Research Associate, Anpo Land Restoration Project

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The Yale Center for Environmental Justice (YCEJ) Indigenous Program works at the intersection of Indigenous rights, environmental governance, and climate justice, partnering with Indigenous communities, scholars, and practitioners to co-create solutions grounded in sovereignty and traditional knowledge. In partnership with the Anpo Land Restoration Project, YCEJ is executing a 16-month initiative designed to expand the capacity of donors and conservation groups to incorporate tribal land restoration into their core operations.

Serving as a central figure in guiding this research partnership, the Executive Fellow will provide the strategic oversight and cultural expertise necessary to deeply understand the barriers Tribes face in natural resource management. Reporting to YCEJ Program Manager Terry Yasuko Ogawa, this role serves as the primary bridge to stakeholders, leading the critical data-gathering phase and spearheading the communication of the study's findings to facilitate greater investment in tribal land return and management in the lower 48 states of the United States.

• Strategic Oversight and Cultural Expertise:
  Provide overarching guidance to the research partnership, applying experience in Native capacity building to identify and analyze the barriers Tribes face in natural resource management.
• Advising Research and Data Gathering:
  Lead the project's vital data-gathering phase in conducting structured interviews with key stakeholders and collecting critical case studies. Optimize the quantitative research strategy by leveraging an extensive background in Indigenous resource management to examine relative strengths of tribally managed land.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Convening:
  Act as the primary bridge between YCEJ and external stakeholders by actively convening conservation groups, philanthropic funders, and tribal representatives to align on project objectives and share insights.
• Publication and Knowledge Translation:
  Lead the communication of the study's findings, playing a central role in translating the gathered data and case studies into the final, public-facing report.
• Public Advocacy and Presentation:
  Participate in and co-host a national "roadshow" in partnership with Anpo, presenting the report's recommendations at major conferences and funder gatherings to amplify the findings and foster new conservation partnerships.

• Deep, demonstrated understanding of federal-tribal relations, tribal jurisdiction, and Indigenous resource management frameworks.
• Exceptional communication skills with the proven ability to translate complex cultural, legal, and ecological data into actionable strategies for philanthropy and conservation practitioners.
• Established, high-level stakeholder network including tribal leaders, philanthropic organizations, and national conservation coalitions.
• Ability to work collaboratively within an academic center while effectively engaging grassroots organizations and external partners.
• Commitment to the mission of the Yale Center for Environmental Justice and the equitable restoration of Native lands.

• Designs, plans, implements and evaluates complex multifaceted research projects/systems, including method development, adaptation and validation.
• Collaborates with PI to define research endeavors and the development of research hypothesis and approach.
• Solves complex methodology, protocol, procedural and research problems through design of techniques, procedures and policies that will achieve research goals.
• Develops long range plans for supplies and equipment to ensure smooth operation of laboratory.
• Investigates, analyzes and evaluates complex data, data collection systems and methods to reach scientific conclusions and ensures the integrity of research data.
• Colla…