Location

This position will be part of our San Francisco and Modesto offices with remote work options available.  Periodic travel throughout the state may be needed when conditions permit.

About Sustainable Conservation

Sustainable Conservation helps California thrive by uniting people to solve the toughest challenges facing our land, air, and water. Every day, we bring together business, landowners, communities and government, in some of the most productive yet economically disadvantaged parts of California, to steward the resources on which we all depend in ways that are just and make economic sense.

Sustainable Conservation’s current focus is driving collaborative solutions to meet the water needs of California’s environment, economy and people for current and future generations with particular focus on advancing sustainable groundwater management and accelerating the stewardship of natural and working lands and waterways.  A sustainable water future for California that supports a thriving economy is achievable. But, a future in which nature and people have access to clean, affordable and reliable water is possible only by working with – not against – each other.

Position Summary

Our Water for the Future and Waste Not programs are working in California’s Central Coast and San Joaquin Valley to improve the quantity and quality of groundwater, the source of drinking water for many. We are investing in the health of our future groundwater aquifers by working now to develop and scale solutions for farmers to better manage their water and nutrients, for regions to transform agricultural waste into assets, and for landowners to use their soils to build resiliency in the face of climate change. Combined, these efforts can help ensure our groundwater aquifers will be healthier for future generations. Our work complements others’ equally critical efforts to provide short-term access to water, and both are needed to ensure all people in California have access to safe drinking water, now and in the future.

We seek an experienced Senior Analyst to lead the development of analyses and recommendations that help us take our programmatic strategies, action plans, impact, and communications to the next level.  Under the general guidance of the Director of Business Partnerships and in collaboration with program team members, the Senior Analyst will develop analytical frameworks, conduct analyses using quantitative and qualitative data from internal and external sources, and facilitate discussions that result in actionable recommendations. The Senior Analyst will work with our Waste Not and Water for the Future teams, initially focusing on three key efforts: prioritizing where to target adoption of dairy drip irrigation systems to maximize benefit to drinking water, identifying pathways for exporting excess manure, and evaluating opportunities for using soil health practices to generate water and climate benefits.  Additionally, the Senior Analyst will help build upon and strengthen our thinking around equity and our impact on communities by integrating relevant indicators into our analyses.

Primary Responsibilities

• -Lead the development of analyses that inform programmatic strategies and implementation.
  • -Develop analytical and decision support frameworks that inform and respond to programmatic goals and can incorporate a multitude of inputs.
  • -Collect, organize, and analyze qualitative and quantitative information from a variety of internal and external sources, including raw data, research papers, reports, interviews, etc.
  • -Translate statistical analyses and modeling into practical recommendations, taking into account internal team experience, external stakeholder perspectives and broader socio-political conditions.
  • -Facilitate internal and external conversations using analyses and reports to generate alignment on concrete decisions and actions.
• -Develop methods for incorporating socio-economic, health, education and other data more systematically into our programmatic analyses to better understand impacts on people, especially disadvantaged communities.
• -Lead and/or support the development of written reports, proposals, and presentations.
• -Present at meetings, events, and conferences.
• -Partner with Marketing and Communications teams to develop compelling communications [that use analyses] to demonstrate the impact of our work in the context of broader issues.
• -Partner with the Development team to incorporate analyses into fundraising strategies and proposals to show the connection between our work and funder priorities.
• -Prepare scopes of work for, and manage progress on, research and analyses conducted by external consultants, as needed.

Additional Responsibilities

• -Support Program teams in developing and refining the logic models that drive programmatic strategy and plans.
• -Provide guidance and recommendations to Program teams on how to collect, store, and analyze quantitative and qualitative data.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills Required

• -Knowledge in environmental science a must, ideally including in-depth knowledge of water, soils, agriculture and/or climate; additional understanding of business, policy, and/or economics a plus.
• -Experience leading and developing analyses and recommendations for addressing complex environmental issues, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative information.
• -Experience integrating socio-economic, health, and other equity-related indicators into environmental analyses preferred.
• -Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to gather input from others to design analytical frameworks and methodologies that advance team goals and objectives.
• -Experience conducting and interpreting statistical analyses; experience with modelling a plus.
• -Advanced Excel skills and experience independently setting up and using more advanced analytical software and tools, such as PowerBI or “R”
• -Experience working independently and with teams, with the ability to communicate clear expectations for needs from others. Excellent listening skills with the ability to ask good questions
• -Thrives when working on a variety of projects, learning new topics, and developing different types of analyses.
• -Strong writing and verbal communication skills; ability to present complex information that is clear and accessible to a variety of audiences.
• -Proficient in MS Office applications; experience with SharePoint/Office365 and Zoom, a plus.

What We Offer

A competitive compensation package based on experience, fully-paid health insurance benefits, generous match on 401k, vacation, sick leave, plus the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day as holiday leave. Our best benefit is our culture. Our staff is collaborative, dedicated, and caring.  We believe in practicing our values in how we do our work and with each other.

Sustainable Conservation is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages qualified individuals from all backgrounds to apply to our job openings.