Positions Available

CCMI’s key strategic goal is to become the premier research and education institution in the region, unlocking the clues to coral reef resilience and bringing relevant science to society. We seek extraordinary employees to help us bring to focus the positive changes that can occur when we reduce human impact on the planet. With this in mind, we seek to hire a mature, experienced marine science educator to develop and manage the CCMI tertiary-level in-house and visiting education programmes and provide oversight for the primary and secondary-level education programmes.

CCMI runs a marine research and education facility on the remote tropical island of Little Cayman. This unique residential experience offers local and international students the opportunity to immerse themselves in marine science, cut-off from anthropogenic pressures and located adjacent to a stunning tropical marine ecosystem.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about marine science education and who wants to live in the field on a small island with only 250 residents to help create positive futures for the next generation.

CCMI has a capital development plan that will double our education capacity by January 2028. This planned expansion will allow us to host multiple groups at one time – currently we are limited to groups of 20 students max (or two small groups of 10). An integral part of this role is to expand CCMI’s programming in anticipation of this expansion, increasing the number of universities that visit CCMI, as well as establishing a robust in-house college-level programme.

Priority 1 – Develop and manage a robust college (tertiary) level education schedule at CCMI.

CCMI already has a busy tertiary-level programme that includes visits from a range of universities (Dartmouth College, Saginaw Valley, etc) that will be the core responsibility for this role. We need to expand this visiting university programme from 12 weeks in 2025, to 40 weeks by January 2028, as well as develop our own in-house courses (12 weeks per year), in preparation for opening a new campus at CCMI in 2028.

The priorities are as follows:

• Develop and deliver (by Sept 2026) a winter semester 6–8-week residential course at CCMI for college graduates,16-20 students
• Develop and apply for an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates grant (or suitable alternative summer programme for 16-20 students for up to 4 weeks), to start 2027
• Manage programme delivery for all current tertiary-level programmes (12 weeks); this includes creating the liaison between visiting colleges and universities, providing booking and planning support, as well as providing logistical support when the visitors are in situ
• Develop and deliver a sustainable tertiary level growth plan to align with a bigger facility at CCMI (2028), increasing the visits from universities from 12 weeks to 40 weeks over the next three years. Please note with the new facilities, courses can be run simultaneously.
• Establish new relationships with undergraduate institutions to create a stronger education network
• To liaise with the Research Director to ensure CCMI’s education strategy is linked to the research strategy (and findings)
• Identify, develop and deliver an international recruitment programme for secondary and tertiary-level programmes
• Contribute to the CCMI Education Committee

Priority 2 – Oversight for Primary and Secondary Education

There is a team in place at the Little Cayman Research Centre that delivers the local primary and secondary education programmes, which runs from January- July each year, and your role will be to provide leadership and oversight:

• Manage a team of two direct reports and two interns, including personal development and appraisals
• Oversee the management of programme delivery for all sponsored and paid K-12 education programmes, including developing curriculum, teaching, enrolling students and corresponding with schools, parents and students, and completing evaluations that inform impact reports
• Contribute to the development of and oversee the execution of the Reefs Go Live programme (RGL), which involves such activities as building a teacher network (local and regional) that use the RGL resources and inform CCMI with needs for virtual learning for the future, creating outreach materials, and writing reports.

Priority 3 – Budget and Course Administration Management

• Manage the overall education programme budget, including individual budgets for each course/programme
• Prepare programme content and feedback for the advancement team for communications, sponsors/stakeholders, including content for social media, website, newsletters and the press
• Prepare reports for all education activity for annual reports, education end of year report, and individual programme reports
• Ensure all course and station logistics are agreed with the station manager to ensure smooth and effective operations

Current Tertiary Level programmes include:

1. Ocean Science Scholars (OSS) Internships (3 months each – up to 4 interns).
2. Visiting university programmes (12 weeks)

Current K-12 Sponsored Programmes include:

1. Young Environmentalist Leadership Course (YELC)
2. Caribbean Marine Ecology Camp and associated scholarship programmes
3. Reefs Go Live

Paid K-12 Programmes include:

1. Local schools Marine Ecology Courses
2. Caribbean Marine Ecology Camp

• PhD or MSc and relevant teaching experience in Marine Science or related field
• Experience teaching and developing marine science curriculum for university, and citizen scientist programmes, preferably to assistant professor level
• Excellent computer, analytical, and abstract reasoning skills
• Excellent organizational, communication, and team building skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills and open to direction in a collaborative working environment
• Willingness to work odd hours when required to deliver a programme
• Ability to reside on Little Cayman for significant periods of time (permanent residency preferred)

OFFICE GUIDELINES

Work week: 5 days, flexible during delivery of courses (and time in lieu offered).

Location: Primarily based on Little Cayman Island. Remote working for pre-agreed times within the year will be considered.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary USD $70-80,000 per annum, plus health and benefits. 20 days holiday per annum.

Up to USD $800 towards a return flight will be considered.

Send your cover letter and CV to [email protected] by 14th April 2025 to be considered for this position.

Join CCMI’s Education team and support the education programmes at the Little Cayman Research Centre. The successful applicant will assist the Education team with the preparation and implementation of CCMI’s primary and secondary school level marine ecology camps, visiting university courses, citizen science groups, and other education programmes as required. This is a sponsored position, available only to Caymanians and those with qualifying residential status in the Cayman Islands. This internship is generously supported by the Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Foundation. 

The applicant will need to be proficient in water, ideally with a PADI (or similar) Divemaster qualification. They must be passionate about the ocean, teaching students of all ages and creating a positive and engaging environment for guests to not only learn but have the best experience of their lives. This role is hands on. The successful applicant will learn a wide range of skills while living on a remote tropical island at a fully functioning marine research facility. They need to love new challenges, enjoy working with a team, and most importantly, want to make a difference in terms of ocean literacy and educating the next generation. 

• Assist in the overall delivery of sponsored and paid education programmes
• Assist the Education Coordinator, Education Assistant, and other CCMI team members as needed with education department related tasks
• Organize and prepare supplies and equipment for field excursions and laboratory exercises
• Lead or assist with all outdoor activities including swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, cycling and hiking/walking
• Participate and assist with execution of local outreach events and conservation activities on behalf of CCMI
• Assist with preparation of education department related communications, eg: social media posts, email templates, announcements, etc.
• Deliver CCMI lectures, coursework, and workshops
• Assist with daily tasks associated with life at a remote field station, such as assisting with mealtimes and maintaining a clean and tidy facility
• Serve as a useful and dependable member of the CCMI team who can be called upon to assist with any department as necessary

• High school diploma or similar required
• Must be comfortable in and on the water
• Experience working in an educational setting, either formal or informal
• Must enjoy working with children and young adults
• Must be able to lift heavy dive gear and equipment
• Must be versatile, willing and interested in assisting with a variety of tasks
• Excellent communication, organizational and team-building skills required
• Excellent interpersonal skills and open to direction in a collaborative working environment
• Must be able to inspire passion for the marine environment in others

The position is for three (3) months, with the possibility to extend to six (6) months. Room and board at the Little Cayman Research Centre are provided along with all meals (or food provided for prep in a shared kitchen). A monthly reimbursement of USD $500 for living expenses is provided.

A cover letter, CV, and contact details for two referees (who will not be contacted without your consent) should be sent to [email protected]. Applications and letters of reference should include the name of the applicant in the document title, i.e. lastname_CV.pdf, lastname_CL.pdf, lastname_references.pdf.

Applications submitted by 31st December 2024 will receive full consideration. If you would like to experience living on a remote island and being part of dynamic team, we encourage you to apply.