Extension Educator IV - Associate Director, Gloucester Marine Station

Title: Extension Educator IV – Associate Director, Gloucester Marine Station

Executive Area: Academic Affairs

College/School/MBU: College of Natural Sciences

Department: Environmental Conservation

Work Location: Gloucester

Schedule: Full time

Work Arrangement: Onsite

The University of Massachusetts Amherst Gloucester Marine Station (GMS) is launching a critical development period. With a recently completed strategic plan, significant infrastructure investments, deep community ties, and university support, GMS seeks an Associate Director to support the Director in a blended role of operational management and strategic coordination. The role will assist in developing a suite of high-quality, collaborative, marine and coastal research and extension/public engagement programs, in support of identified ecological, economic, and community resilience objectives.

We seek a collaborative thought leader with an entrepreneurial spirit and significant experience in one of the following areas related to marine station priorities: regional economic development, coastal engineering related to climate resilient design, seafood systems, or business administration. The successful candidate will recognize and act on opportunities to leverage public and private resources to coinvest in high impact initiatives that will create a robust platform for the Station’s growth over the next decade.

The Associate Director will report to and work closely with the UMass Amherst Gloucester Marine Station Director. The position is physically located in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Strategic Leadership & Oversight

Serve as the Associate Director and a senior leadership partner to the Director, exercising delegated authority to advance the Marine Station’s strategic priorities and to address emerging issues through shared leadership and independent judgment.

In close coordination with the Director, provide operational and strategic oversight to ensure quality, coherence, and timeliness across interdisciplinary GMS initiatives, research programs, and applied projects.

Guide and communicate emerging research opportunities and community-identified needs to interdisciplinary faculty teams, catalyzing new community-driven research concepts, competitive grant development, and expanded student engagement opportunities.

Translate regional and statewide climate, clean energy, and economic development strategies into actionable, community-informed research and extension/public engagement programs, funding priorities, and applied economic development opportunities aligned with GMS mission and capacity.

Assist in design of marine and coastal research, data management methodologies, and innovative student learning approaches.

Lead and support the identification and pursuit of public and private funding to sustain and expand GMS research, demonstration, extension and student engagement activities.

In coordination with the Director, communicate research priorities and emerging community needs to interdisciplinary faculty teams, supporting the development of competitive proposals, collaborative research concepts, and high-impact student opportunities.

Contribute substantively to the design and implementation of marine and coastal research and extension programs, including research methodologies, program delivery, data management approaches, and innovative experiential learning models.

Oversee and advance immersive student internship and applied learning opportunities in collaboration with faculty, staff and external partners, aligning academic, workforce, and community impact.

Apply advanced research, evaluation, and coalition-building practices to strengthen cross-sector partnerships, program development, assess outcomes, and enhance the effectiveness of GMS initiatives.

Support the positioning of GMS as a high-quality regional platform for research, demonstration, and extension/public engagement focused on ecological, economic, and community resilience, including marine technology demonstration.

Represent GMS at professional conferences, public sector meetings, community forums, and university functions, as delegated by the…