Overview
The Field Logistics Coordinator is a contract role anticipated through February 2027 with Arête Glacier Initiative is responsible for serving as the science team's primary logistics planner and ALE liaison. This is a planning and coordination role as much as a field role. The coordinator will work closely with our science team and ALE staff to ensure that every logistical requirement for the expedition is anticipated, communicated, and resolved - from cargo manifests and instrument shipping to field safety protocols and day-to-day communication at Thwaites. You will be the person who knows both the science team's needs and ALE's systems well enough to keep the two in sync.
Arête Glacier Initiative is supporting a multi-institutional glaciology research expedition to Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica, deploying in the upcoming austral summer (December/January). A science team of approximately five researchers will conduct geophysical fieldwork - including seismic sensor deployment, GNSS/GPS stations, and ground penetrating radar - at a fly-in field site accessed through Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions' (ALE) Union Glacier camp. Field logistics on the ice will be handled by ALE.
Climate change is destabilizing marine ice sheets, creating a risk of catastrophic sea-level rise over the next century. Arête Glacier Initiative is a new nonprofit initiative dedicated to understanding this risk and assessing the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of potential interventions to stabilize ice sheets. We aim to fund, coordinate, and accelerate research to enable informed societal decisions regarding these interventions.
Digital Harbor Foundation is dedicated to fostering learning, creativity, productivity, and community through education with a vision of digital equity for everyone. Driven by our sincere belief that access to opportunity is a basic right, we take bold yet practical actions to support making a better future now. Through a portfolio of projects focused on developing leadership within communities, we support those closest to challenges to take deliberate actions based in design thinking approach, backed by data analysis, grounded in a practice of collective impact, and driven by a commitment to racial equity.
Experience Requirements
Minimum Qualifications
- Demonstrated polar field experience, preferably including at least one Antarctic season, with strong working knowledge of the realities of remote ice-sheet fieldwork
- Experience working within or alongside a commercial or national Antarctic logistics provider; familiarity with how field plans, cargo systems, and flight scheduling work in practice
Preferred Qualifications
- Direct prior experience with ALE operations and Union Glacier staging
- Personal Antarctic field experience, providing firsthand understanding of the environment and constraints the team will be working in
- Background in glaciology, geophysics, or a related cryosphere science; familiarity with seismic, GNSS, or radar field operations
- Experience coordinating multi-institutional science teams
- Prior role as field PI, science coordination office member, or expedition manager on a polar project
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Strong organizational skills; ability to manage complex, multi-party logistics with long lead times and limited margin for error
- Excellent communication skills; able to represent the science team's needs to a logistics provider and translate operational constraints back to scientists
- Comfortable working independently and collaboratively in a remote environment across a geographically distributed team
- You have a deep understanding of what it takes to plan and execute a remote Antarctic field campaign - whether from direct experience, a logistics coordination role, or both
- You are proactive and detail-oriented, able to anticipate problems before they reach the field and resolve them efficiently across time zones and institutions
- You are a clear communicator who can work effectively with both scientists and logistics providers, and know how to bridge those two worlds
- You are comfortable working in an early-stage organization where priorities may evolve and initiative is valued
- You are organized, reliable, and able to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines simultaneously
Additional Notes
This contract position is fully remote with occasional in-person meetings as needed to fulfill the responsibilities of the position.
Work is anticipated to end in February 2027.
Role and Responsibilities
Pre-Deployment Planning
- Serve as the primary point of contact for ALE for all expedition logistics: flight scheduling, cargo, camp configuration, field movement planning, and communications setup
- Work with the science team to develop a detailed Field Plan covering site access, instrument deployment sequences, traverse routes, daily schedules, and contingency plans
- Coordinate equipment procurement, packing, documentation, and cargo shipping to Punta Arenas staging
- Coordinate team medical/fitness clearances and any ALE-required training or documentation
- Liaise with science team members across multiple institutions to consolidate logistics requirements
Post-Season
- Oversee equipment repatriation, cargo tracking, and shipping from Punta Arenas
- Compile a post-season logistics report documenting lessons learned, ALE costs, and recommendations for future seasons
Other Duties
Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the candidate for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Compensation
Compensation for this position is $50-$75 hourly, commensurate with experience.
If our mission and vision align with your personal values, please apply!
A cover letter outlining your qualifications for the position along with your resume is required. Interviews will be conducted virtually. Digital Harbor and Arete Glacier Initiative are equal opportunity employers.
