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Sustainable Operations Fellowship – USDA-FS Office of Sustainability and Climate
Remote
Research Project: Translating data and assisting managers in applying information to address sustainability is a key component of OSC’s mission. This opportunity will provide the ORISE Participant with valuable learning experience compiling and analyzing sustainability data and information and communicating and coordinating sustainability efforts with internal USDA-FS employees and external partners.
Learning Objectives: The project will enhance current skills and knowledge in sustainable operations, as well as climate change and natural resource sciences, while providing experiential learning in data analysis, communication, teamwork, and leadership. The project will expose the research participant to sustainable operations, natural resource conservation, and policy issues at a national level, and provide first-hand knowledge of the Forest Service’s organization, mission areas, and strategic goals. The participant will learn about the six footprint areas of the Agency (energy conservation, water conservation, waste prevention and recycling, fleet and transportation, sustainable acquisition, and sustainable leadership).
The research participant will have the opportunity to learn from and interact with managers in the National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, Business Operations and scientists in Forest Service research stations. While this is primarily a headquarters-based fellowship, opportunities to learn and support field efforts are possible. The participant may explore options for future graduate research and take advantage of additional training opportunities. There will be opportunities for professional travel during this appointment. While this opportunity is virtual, if the participant lives near a Forest Service facility that has office space available and they wanted to have access to an office, it could be possible for them to participate out of an office (to be determined based on local space availability and participant interest).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2024/2025. Start date is flexible and negotiable, and will depend on a variety of factors.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for one year, but may be extended upon recommendation of USDA-FS and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields. Degree must have been received within the past two years.
Preferred skills:
- Demonstrated written, verbal, analytical skills
- A strong interest in learning more about sustainable operations work and a passion for trying to understand and reduce the environmental footprint of a large organization
- Desired knowledge and skills include:
- Knowledge of federal sustainability policy, requirements, and best practices, particularly tied to the footprint areas of net zero energy and emissions/waste and recycling/water/transportation/acquisitions
- Strong data analysis skills, particularly involving large data sets from different sources (e.g., utility databases)
- Experience working in Tableau or other data visualization software
- Knowledge of how to perform cost-benefit analyses within any of the environmental footprint areas
Eligibility Requirements
- Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
- Degree: Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, or Doctoral Degree.
