Watershed Resilience Planner
Background
The Neponset River Watershed Association (NepRWA) seeks a candidate for the full-time position of Watershed Resilience Planner.
NepRWA is a nonprofit conservation group (www.neponset.org) that works to protect and restore the Neponset River, its tributaries and surrounding watershed lands. Our goal is a healthy river that enhances the resilience, equity, health, and social capital of our watershed communities. The Watershed includes parts of 14 cities and towns between the headwaters in Foxborough and the Boston neighborhoods of Hyde Park, Mattapan and Dorchester.
Position Description
The Watershed Resilience Planner is a key member of NepRWA’s senior staff. They will work closely with municipalities, community-based organizations, and environmental justice communities to advance regional solutions that ensure people and nature will be able to thrive in the face of climate challenges. They report to the Advocacy director and collaborate closely with other NepRWA staff across multiple disciplines.
Key responsibilities include:
· Key leadership role in the formation of a new municipal climate adaptation collaborative for Watershed communities, identifying shared adaptation priorities, building consensus around regional solutions (including innovative green infrastructure, land use management, and social infrastructure solutions and incentives), and translating those into implementation projects & programs.
- Meaningfully engaging residents and business community—especially environmental justice neighborhoods, people of color, and those with limited means—around development of municipal adaptation priorities and strategies that effectively address the needs of climate vulnerable populations.
- Working with interdisciplinary partners and consultants to evaluate impacts of flooding, heat, drought and other climate challenges on residents, and natural and manmade infrastructure.
- Assisting with grant applications and legislative initiatives to support implementation of priority solutions.
- Managing implementation projects and associated grant contract reporting, budgets, and compliance.
- Planning and organizing project-related public engagement and participation activities, using a variety of interactive approaches both in person and online.
- Identifying and building long-term working relationships with partners, including community-based organizations, representatives of environmental justice populations, municipal staff and local officials.
- Providing technical support to colleagues on planning, land use regulation and community engagement issues.
- Supporting communication and development staff to document results through writing, presentations, photography and social media.
Qualifications
The successful candidate will have a combination of technical, project management, communication, and leadership skills. A master’s degree in regional or urban planning, natural resource management or a related field plus at least two years of relevant work experience, or a relevant bachelor’s degree and five years work experience is required.
Specific areas of expertise should include:
- Planning and conducting community engagement activities, including engagement of environmental justice populations.
- Working effectively with municipal staff and local officials.
- Managing projects including preparing and managing multi-partner grant applications.
- Familiarity with the concepts of stormwater management, flood mitigation strategies, flood modeling techniques, green infrastructure techniques, the impacts of climate change on municipalities and municipal infrastructure, and the unique challenges posed by climate change for vulnerable and historically underrepresented populations.
- Excellent writing and interpersonal communication skills (effective with both technical and non-technical audiences) and an ability to master new topics independently including topics of a technical nature.
Applicants should be enthusiastic about the mission of the organization, motivated to achieve tangible results for the benefit of the community, and intrigued by the technical, social and political challenges in building climate and community resilience along an urban river.
This is a full-time, permanent position, which is available to commence work immediately. Compensation is commensurate with experience and includes paid vacation, holidays and health insurance plan. NepRWA is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
Don’t meet every single qualification listed above? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they do. If you are excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with everything listed in this description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles at NepRWA.
Application Procedure
To apply, send a resume and a cover letter explaining how the position would complement your career goals and how your talents and experience would help advance NepRWA’s efforts. Resumes will be accepted until the position is filled. The most recent posting will be maintained at neponset.org/about/employment and a notice will be posted promptly at that location once the position has been filled.
Responses should be directed via email to Advocacy Director Kerry Snyder at snyder@neponset.org