NOAAs Marine Debris Program Education Specialist (Seattle, WA and Silver Spring, MD)

This position involves creating, managing, and enhancing educational materials, coordinating outreach activities, and supporting strategic initiatives within the program. The Education Specialist collaborates closely with the MDP Communications Team, regional coordinators, and external partners to strengthen educational strategies and promote environmental stewardship nationwide.

Key Responsibilities:

• Coordinate a national education strategy for the MDP: Participate in strategic planning working groups; produce and distribute educator newsletters; organize the annual marine debris art contest; maintain, develop, and assess MDP curricular resources, ensuring alignment with educational standards, such as NGSS.

• Collaborate with the MDP team on regional outreach coordination: identify innovative tools and strategies for MDP team engagement; assist regional coordinators with education-related requests; present at local and regional events, such as conferences, classroom visits, and workshops.

• Provide support to the MDP Communications team on education‐related projects including editorial review of MDP publications, respond to public information requests, and attend communication and editorial team meetings.

• Develop and maintain marine debris education materials and ensure they are available to the public.

• Provide support, as needed, to partner‐led educational projects and review all partner‐developed curriculum and education materials.

• Participate on the NOAA Education Council supporting the MDP Team Lead: report on council decisions, track data, and contribute to annual accomplishments reporting.

• Participate in relevant working groups to align MDP’s goals with broader education initiatives.

• Assess opportunities for incorporating marine debris into educator workshops.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Environmental Science, Communications, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.

• Experience in educational program development, preferably in environmental science or related topics.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce and review high-quality educational content.

• Experience with curriculum development, NGSS alignment, and educational outreach strategies.  

• Previous experience with virtual outreach desired. 

• Ability to collaborate effectively across teams, manage multiple projects, and engage diverse audiences.

Additional Information:
This position may require occasional travel and participation in community events, workshops, or conferences. Telework will be available for a portion of the normal work schedule.

Application Instructions:

Please apply online via one of the following two links:

Silver Spring, MD Location Application

Seattle, WA Location Application