Water Resources Manager

The Hudson Valley Regional Council (HVRC) is seeking applicants for a full-time Water Resources Manager. The federal Clean Water Act provides for funding to states for regional water quality management planning activities.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awards 604(b) grants to states, which in turn makes awards to regional planning and interstate organizations.  Additionally, the EPA provides separate grant funding to regional planning organizations so that they can offer technical assistance to municipalities on Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) projects.  Working under HVRC’s 604(b) Water Quality Planning Program grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), and Rural, Small, and Tribal (RST) Technical Assistance for Wastewater Systems grant from the EPA, the successful applicant will provide technical assistance to municipalities, coordinate water resources outreach, and create and participate in watershed planning activities in the seven-county Mid-Hudson Region.  

HVRC’s implementation of NYS DEC’s 604(b) Water Quality Planning Program covers four main objectives:

• Assist communities with planning and implementation of a Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2) plan.
• Provide training and technical assistance to communities on Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) regulations.
• Provide training and technical assistance to communities or groups interested in 9 Element Watershed Planning to address pollutants in waterways.
• Serve as a resource for regional watershed planning in collaboration with the DEC’s regional work.

HVRC’s implementation of EPA’s RST Technical Assistance for Wastewater Systems program will assist rural and small municipalities with access to finance/funding and with compliance with the Clean Water Act. The program will also support these wastewater systems in building capacity to protect water quality.  HVRC will:

• Provide training and technical assistance to communities interested in clean water projects to address wastewater pollutants.
• Assist communities with obtaining state grant funding for engineering reports.
• Assist communities with the application for the CWSRF Intended Use Plan (IUP), including reviewing project type and eligibility.
• Serve as a resource for regional wastewater planning.

Duties of the Water Resources Manager will primarily include:  

• Providing technical assistance to local governments with any water resource related needs.  
• Organizing and hosting meetings with municipalities and stakeholders to assist in project planning, project management, capacity building, and/or submission for the CWSRF IUP or other state and federal grants.
• Overseeing and assisting Water Resource Team Coordinators by reviewing public facing documents and providing feedback on program ideas and plans. This includes technical review of wastewater project designs, drinking water source protection plans, and watershed plans.  
• Assisting with development and review of outreach and training materials (presentation, emails, webinars, fact sheets, etc.) for water resources programs.  
• Preparing updates for HVRC’s Board of Directors on water resources work.
• Pursuing additional funding sources to support HVRC’s water resources technical assistance to the region.
• Participating in regional, county, and local water quality meetings to support ongoing work.
• Preparing and reviewing reports and reimbursements per HVRC’s contractual obligations for the RST and 604(b) grants.
• Supporting HVRC team across other programmatic and organizational areas as needed.

Minimum qualifications are a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, environmental engineering, or a related field and eight years’ experience in hydrogeology and/or sustainability planning; or a master’s degree in environmental science, environmental engineering, geology, or a related field and six years’ experience in hydrogeology and/or sustainability planning.  The successful candidate will have an interest in maintaining quality water resources within the region, as well as the ability to engage various types of stakeholders (state agencies, local governments, watershed alliances, and other NGOs).  The successful candidate will also have an interest in collaborating with relevant stakeholders and leading teams through consensus-building.  Must have a strong understanding of social-ecological systems and the ability to navigate conversations pertaining to behavior, politics, and environmental justice.  Must have familiarity with NYS and federal grant funding.  Must possess technical knowledge in hydrogeology and wastewater systems.  Must have strong public speaking and writing skills as well as experience with outreach and engagement to a variety of stakeholders, including clarity of presentation and facility with gauging audiences.  Must possess proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, Teams) and other web-based project management and tracking systems.  Assessment of these skills will be part of the final stage in the application process.  The position requires travel by car and includes evening meetings.  Travel expenses will be reimbursed at federal rates.  Estimated starting salary range for this position is $65,000-$75,000 and will be commensurate with experience.  This position reports to the Executive Director.

Hudson Valley Regional Council is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.  We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.  If you need special accommodation with vision, hearing, or language, please reach out at the email below.  This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship.  HVRC makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

Please email your cover letter, résumé, and relevant writing sample to the attention of Deputy Executive Director Eleanor Peck at epeck@hudsonvalleyrc.org by May 24, 2024.  Interviews will be scheduled immediately thereafter.

Please email your cover letter, résumé, and relevant writing sample to the attention of Deputy Executive Director Eleanor Peck at epeck@hudsonvalleyrc.org by May 24, 2024.  Interviews will be scheduled immediately thereafter.