Project Manager, Northwest New Mexico

Position: Project Manager, Northwest New Mexico

Location: Thoreau, NM

Employment Type: Full-time, Salaried, Exempt

Education/Experience Preferences: Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent professional experience preferred

Compensation Range: $75,000-$105,000/year DOE

Reports To: Director, Navajo Water Project

Manages: Lead Water & Solar Technicians, Water & Solar Technicians, Project Assistant

Supported by: Program team; Operations team, Development team

Start Date: ASAP

We Are DigDeep

The DigDeep Right to Water Project is a WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) organization committed to closing the water access gap for the 2 million + people in the U.S. who still don’t have a tap or a toilet at home.

DigDeep believes access to clean water is a human right. We run several nationally recognized programs that empower communities to build their own water and sanitation systems. We won the 2018 US Water Prize for our Navajo Water Project, which has brought clean, running water to hundreds of Native families across New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. DigDeep launched the Appalachia Water Project in 2020, in McDowell County, WV. It has since brought clean, sustainable running water to hundreds of families in Southern West Virginia through public - private partnerships with the McDowell County PSD and East Logan PSD in Wyoming County. In addition to clean running water, the project is installing septic systems and connecting households to centralized sewer. The AWP is now expanding into neighboring states of Kentucky and Virginia to continue its quest of clean water for every Appalachian family. Our water projects expanded in 2022 when we launched our Colonias Water Project. This project works to bring clean, running water to the residents living in communities along the Texas-Mexico border. The Texas colonias are largely unincorporated, low-income communities that fall just outside city limits and often lack basic infrastructure. Our work began in Cochran colonia near El Paso. DigDeep partnered with residents, housing nonprofits, and county officials to innovate a new model for public-private-partnership that brings these basic services to families for the first time. Now we're getting the water flowing in 5 more communities.

The Opportunity

DigDeep is looking for a creative, motivated, collaborative, and highly organized person to join our Navajo Water Project program team as the Northwest New Mexico Project Manager (PM). Reporting to the Director of the Navajo Water Project, the PM is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Navajo Water Project on the Northwestern Navajo Nation, contributing to DigDeep’s work throughout other parts of the Navajo Nation when required. This includes ensuring timely and high-quality delivery of program activities, budgeting, staffing, collaborating, and coordinating with the Navajo Nation government and water providers, external partners, and community members, while setting clear expectations, tracking progress against commitments, and proactively communicating status updates with HQ.

This job is full-time and based in Thoreau, NM. It involves frequent travel to program sites in Thoreau, NM and the surrounding areas, as well as to DigDeep HQ and other project sites across the US.

Key Responsibilities

This is what you’ll do once you join the team:

Strategy

• Collaborate with the Director to execute DigDeep's work on the Northwestern Navajo Nation and the surrounding areas to serve people with excellence and efficiency.
• Collaborate with the Director to set new targets and timelines and identify and maintain partnerships with local governments, water providers, regulators, nonprofits, businesses, and community members.
• Identify Navajo communities in the Eastern Agency needing WASH assistance; develop strategies for serving these communities based on their unique needs and resources.

Implementation

• You will plan and implement WASH programs that meet the challenges faced by communities on the Northwestern Navajo Nation.
• Manage contractors and collaborate with the Program team as they design and implement new water projects from start to finish, developing clear work plans, monitoring milestones to ensure objectives are met in a safe, timely, and complete manner.
• Conduct site visits; collect intake data and assessments from site visits, prepare Cooperative Partnership Agreements; obtain client consent prior to initiating work. Upon completion of work, collect all appropriate information and gather media for storytelling.
• Ensure team is entering DigDeep client survey intake information into our data management system, mWater, accurately and in a timely manner, and that the information is updated and maintained as-needed.
• Plan and direct field work according to plan laid out by the Director in order to meet all objectives, budgets, and timelines, adjusting proactively as challenges arise.
• As needed, plan and guide donors, press, and media visits to the field; and oversee volunteer work.
• Ensure program compliance with relevant laws as well as all workplace and employee policies.
• Routinely visit all project sites on the Northwestern Navajo Nation, and occasionally other projects on the Navajo Nation.

Finance & Budget Development & Monitoring

• Assist the Director in developing the annual program budget for the region and update the Northwestern New Mexico budget on a quarterly basis.
• Monitor and track expenditures throughout the year to ensure compliance and alignment with budget.
• Collaborate with the development team to maximize all revenue and storytelling opportunities, especially those related to major donor cultivation and annual campaigns.
• Assist clients with DigDeep’s bill pay program, including collecting appropriate information and coordinating with local utilities.

Build Partnerships

• As needed, plan and implement outreach activities to develop visibility of the organization within the local community; represent the organization at local meetings.
• Consult closely and regularly with relevant agencies (ex. IHS, BIA, EPA, etc.); establish and maintain positive political relationships within the community and partner organizations.
• Foster an environment that promotes trust and cooperation among staff, community members, elected leaders, partner organizations, and the public.
• Provide clear, concise reports on plans, processes, and outcomes to executive staff; represent DigDeep at relevant conferences and events.

Manage Talent

• Perform supervisory duties for the Northwest Navajo Water Project team, as appropriate, including, but not limited to: interviewing applicants for employment; supporting and following up on performance improvement and management issues; resolving discipline problems and recommending termination as necessary; developing higher levels of expertise in staff by encouraging further education and providing learning opportunities.
• Lead and facilitate regular staff meetings, both virtually and in-person as appropriate; provide clear goals, deadlines, and performance feedback; ensure schedules and priorities are understood by all team members; provide strong day-to-day leadership that bridges multiple communication contexts to ensure all team members and clients are heard and understood.
• Uphold the unique culture of DigDeep by implementing values-aligned operations and management strategies for all work on the Navajo Nation.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. As the organization continues to evolve, duties or tasks may change without impacting the overall job description.

Competencies

• Change Management: Task/strategy orientation. Seeks out opportunities for task /team/ functional area growth and innovation. Anticipates obstacles from both team members and active projects, beginning to forecast and prepare contingencies. Collaboratively establish structures and processes to plan and manage the orderly implementation of change. Collaborate on the project goal and provide guidance on how to get there, especially under novel circumstances. Effectively navigates uncertainties and incomplete information with a problem-solving mindset to identify appropriate strategies, creatively apply solutions, and uses a community-driven, sustainable approach. Champions new policies/ procedures/ strategies. Are a focal point for driving adoption within functional area.
• Professional Communication: Professional presence, strong written and verbal communications skills, has the ability to appropriately represent both oneself and the company in external facing situations, able to adapt and react appropriately to novel circumstances. Tailors communications and presentations to effectively reach the desired audience and with maximum impact, both internal and external to the organization. Debates opinions, effectively clarifies ambiguities and judgments. Handles conflict empathetically. Converses with, writes reports for, and creates/delivers presentations to all levels of colleagues and peer groups in ways that support understanding, problem solving and planning. Explains the context of multiple interrelated problems/challenges, asks searching, probing questions, and solicits expert advice prior to taking action and making recommendations.
• Influence: Oversees relationships and alliances within functional area with support from supervisor (internal and external). Uses extensive industry and team knowledge to help guide teams outside of functional area. Able to synthesize and triage various project needs in order to best achieve goals within functional area. Challenge directives when appropriate and, with evidence, propose alternative solutions.
• Judgement & Decision-Making: Able to identify the information needed to clarify situations, when necessary, seeks information from appropriate resources, and uses skilled reasoning and questioning to draw out information in order to make sound decisions. Should be able to implement all solutions independently. Effectively navigates uncertainties and incomplete information with a problem-solving mindset to identify and propose appropriate strategies and creatively apply solutions using a community-driven, equitable approach. Can make systematic comparisons between two or more alternatives, noticing discrepancies and using them to inform decision-making.
• Ownership: Beginning to fully own projects along with limited guidance from supervisor. Demonstrates commitment to delivering on all promises as a credible, trusted organizational representative. Establishes agreements with others as to how success will be measured. Accepts the consequences of own performance. Able to work independently with limited guidance and exercise independent judgment, knowing when to elevate concerns or issues.
• Personal Development: Shifting toward professional development from personal development. Continual development of self. Become a better leader through feedback and consistent collaboration. Developing for team. Identifies own learning needs and areas for development based on self-initiated need analysis as well as in response to others’ feedback and suggestions for improvement. Maintains fluency in appropriate work applications, software, or tools. Beginning to identify and share information regarding key technologies and best practices to team.
• Technical Expertise: Has demonstrated ability and depth of knowledge with the technology in the desired technical area. Effectively uses and applies technical knowledge, and uses knowledge to identify solutions to existing problems. Basic understanding of data security best practices.

Skills and Qualifications

• 5+ years experience as a project/program manager; prefer skills in engineering, plumbing, electrical, and other trades
• 5+ years experience as a people manager required, with a track record of setting clear expectations, organizing schedules, and ensuring team accountability
• 5+ years in the non-profit sector – social justice, community organizing, international development or environmental justice organizations strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite, Google Workspace required
• Experience with Slack, Airtable, Asana, Expensify, Zoom strongly preferred
• Experience and/or willingness to use data collection platforms (e.g., such as mWater) required
• Valid Class C non-commercial driver’s license required
• In-depth knowledge of construction procedures, machinery, heavy equipment, and OSHA/NOSHA guidelines preferred
• Able to respond effectively to sensitive inquiries or complaints
• Able to define tangible measures for program evaluation and reporting
• Able to focus in the face of pressure, deliver against timelines and not be intimidated by tasks and/or time limitations
• You are able to solve complex problems and collaborate with others to find creative solutions
• You're a highly organized, detail-oriented, tech savvy, problem-solver with a project management mindset; you believe anything is figure-out-able
• Willingness to travel, including but not limited to: Navajo Nation (AZ/NM/UT); West Virginia; Texas; Washington, DC; DigDeep HQ; and additional locations as needed, by the most convenient means available
• Ability to lift up to 25lbs, and walk up and down stairs
• Ability to work full-time in office, Monday-Thursday, 7:00am-5:00pm
• Understanding and appreciation of humanitarian principles

Compensation and Benefits

At DigDeep, we believe that great work requires a great job. We understand that people thrive with rest and holistic support, which is crucial for our long-term success. We take pride in offering top-notch benefits to our team across the United States, prioritizing their health and wellbeing, as well as providing additional support for our employees' families. If you join us, here’s how we’ll support you in your work:

• Competitive wage to commensurate with level of position
• Generous vacation and sick leave
• 23 weeks paid Parental Leave
• Annual Professional Development Stipend
• Annual Wellbeing Reimbursement
• BrightPlan membership (Financial Wellness Benefit)
• Health Benefits
  • Employee Offering: Medical, dental, vision insurance, 100% employer paid
  • Spouse/Children/Family Offering: Employer covers up to $500 of the monthly cost for medical insurance for spouse/children/family; Employer covers 100% of the cost for dental and vision insurance for spouse/children/family
• One Medical membership
• Life insurance, 100% employer paid
• Work laptop
• Work iPad
• Monthly cell phone use allowance (position dependent)
• Monthly internet use allowance (position dependent)
• Protective Footwear Reimbursement (position dependent)
• Protective Weather Gear Reimbursement (position dependent)
• 15 paid holidays (including one week closure for Labor Day)
• Domestic travel
• 401k retirement plan, with employer match