Project FeederWatch Assistant - Lab of Ornithology

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The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is a pioneer of purpose-driven science and Cornell University's second largest college. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education, and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: We believe that achieving next-generation scientific breakthroughs requires an understanding of the world's complex, interlocking systems. We believe that access to nutritious food and a healthy environment is a fundamental human right. We believe that ensuring a prosperous global future depends on the ability to support local people and communities everywhere. By working in and across multiple scientific areas, CALS can address challenges and opportunities of the greatest relevance, here in New York, across the nation, and around the world.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is the world's leading resource for conservation, research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. The Lab is a vibrant unit within Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), where full-time faculty and many other renowned professionals direct world-class, mission-driven programs. Staff at the Lab teach undergraduate courses, advise graduate students, collect and disseminate world-famous digital resources on biodiversity, and engage with partner organizations and citizens around the world to conduct scientific research and conservation actions. Our management and staff are committed to the highest standards of ethics and excellence in all areas of our work, and our Board leadership includes faculty from Cornell and other universities, successful entrepreneurs and managers from the business and non-profit sectors, and conservation-minded citizens from the United States and beyond.

The Lab of Ornithology's Center for Engagement in Science and Nature offers an array of projects that engage people in understanding, documenting and taking action for birds-whether in backyards, cities, or remote forests. The observations collected by program participants help researchers better understand birds and their responses to environmental change.

The Cornell Lab is committed to fostering a healthy workplace that values diverse perspectives and backgrounds as well as supporting growth and advancement opportunities. The Lab is an inclusive community, and we recognize that diverse, inclusive communities create more innovative and impactful work to address global challenges and benefit humanity and nature. The Lab welcomes staff who are still learning in their careers and who are motivated to take on new challenges in all aspects of professional development and mentorship.

About the position

While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.

The Project FeederWatch Assistant will join a vibrant team in administering, planning, developing, and servicing Project FeederWatch, an international participatory science program, feederwatch.org. FeederWatch is a wintertime survey (November-April) of birds that visit a network of backyards, nature centers, community gardens, and parks in the United States and Canada. When tens of thousands of FeederWatchers count birds in community and send their tallies to FeederWatch, the result is a treasure trove of numbers, which FeederWatch scientists analyze to learn more about bird populations and what we can do to help bird thrive.

What You Will Do

As the Project FeederWatch Assistant, you will provide participant support and help develop, schedule, and coordinate engagement and learning opportunities for participants. You will also work to maintain the integrity of the data that participants collect by developing instructional materials, corresponding directly with participants, and reviewing flagged records (i.e., observations of birds that are unusual). You will participate in program evaluation by running reports on number of participants engaged with different aspects of the project (e.g. registration, event sign ups). You will also participate in regular staff meetings and contribute to problem solving and strategic planning.

Your daily responsibilities will be to:

• Support the public engaged in Project FeederWatch.

• Answer questions from participants by phone, email, and snail mail.

• Troubleshoot users' technical difficulties with registration, online data entry, and our mobile app.

• Support the Project Leader in all aspects of program delivery and contribute ideas to overall program development.

• Maintain our databases, including creating, updating, correcting, and merging records.

• Review flagged records of bird observations.

• Create and maintain spreadsheets and to track program engagement.

This is a full-time one-year term appointment with possibility of renewal based upon performance and available funding. This position is expected to work on-site at the Lab of Ornithology.

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Relocation assistance will not be provided for this position.

What We Need

We are looking for an individual who enjoys working with data and managing, manipulating and interpreting large amounts of information. Someone who has good organizational skills, who is self-motivated, and who is able to problem solve independently. You'll also need to be able to communicate with a broad range of people with tact and diplomacy. Additionally, we need someone who has:

• Associate degree and up to 1 year of relevant experience or equivalent combination.

• More than one year of customer service, or related experience and possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Experience and savvy with database use and Excel spreadsheets.

• Willingness and ability to perform repetitive tasks such as data entry. Must be accurate, methodical.

• Mastery of common computer and mobile phone skills including Microsoft Office Suite. Willingness to learn new software as needed (e.g. Jira, HubSpot, etc.).

• Experience that demonstrates sound judgment and problem-solving skills.

• Excellent written skills and ability to write stand-alone articles for blog posts and our annual report.

• Ability to research answers to bird biology questions independently using Cornell Lab informational resources.

• Be able to work independently while supporting the efforts of an overall team.

If you possess these experiences and skills, this may be the role for you!

There are a few other qualifications that we would view as incredibly helpful in this role, including:

• Advanced experience with spreadsheets and database use highly preferred.

• Creativity, writing, proofreading, and editing experience preferred.

• Knowledge of bird identification and bird biology is useful to answer the publics' questions but not required; this position is an opportunity for on-the-job learning.

• Experience with nonprofit social networking.

What We Offer

We hope you appreciate great benefits! Cornell receives national recognition, as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, sustainability, and diversity initiatives.

• Our benefits program includes comprehensive health care options, wellness programs, and many employee discounts.

• Generous retirement contributions.

• Our paid leave time include three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: including an end-of-year, paid time off winter break from December 25th through January 1st.

• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Part-time Study and Employee Degree Program, Tuition Aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance program.

• We invite you to follow this link for a view of all current Benefits programs, https://hr.cornell.edu/summaries-benefits.

Application Information:

• A Cover Letter and Resume are required for further consideration for this position. When applying through our system, please remember to attach your application materials (Cover Letter and Resume) in PDF format.

What We Offer

Rewards and Benefits

• This position is based in Ithaca, New York, however, the successful applicant may perform this role remotely anywhere within the United States. Employees who work remotely may receive multiple W-2 Forms depending on their work location.

• The New York Convenience of employer guidelines require New York State individual tax reporting and withholding for this position. Additional individual state income tax filings may also be required if working temporarily outside of New York State.

• Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, sustainability, and diversity initiatives.

• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: https://hr.cornell.edu/benefits-pay.

• Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell: https://hr.cornell.edu/jobs/your-total-rewards.

• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1.

• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program.

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