Position: REEF Trips Program Manager
Organization: Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)
Location: Key Largo, FL
Apply: Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume as one integrated PDF document to Martha Klitzkie, Director of Operations, martha@REEF.org –with “REEF TRIPS PROGRAM MANAGER” in the subject line of the email. Position will remain open until filled. Immediate start date is desired.

The REEF Trips Program Manager executes REEF’s Field Survey Trip Program, a long-standing eco-travel program that supports REEF’s mission to engage and educate divers and snorkelers in citizen science activities. The annual schedule includes 10-15 Field Survey Trips conducted worldwide and led by REEF ocean experts. The Trips Program Manager is responsible for responding to customer inquiries, booking and invoicing trip participants, having oversight of trip manifests, coordinating with trip leaders on logistics and pre- and post-trip communications with participants, and maintaining accurate financial records of all trip income and expense. They also create future year REEF Trip schedules, developing the trip packages with diving and lodging vendors. They are responsible for developing a comprehensive marketing plan to promote and increase participation in the trips, as well as assist with broader outreach and capacity building efforts to support REEF’s Volunteer Survey Project. Depending on experience and interest, there may be future opportunities to lead REEF Trips.

The successful candidate is detail-oriented, organized, passionate about ocean conservation, and will take initiative to ensure the Trips Program is managed effectively. The REEF Trips Program Manager reports to the Director of Science, and will work closely with all REEF team members.

Position Description and Responsibilities

Priority tasks and duties will include the following responsibilities:

  • Organize, plan, promote, and sell REEF Field Survey Trips, including handling inquiries and bookings for all trips via email, phone, and in person communication.
  • Develop future year REEF Field Survey Trip schedules, including researching destinations, contacting potential vendors (dive operators, lodging properties, liveaboard vessels), obtaining price quotes, building packages, developing trip descriptions, and promotion.
  • Fiscal oversight and management of the program, including maintaining accurate and complete records of vendor contracts, client invoices, client payments, overall financial reporting, and assisting with future year budgeting.
  • Support the trip leaders in advance of each trip by coordinating communication with trip participants and facilitating the leaders’ needs at the trip destination, and assist trip leaders with post-trip follow-up with participants and data management.
  • Develop strong knowledge of REEF programs and Field Survey Trip destinations in order to support continued growth, success, and conservation impact of the program.
  • Create and implement a comprehensive marketing plan that will effectively promote the program and increase participation in the current and future annual trip offerings.
  • Participate in local and out-of-area REEF events, including industry and consumer trade shows.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher, and work experience in non-profit organizations, travel, or office management.
  • Proficiency with desktop computers and office software.
  • Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills.
  • Positive attitude and high aptitude for working as a self-starter in a fast-paced, non-profit organization is a must. The successful applicant will be detail-oriented and thorough, with strong organizational skills and an ability to follow through on tasks, and be able to work in a diverse and collaborative team across multiple disciplines.
  • A strong interest in ocean life, marine conservation, citizen science, and diving is a plus.

Position Term, Compensation, Work Environment

This is a full-time position with a salary commensurate with experience. Benefits include contribution towards health insurance, accrued paid time off (PTO), option for flex-time work weeks, and 7 holiday days per year. U.S. and international travel may be required, as well as some weekend, holiday, and after-hours work. The position will be based at REEF’s Key Largo, Florida Campus.

Organization Background

The REEF Campus, in Key Largo, Florida (US), with an Interpretive Center and nature trails, serves as an educational center for visitors and groups. It is also the Headquarters for supporting REEF’s international programs and worldwide membership. REEF maintains a physical and online store of field supplies, reference ID books, and REEF branded merchandise.

REEF conserves marine environments worldwide. Our mission is to protect biodiversity and ocean life by actively engaging and inspiring the public through citizen science, education, and partnerships with the scientific community. REEF programs include marine life education, field research, and one of the largest citizen science programs in the world through unique partnerships with private, governmental, scientific, and educational sectors. REEF’s programs directly benefit and help to protect marine life worldwide.

REEF was founded in 1990 as a way to educate scuba divers and snorkelers in marine life identification and to utilize their marine life sightings. Patterned after the successful Audubon and Cornell birding programs, REEF has grown into a 70,000-plus member organization with programs in place globally. Primary among these programs is the Volunteer Fish Survey Project, enabling marine enthusiasts to conduct surveys and submit sightings data from oceans world-wide. Data are managed by REEF staff and made available to researchers, scientists, managers, and the public free of charge via REEF’s online database at www.REEF.org. To date, more than 245,000 marine life surveys have been submitted.

In addition to the Volunteer Fish Survey Project, REEF maintains a large and active diver education program with standardized course materials for each of its survey regions. Strong partnerships within the diving industry and effective outreach provide opportunities for thousands of divers to learn about marine life and take part in surveying activities throughout the year. REEF’s other key programs include the Grouper Moon Project – researching grouper spawning aggregations; the Invasive Species Program – tracking the impact and control of non-native marine fish species, particularly the human-induced invasion of Indo-Pacific lionfish into the Tropical West Atlantic; and Special Projects – assessing fish population changes in and around marine reserves and in the areas of newly developed artificial reefs. REEF also offers Explorers Education Programs for student groups to engage in field survey and data gathering expeditions, hosts numerous public events and manages several recurring communications streams such as monthly electronic newsletters. REEF maintains strong partnerships with federal, state, and local government agencies as well as other US-based and international agencies, NGOs, and business entities.

REEF is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer