Social Anthropologist – Subsistence Mapping, Northwest Arctic Borough


Supervisor:                Project Coordinator
Location:                    Kotzebue, Alaska
Salary:                       $50,000 to $55,769 annually DOE
Benefits:                    Medical, Dental, PERS, and Life Insurance
Classification:            Partially exempt (2-year grant funded position)
Hours Per Week:       37.5 hours (full-time) 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Deadline:                   Position is open until filled.

See recent job posting here: http://www.nwabor.org/jobs/

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

  • A 4-year college degree in social science, anthropology, or a
    related field of study appropriate for planning activities with local
    government in subsistence research and mapping.  Career experience may
    be substituted on a year-to-year basis.
  • Must possess basic computer skills including e-mail and Microsoft Office.
  • Must have a valid driving license.
  • Demonstrated research experience with strong communication skills, focus group facilitation, and participant interviewing.
  • Demonstrated writing skills and experiences to tabulate and document research data into reports and databases.
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment with positive work ethics.
  • Must be well organized and able to work independently.
  • Professional experience in working with the general public and
    rural communities, regional entities, and state and federal agencies
    involved in the local to regional planning projects and/or development
    efforts.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Masters degree in social science, anthropology or a
    related field of study with four years of career experience in
    social sciences that includes identifying and addressing
    subsistence and/or cultural issues.
  • Borough residents, women or Inupiaq minorities, handicapped or veterans of the U. S. Armed Services.
  • Inupiaq language fluency preferred but not required.
  • Applicants who are familiar with the Inupiat Ilitqusiat
    philosophy and Northwest Arctic Borough communities and residents
    are a plus.
  • Trained in ArcGIS, Surveying, and/or Mapping preferred but not required.
  • Knowledge of subsistence issues and applicable federal
    laws and state regulations, including cultural resource and
    subsistence laws and regulations.
  • Knowledge or experience in government affairs, particularly Borough and municipal governments in Alaska.
  • Knowledge of research methods, peer review of research methods, and implementation of research methods.
  • Strong cross-cultural communications skills.

JOB DUTIES:

Note: this is a grant funded position over a two year period. The
project may be expanded contingent on securing additional grant funds.

  • Provide support for and implementation to carry out the roles and responsibilities of the Arctic Mapping to Promote Marine Conservation in the Northwest Arctic Borough Project as outlined in grant narratives and budgets.
  • Provide written and verbal reports to the project coordinator,
    planning director, mayor, assembly, planning commission, and/or funders
    on a regular basis and upon request.
  • Working with project staff and partners, implement the project
    goal to document and map important habitats and subsistence uses to
    advance Arctic marine conservation that successfully integrates
    traditional knowledge and western science.  This includes coordination
    with project coordinator, consultants, communications with federal,
    state and regional organizations, donors, and working with staff in
    Kotzebue and village sites.
  • Mentor project staff and community members to promote an understanding of social science and project issues/opportunities.
  • Develop effective communication and relationships with the
    communities and residents of the region, and ensure effective community
    outreach and education regarding social science relating to subsistence
    and natural resource issues.
  • Work with borough staff and partners to create a regional
    clearinghouse of existing data, maps, traditional knowledge and past
    studies that will be incorporated into a geographic information system
    (GIS) database and ensure the database will be updated with most recent
    information on an ongoing basis.
  • Engage borough communities in the documentation of past
    through current/modern local and traditional knowledge (LTK) through
    community-based focus groups, individual interviews and review of
    existing data.  Compile, analyze and incorporate this information into a
    GIS database.  Facilitate positive relationships with regional
    communities for project implementation.
  • Assist in completion of a peer and/or expert review of project
    reports/papers and the GIS database layers including elders and
    experienced subsistence users.
  • Work with the public, staff, industry and agencies to identify
    both Important Ecological Areas (IEAs) and Potential Resource
    Development Areas of the region.
  • Working with the borough staff as a team, publish reports,
    maps and an atlas of identified IEAs and supporting ecological
    information, and coordinate appropriate staff training to use the
    reports, maps, atlas and GIS database to address needs of the Borough.
  • Ensure opportunities for community involvement and comment
    regarding subsistence issues at regulatory and advisory board meetings
    regarding borough, state and federal policy changes by: 1) completing
    and distributing effective preparatory and background work on any
    proposed changes, including how proposed changes could affect the
    subsistence lifestyle; 2) collecting and compiling public testimony; and
    3) distributing testimony to applicable parties.
  • Keep a weekly log of activities for statistics and monthly reports.
  • Schedule travel on a regular basis inside and outside of the
    borough for well-planned trips to provide services, participate in
    training, workshops and to ensure communications and exchange of current
    information significant to village, regional, tribal, state, and
    federal entities.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

To apply, please fax or email the attached Northwest
Arctic Borough Employment Application and your resume or curriculum
vitae to:

Zach Stevenson
Subsistence Mapping Coordinator

Northwest Arctic Borough
Planning Department
163 Lagoon Street/P.O. Box 1110
Kotzebue, Alaska 99752

907-442-2930 (Fax)
ZStevenson @ nwabor.org

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