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Smith Island Environmental Education Program Assistant Manager/Educator
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Posted on Mar 15, 2026
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation seeks an Assistant Manager/Educator that can start in early April and reside at CBF’s Smith Island Environmental Education Center. This position is full-time, year-round, and requires staff to live on site from March – December (spring, summer, fall education seasons). The centers are winterized from December – February and no housing is provided during that time. Housing is provided for staff only. Please note that CBF education centers have a strict “no pet” policy.
About the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Established in 1966, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the largest regional nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to saving the Chesapeake Bay, its rivers and streams, and the wildlife that call it home. Through our education, advocacy, litigation, and restoration efforts, we work together toward our vision of a healthy and resilient Chesapeake Bay ecosystem where people, plants, and animals thrive together.
CBF has a staff of approximately 200 employees working in offices in Annapolis, Maryland; Richmond and Virginia Beach, Virginia; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Washington, D.C. as well as 15 field education program locations. Our staff and volunteer corps work throughout the region educating students and adults, advocating for clean water policies, restoring waterways, and litigating when necessary.
CBF’s headquarters office in Annapolis, Maryland is the Philip Merrill Environmental Center, the world’s first U.S. Green Build Council’s LEED platinum building. In 2014, CBF opened the Brock Environmental Center—one of the world’s most energy efficient, environmentally smart buildings—in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
CBF has 200,000 members and supporters and an annual budget of approximately $30 million. For more information on CBF, please visit our About CBF page.
About the Hiring Department
Environmental Education
CBF’s education department provides field experiences, teacher professional learning, and student leadership for over 25,000 participants each year.
The Bay, and its watershed, is our classroom and CBF environmental educators are responsible for bringing the Bay alive to students. We strive to make a lasting impression about the excitement and vulnerability of the Bay.
Each of CBF’s 14 education programs has its own individual character. The field experience options run the gamut from our urban boat programs in Baltimore and Hampton Roads to Pennsylvania canoe programs to remote island-based centers. We use hands-on experiential teaching techniques to educate students about the health of the Bay and connect them back to their local environment. Educators promote and develop knowledge about the Bay by providing unforgettable field investigations that inspire participants with a commitment to take action for the restoration of the Bay.
The education department is comprised of Student Field Programs, Teacher and Principal Professional Learning, and Student Leadership. All of these components work closely to educate and empower participants to take action towards “Saving the Bay.”
Context of the Position
The Smith Island Environmental Education Center is in the community of Tylerton on Smith Island, MD, which is the largest inhabited offshore island in the Bay. During the spring & fall field seasons, the Smith Island staff typically lead 3-day/2-night field programs for student groups ranging in age from middle school through high school. In the summer the center hosts a variety of trip participants including adult groups, teacher groups, and student leadership programs. The center uses a 40-foot workboat, canoes, and skiff to lead on the water & in the marsh field investigations. The fulltime, onsite, staff consists of a Program Manager, Assistant Manager, and a Captain who work together to plan and deliver field-based education programs.
Essential Functions
- Professionally serve as an Educator on the Smith Island Environmental Education Program, and other CBF field programs
- Assist the Program Manager with developing and teaching 3-day/2-night inquiry-based field programs using multiple field-based methods such as conducting biological sampling, water quality testing, and canoe-based activities for middle and high school students, teachers, and other participants
- Continually adapt program content based upon grade/age level of the group, weather, group dynamics, and feedback/evaluations from teachers/supervisors
- Ability to communicate ecosystem and watershed concepts to a wide range of audiences
- Plan & execute summer courses for Chesapeake Classrooms Teacher Professional Development and/or Student Leadership Program
- Safely and professionally serve as a course/field leader for the Smith Island Environmental Education Program, and other CBF programs
- Ability to communicate safety instructions to all participants and ensure a safe learning environment
- Program staff are responsible for the safety of all field participants, ensure that all safety protocols are rigorously followed, and are required to respond to medical emergencies that may arise
- Program staff are responsible and accountable for performing maintenance to keep all education related equipment and gear (work truck, canoe trailer, canoes, education materials) in proper working order
- Consistently perform programmatic administrative duties as well as other duties as assigned
Professional Experience and Qualifications
*MUST BE ABLE TO START BY FIRST WEEK OF APRIL 2026*
- Bachelor’s degree or relevant experience required
- 1+ years’ experience teaching in either a formal or non-formal setting
- A strong desire to teach in the field/outdoors and inspire students on a daily basis
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills
- Collaborative work style
- Knowledge of environmental issues
- Must pass a criminal background check
- Must possess a valid driver’s license, submit a driving record, and have an acceptable driving record
- All education staff participate in a pre-employment & random drug screening program per the requirements of the US Coast Guard
Physical Requirements
- Ability to live on-site at CBF’s Smith Island Education Center for the duration of the field seasons
- Physical ability to lift and carry heavy objects-at least 45 pounds (canoes and other equipment)
- Ability to become a First Mate according to CBF’s required skills checklist
- This physically demanding position involves frequent exposure to the elements
- Ability to travel to attend training & meetings
- Ability to have reliable transportation to travel to other CBF field programs & locations as needed
Salary Range: $48,000
How to Apply
Using the link below, please submit a cover letter and resume no later than Mar 19, 2026.
CBF offers a 36-hour work week and for full-time staff, a comprehensive benefits package to include: 20 vacation days, 10 sick days, 2 floating holidays, health, vision, dental, life insurance, and a 403(b) retirement plan with matching contribution. Learn more about CBF Benefits.
We Are Committed to Saving the Bay and We Need You!
Bringing together the most qualified employees with diverse backgrounds, viewpoints, perspectives, and beliefs is the key to saving the Bay. We know that talented professionals can come from anywhere and everywhere. We are proud to have created an award-winning organization where they have the opportunity to thrive while joining us in our work to achieve clean water, clean air, and a safe environment—rights that we all share.
Wondering whether you have the right credentials or background to apply? We value lived experience, are serious about embracing diversity, and are committed to building a team that represents our communities’ backgrounds. That means we want people just like you!
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.