidance on flexible work arrangements will be shared during the interview process.
• This role will be a fixed-term assignment.
  

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• 2 to 4 years of work experience in fisheries, ocean technology, monitoring, control & surveillance (MCS), counter IUU fishing, or other related field, or equivalent experience.
• Technical knowledge of Wi-Fi systems, and/or other onboard technologies, including electronic monitoring (EM), electronic reporting (ER), computer networking, satellite internet service, etc.
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Team player and able to work effectively with diverse groups in a multicultural environment.
• Ability to work well under pressure, multitask, set priorities, and deliver quality results. Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. Solid attention to detail and strong research and proofreading skills.
• Experience engaging with the seafood industry and seafood brands.
• Fluency in English is required

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree or up to four years of college-level work.
• Foreign language abilities, particularly Mandarin Chinese, Bahasa Indonesian, or Filipino dialects a plus.
• Experience working at sea/onboard fishing vessels.

• Experience designing, developing, or deploying innovative technologies in fisheries or a similar natural resource or conservation field (e.g., electronic monitoring, satellite connectivity technologies, AI, etc.).

To apply for this position, please submit a resume and cover letter.

Compensation, Benefits & Culture: Conservation International is committed to pay equity, transparency, and supporting employees across locations. Salary Range:$60,000 - $70,000 annually. This range represents Conservation International's good-faith estimate of the compensation for this position at the time of posting. Final compensation is based on geographic location, job-related skills, qualifications, and relevant experience. Benefits:Eligible employees receive a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 403(b) retirement plan with a 6% employer match after 60 days; Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA); employer-paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage; paid vacation and sick leave; voluntary benefits including pet insurance; and organization-issued technology to support remote and hybrid work. Benefits are subject to plan terms, eligibility requirements, and may be modified from time to time.

See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE

Conservation International is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals. We believe in hiring based on merit and qualifications, ensuring a fair and inclusive hiring process for everyone.