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Science and Strategy Fellow
Oceana
Washington, DC, USA
USD 51k-54k / year
Posted on Apr 3, 2026
The Science & Strategy Fellow – a key member of Oceana’s Science & Strategy team - facilitates collaboration and knowledge sharing among our 10 international offices and 50+ scientific staff, helps ensure the accuracy and credibility of internal and external materials, and supports research and metrics tracking to help achieve Oceana’s mission. Our team values diversity in backgrounds and experiences and we strive to build on and complement each other’s skills to create an inclusive and supportive team that together can fulfill a wide range of objectives and responsibilities for the organization.
The Science & Strategy Fellow maintains Oceana’s information collection and management systems, supports scientific review across the organization, and helps convene staff for presentations and other events. The Fellow also researches technical topics, collects and synthesizes data from a variety of sources, articulates the relevance of new research in the context of Oceana’s work, and produces briefings for a wide range of audiences including senior leadership and external stakeholders. Habitat protection is a focal topic but the Fellow responds to research requests across a range of marine science topics. This position requires a combination of equally strong research, analytical, and communication skills and involves teamwork, project management, and organizing events. This is a 1-year, term limited, full-time position with the opportunity to extend to two years. The position reports to the Marine Scientist, Science & Strategy, is based in our Washington, DC office, and may require occasional travel.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Essential Functions:
Science Infrastructure, Quality Assurance, and Organizational Standards:
- Evaluates communications materials for scientific integrity, ensuring accurate interpretation of complex issues and alignment with campaign strategy
- Manages and continuously improves internal science review processes, including establishing standards, refining workflows, and ensuring consistent application across departments
- Owns the development and maintenance of internal scientific resources (e.g., fact sheets, presentations, trainings), including drafting, synthesizing complex information, and ensuring accuracy and relevance for organizational use
- Designs and delivers trainings and onboarding programs to ensure staff understanding and adherence to Oceana’s scientific standards and methodologies
- Maintains internal knowledge systems (e.g., Slack, Zotero), ensuring accessibility, organization, and effective utilization of scientific information across teams
- Plans and facilitates Science Day and recurring science meetings, including shaping agendas, guiding technical discussions, and identifying priority topics to advance organizational learning
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Strategic Insights:
- Leads tracking and analysis of habitat protection metrics, including interpreting data trends, identifying gaps, and providing actionable insights to inform campaign strategy
- Develops and completes Oceana’s annual Habitat Protection Indicators, including synthesizing complex datasets and drawing conclusions to assess progress and inform decision-making
- Serves as a key advisor to internal stakeholders (e.g., Development, Marketing & Communications) to ensure accurate and strategic use of scientific data and messaging
- Independently responds to research requests, producing high-quality analyses and summaries on ocean conservation topics and translating scientific findings into actionable recommendations
- Monitors and interprets emerging scientific literature, proactively identifying implications for Oceana’s campaigns and advising staff on relevance and application
- Cross-Functional Leadership and Representation
- Provides project management leadership for science-related initiatives, including setting priorities, coordinating across teams, and ensuring timely execution of deliverables
- Represents Oceana in internal and external settings as a scientific resource, communicating complex concepts clearly and professionally
- Exercises discretion and sound judgment in handling sensitive or confidential information
Additional Responsibilities
- Performs other duties as assigned, consistent with the level of responsibility and scope of the role
Job Requirements:
Education and experience:
- Master’s degree in a relevant scientific discipline such as marine biology, ecology, or environmental science; or equivalent combination of education and experience required
- Experience working and building relationships across different cultures and/or multiple disciplines/backgrounds
- Skills and knowledge:
- Experience assembling, curating, and organizing data and resources, including maintaining databases, information management systems, and/or collaborative tools
- Ability to accurately synthesize large amounts of information, identify relevant issues or questions, and recommend responses or solutions, including on new topics that you may not have previous experience in
- Knowledge of habitat protection data or policy preferred (e.g. marine protected areas and other spatial protection measures)
- Organized working style and attention to detail with ability to work independently and handle multiple tasks simultaneously in a dynamic work environment
- Adaptability to a varied workload; occasional long hours, weekend events, alternative hours to accommodate international time zones, and travel are required
- Strong commitment to the mission, goals, and values of Oceana
Required Competencies:
- Action Oriented: Makes things happen. Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
- Effective Communication: Understands the value of effective communication. Can deliver messages in a clear, compelling, and concise manner. Actively listens, checks for understanding and adjusts content and style to meet the needs of different stakeholders.
- Customer Focus: Is skilled at anticipating customer/donor needs (internal and external) and providing services that are beyond customer/donor expectations. Establishes and maintains effective customer relationships.
- Builds Networks: Has a history of building formal and informal relationships inside and outside their organization. Is open to connecting and focused on forging relationships that can bring value to the work.
- Situational Adaptability: Recognizes the need to be flexible and act differently in different situations – bring empathy in times of stress and change, firm direction in times of uncertainty, or diplomacy in times of conflict.
- Instills Trust: Can gain the confidence and trust of others by demonstrating honesty and authenticity, acting with integrity, being consistent and credible.
- Collaborates: Brings people together to leverage their skills, talents, and knowledge to achieve a common purpose. Creates synergy resulting in a combined effort with greater results than what can be achieved by individuals.
- Interpersonal Savvy: Approaches relationships in an “others-oriented” way. Can tap into a range of interpersonal skills and approaches and know when to use what with whom.
- Global Perspective: Takes a broad view of issues and challenges and can see them in a global context. Builds relationships with people from different cultures and countries. Draws on global knowledge and perspective when tackling complex issues or looking for opportunities.
Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter to be considered.
Oceana's U.S. offices are operating on a hybrid schedule. Staff are required to work from their assigned office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. With agreement between the employee and their supervisor, the employee may work from home on Monday and Friday.
Oceana values a diverse workforce and welcomes people different from each other in many ways, including characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. Oceana considers all qualified candidates and seeks to recruit from a diverse candidate pool.
The salary range for this position is $51,000 - $54,000 annually.
Please apply by April 23, 2026