Resilient Water/Watersheds Director

$72,500 - $87,796/Yr

Yampa Valley Sustainability Council - Steamboat Springs, CO

Full-time - Senior

Onsite - Steamboat Springs, CO

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support

About the position

The Resilient Water/Watersheds Director at Yampa Valley Sustainability Council (YVSC) is a key leadership role focused on advancing water conservation and resilience in Northwest Colorado. This position involves collaborating with various stakeholders to develop and implement science-driven actions that address the impacts of climate change on water resources. The Director will oversee programs, manage partnerships, and engage in policy advocacy to enhance adaptive capacity and promote sustainable water practices in the region.

Responsibilities

• Work with the Executive Director and YVSC Directors to strategically grow the Resilient Water program activities.
• Develop and expand relationships and collaborations with key partners and water users in the Yampa River Basin.
• Support research partnerships and initiatives to increase data and monitoring of water resource changes.
• Oversee regional water conservation program initiatives and projects.
• Plan and implement conferences, workshops, and training sessions to enhance collaboration and learning.
• Contribute to regional, state, and federal planning and management meetings.
• Develop and grow regional-state efforts to increase resilience and drought planning.
• Build and maintain strategic program partnerships.
• Evaluate data and monitoring to ensure program success.
• Develop and oversee reporting of program activities for grant reports.
• Integrate scientific literature into program communications and outreach.
• Manage program staff and mentor research fellows and interns.
• Develop educational materials that integrate science and research into project guidelines.
• Advance program and organizational goals through education and outreach initiatives.
• Work with communication staff to develop materials for events and media.
• Participate in community meetings and events for program development and outreach.
• Serve as a spokesperson and ambassador for YVSC.

Requirements

• B.S./B.A. degree and fifteen years of professional experience in environmental studies, sciences, sustainability, geography or a related field; Master's degree preferred.
• At least three years of experience in higher level management.
• Fundraising and grant-writing experience.
• Experience managing complex and/or multiple projects.
• Experience cultivating partnerships with diverse stakeholders.
• Understanding of Colorado water policy and legislative processes.
• Experience in water resource conservation and strategic planning.
• Demonstrated results in developing collaborative strategies for conservation challenges.
• Self-motivated and capable of independent work.
• Knowledge of freshwater resource conservation practices.
• ArcGIS training and experience preferred.
• Multi-lingual skills and cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• Strong team player with collaborative skills.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in higher education management.
• Experience with community engagement and outreach programs.

Benefits

• Full medical insurance coverage
• Dental insurance coverage
• Long-term disability insurance
• Life insurance coverage
• Retirement savings contributions
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• Holiday bonuses
• Professional development funding
• Flexible work schedule