Coastal Program Manager

California Coastal Commission

California Coastal Commission

Operations
San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted on Oct 2, 2024

Job Description and Duties

The Public Education (PE) Unit connects people to the coast and ocean to promote their mutual well-being. It works to educate people about important coastal issues, promote coastal stewardship, and advance equitable access to coastal experiences and programs. The PE Program is staffed by a small team of professionals who work closely together.

The PE Program Manager provides supervision and program support to the public education staff who implement a variety of public programs. PE Programs include statewide events like California Coastal Cleanup Day; community science efforts such as the California King Tides Project; the Whale Tail Grants Program, which supports education and stewardship; the Boating Clean and Green Program, co-managed with California State Parks; K-12 programs such as the Coastal Art and Poetry contest, K-12 curriculum and other educator resources; and Project Grow, a community based restoration project. The PE Program works to advance equity in terms of access to these programs through outreach strategies, communications, and program design. The staff manages the Coastal Commission’s social media channels, the public education pages on the Commission’s website, and participates in marine debris policy efforts. The PE Program manager oversees team and individual project work, leads the unit’s strategic planning and work plan processes, and coordinates annual reporting.

Another key area of responsibility is financial management and fund development. The PE Program Manager develops, tracks, and forecasts budgets for the funding sources that support the program, including state funding and two fiscal sponsor relationships. The PE Program Manager is also responsible for marketing and public relations efforts that help generate funding for the program. These efforts involve promoting Whale Tail License Plate sales and encouraging donations to the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund. The Program Manager evaluates data from marketing campaigns, develops RFPs, manages contractors, and oversees internal marketing initiatives. In addition, the position works to develop new revenue sources.

Partner organizations, participants, grantees, agencies, and other governmental entities are among the constituencies that are central to the work of the Public Education Unit. Working with staff to maintain and support those relationships is an important part of the PE Program Managers job. Consistent and clear communication, problem-solving, engagement, and support are key to building and maintaining thriving relationships. This interaction happens one-on-one, in meetings and workshops, via informational briefings and reports, at fairs and events, on social media platforms, and in many other ways.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.