[Hiring] Project and Science Associate @Blue Forest

Blue Forest; Deutschland; Remote; EUR 60.000 - 66.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

A conservation finance nonprofit is hiring a remote Project and Science Associate to manage conservation projects. The role involves developing project proposals, conducting scientific modeling, and collaborating with partners. Ideal candidates are detail-oriented, effective communicators, and have a background in environmental sciences. The organization offers competitive health benefits, a 401(k) match, and generous paid leave policies.

Leistungen

100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision coverage

4 weeks paid vacation and 17 paid holidays

Monthly Home Office stipend

Qualifikationen

• 1-3 years of relevant work or equivalent experience.
• Experience collaborating with internal/external stakeholders and values diverse perspectives.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.

Aufgaben

• Develop multiple FRB projects from conception to execution.
• Support ecosystem benefit scoping and modeling.
• Foster relationships with project development partners.

Kenntnisse

Communication

Partnerships & Collaboration

Active Contributor

Continuous Learner

GIS and Science Modeling Experience

Ausbildung

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science or related field

Tools

GIS software

Jobbeschreibung

Overview

Sep 22, 2025 - Blue Forest is hiring a remote Project and Science Associate. Salary: $72k-$78k. Location: USA.

Location: Remote; Western US required; California, Oregon, or Washington preferred

Reports to: Science Manager

Travel: Travel up to 25%-40% of the time, primarily within the Western U.S.

Preferred Start Date: January 5, 2025

Employment Status: Full-time, non-exempt

Priority Application Deadline: October 24, 2025

About Blue Forest

Blue Forest is a conservation finance nonprofit founded in 2015, focusing on advancing ecosystem restoration through scientific research, financial innovation, and collaborative partnerships. Since 2018, Blue Forest has managed investor capital through its flagship financial product, the Forest Resilience Bond (FRB), which deploys private capital to finance forest restoration projects to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. More recently, Blue Forest has also established Blue Forest Asset Management (BFAM), an investment management platform that connects investors to mission-aligned opportunities in a broader set of asset classes, including private equity and private credit investments, beyond FRB projects.

Blue Forest is an interdisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, foresters, finance professionals, and communications professionals committed to the mission: “To accelerate ecological restoration through conservation finance, enabling climate resilience for ecosystems and communities.”

Employees at Blue Forest are:

• Committed to Continuous Learning
• Driven by Collaboration
• Thoughtful Innovators for Impact
• Grounded in Science
• Passionate about Restoring Earth’s Ecosystems

Position Summary

Project and Science Associates at Blue Forest play a critical role in advancing innovative conservation finance projects, often focused on wildfire resilience, watershed health, and community benefit. This role typically combines multiple workstreams, including coordinating and contributing to science efforts, communications, education and capacity building, partnerships, and stakeholder engagement. The Associate will support 2-4 projects concurrently and, over time, will develop a specialization that advances project development and science across the organization.

Responsibilities include leading execution and day-to-day operations for individual projects, fostering and managing relationships with project partners, facilitating beneficiary engagement, and partnering with Managers and Directors to support long-term project strategy and cross-functional coordination, ensuring progress across all workstreams and deliverables.

Associates contribute to project development and science teams by developing written materials, giving presentations, and building relationships with partners in coordination with the project team and Blue Forest leadership. The Associate will also spend time as the lead coordinator for special projects within other departments. This role bridges the project development and science teams, identifying opportunities to streamline collaboration, improve workflows, and integrate scientific insights into project design and delivery.

The ideal candidate will be comfortable working independently, facilitating collaborative discussions, managing complex relationships, and navigating ambiguity while aligning with Blue Forest’s broader goals and mission.

Responsibilities & Duties

• Individual FRB Project Development (50-70%) Develop multiple FRB projects from conception to execution, bringing structure to innovative and ambiguous projects. Include: partnering with land managers (e.g., Forest Service) on restoration strategies; developing agendas, timelines, and work plans; researching and engaging potential beneficiaries; quantifying and communicating project benefits with science partners; developing proposals and securing funding; engaging community stakeholders, Native nations, and potential collaborators.
• Identify and propose solutions to bottlenecks and coordination gaps across workstreams.
• Develop and execute high-quality project materials such as presentations, two-pagers, and memorandums to support project development and partner engagement.
• Foster relationships with project development partners across a portfolio of projects.
• Integrate and enhance DEI and tribal engagement across all workstreams.

• Science Modeling + Benefit Evaluation (20-30%) Support ecosystem benefit scoping and modeling (e.g., wildfire risk reduction, water benefits, carbon); contribute to science-based deliverables such as geospatial assets, research summaries, model outputs, coding, and decision-support tools; work with internal teams to generate and communicate outcomes; identify and propose solutions to bottlenecks.

• Partnerships, Cross-team Collaboration, and Communications (10-15%) Support site visit planning with project partners, execute grant reporting, enhance internal knowledge sharing, and develop system processes; develop communications materials for projects, initiatives, and research deliverables; contribute to newsletters and campaigns; act as a liaison between science and project development teams.

Desired Qualifications & Experience

An ideal candidate will have 1-3 years of relevant work or equivalent experience. Blue Forest will prioritize the following qualifications in the hiring process; however, we do not expect candidates to fulfill all criteria and encourage all interested candidates to apply.

• Active Contributor: Ability to work independently, detail-oriented, manages time, communicates bottlenecks, and proactively researches solutions.
• Communication: Strong written and oral skills, ability to distill complex ideas for non-scientific audiences, facilitate discussions, and create storytelling products.
• Partnerships & Collaboration: Experience collaborating with internal/external stakeholders and Native Nations; inclusive, values diverse perspectives.
• Conservation Finance, Ecosystem Services, Utilities, or Forestry Expertise: Interest and some understanding of conservation finance and related fields; experience with USDA Forest Service or utilities a plus but not required.
• Continuous Learner: Commitment to ongoing learning and contextual understanding of project communities.
• GIS and Science Modeling Experience: 1-3 years of ecology/forestry/environmental sciences background; some GIS experience; familiarity with modeling approaches and uncertainty.

Benefits

• 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision coverage; subsidized coverage for dependents
• Access to a 401(k) with 5% employer match
• 4 weeks paid vacation and 17 paid holidays; paid sick time and volunteer time
• 3 months of paid family leave
• Employer-paid life and long-term disability insurance
• Dependent Care FSA and Health FSA
• Public Lands Exploration stipend
• Monthly Home Office stipend or co-working space
• Dependent care costs subsidized for business travel
• Additional stipends for health & wellness, home internet, and cell service
• Financial support for professional development

Additional Information

Blue Forest is a fully remote company with staff across all US time zones. Expect some overlap with Pacific Standard Time hours for collaboration. An in-person team retreat is hosted each year.

How to Apply

To apply, submit a resume and cover letter through Recruitee. People from historically underrepresented populations and candidates with non-traditional career paths are encouraged to apply.

If interview participation would incur expenses (e.g., childcare), please let us know; we can reimburse reasonable costs up to $30/hour for twice the length of each interview. There will be space to request this reimbursement upon offer of an interview.