Full Job Description
Position Title: Watershed Program Specialist
Employment Status: Full-time, Hourly
Reports To: Boulder Watershed Collective Director
Location: Remote/Fourmile Canyon Office
Salary Range: $68,000 to $78,000 annually, depending upon experience.
BOULDER WATERSHED COLLECTIVE
Watershed Program Specialist
The successful applicant will be a motivated, independent, enthusiastic problem-solver who is capable and willing to serve the larger purpose of restoring ecosystems and engaging in meaningful community dialogue. The Watershed Program Specialist is challenged to develop and manage watershed restoration projects and conduct pre and post project monitoring (field data collection) and adaptive management. The ideal candidate will understand watershed processes and have experience in developing and implementing restoration projects, be comfortable with field data collection and analysis and enjoy engaging with agency and community partners. The Watershed Program Specialist should be excited about ecosystem resilience, organized and self-motivated, capable of working independently and with a team and comfortable splitting time out in the field and at the computer. You must love the outdoors and have the physical ability to hike in sometimes remote, strenuous conditions, have your own vehicle and lift up to 50 pounds.
We offer you the opportunity to have a position with a high degree of independence and flexibility, the ability to work in a unique and innovative program, experience with a cross section of disciplines and the support and assistance of dedicated staff, board members and community and agency partners.
To Apply:
In your cover letter, please demonstrate your ability to help us achieve our mission, which is:
Mission: To cultivate partnerships, promote community stewardship, and revitalize social and ecological systems within the Boulder Creek watershed and beyond.
Be sure to highlight your experience and qualifications, as well as your aptitude for this position. You will find a description of the kinds of tasks you will need to perform, plus background information, below.
Please email a PDF of your cover letter and resume to maya@boulderwatershedcollective.org. Include, as the subject of the email: Last Name – Watershed Scientist Position. [Applications also can be mailed to: Boulder Watershed Collective, 1740 Four Mile Canyon Drive, Boulder, CO 80302.] The cover letter should clearly demonstrate the applicant’s qualifications and ability to fulfill the stated duties of the position. All applications must be received by Wednesday June 10, 2022 at 5pm. No phone calls, please.
POSITION SUMMARY
The (BWC) has three program areas: Community Engagement, Climate Adaptation and Resilience and Watershed Restoration. The Watershed Program Specialist position will primarily be focused on the Watershed Restoration Program, but duties overlap into other program areas. This position requires educational and/or experience in hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, watershed sciences, water resources, or a related technical field. This position will be a combination of remote, office based, and field work, depending on project type and season. Reporting and data analysis tasks will require working on a computer for extended periods. BWC supports flexible weekly work schedules.
The Watershed Program Specialist will be a part of a team that values individual talents, team collaboration, contributions to local communities and partnerships with agencies. This role will serve as a technical expert supporting watershed planning, restoration and monitoring. This position will dedicate 50% of its time to developing and implementing a Meadow Restoration program which incorporates the use of low-tech, process-based restoration and beaver relocation where appropriate. Other time will be spent managing existing water quality monitoring, legacy mine waste characterization (soil & water sampling), and stream restoration and working to develop new projects which improve ecosystem resilience in a changing climate. The successful candidate will be able to synthesize and communicate project outcomes to the public and agency partners to highlight community needs and BWC’s watershed restoration impacts.
This position will include opportunities for professional growth based on the selected candidate’s professional goals, such as participating in regional collaborative planning processes, attending trainings and conferences and continually engaging with a diverse group of interdisciplinary professionals.
Primary Duties:
➢ Program Development (15%): This position will work with the Director to continue developing a Meadow Restoration Program nested within the Watershed Restoration Program. High priority meadows have been identified through the Sediment Source and Storage for Disaster Planning study. The goal of the program is to prioritize, assess and restore meadow systems for multiple benefits, including biodiversity, improved hydrology, floodplain reconnection and reducing the potential effects of wildfire and flooding. Restoration may include low tech process-based restoration, including beaver mimicry structures and beaver relocation where appropriate.
➢ Project Management (45%): Plan, organize and oversee projects from start to finish. Work with agency and landowner partners to identify the project’s goals and objectives, develop scopes of work, budgets and timelines and oversee all aspects of the project. Project management includes significant communication with the project team and stakeholders to manage risks and conflict, monitor progress to ensure that the project stays on track and continually evaluates the project’s success and areas for improvement. This work will be complete with strong support from the Director and other staff.
➢ Data Collection & Analysis (20%): Responsibilities include logistical planning, field assessments and data collection throughout the watershed, data entry, analysis and reporting. This position will require one to two days per week during the summer season (June – September) collecting data in priority areas throughout the Boulder Creek watershed. Data collection may include water and soil sampling, habitat assessments, stream flow monitoring, photo points, and other field assessments as applicable. Training will be provided for all monitoring parameters. A private vehicle will be needed to access site locations and mileage is reimbursable. Synthesizing and reporting data and outcomes is an important component of the work. The ability to analyze water quality and other stream health indicators is desired. Technical writing skills are required.
➢ Communication (20%): All of BWC’s work is heavily rooted in the community. Community engagement and communication about programs, processes, data and outcomes is a component of this position. The ability to translate technical data into understandable concepts for the lay person is highly desired. Opportunities for communication may involve community meetings, presentations to agency partners, website updates and data visualization.
EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONSFOR SUCCESS:
Required
- Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Hydrology, Fluvial Geomorphology, Watershed Science, Water Resources, or related technical field or three (3) years of professional experience in the water resources field.
- Must have analytical and technical writing skills.
- Experience with ArcGIS, Avenza or other GIS skills.
- Ability to travel to a location, walk and conduct fieldwork for long hours, sometimes in inclement weather, rugged terrain, often at high altitudes, and ability to carry equipment and supplies weighing up to 40 pounds.
- Must have ability and willingness to learn.
- Must have a passion for watersheds and communities.
- Excellent inter-personal skills and the ability to work with a wide array of partners that include federal, state and local agencies, as well as private landowners.
- Ability to work remotely, check-in regularly, plan and implement tasks independently and create the structure you need to manage your time and meet deadlines.
- Ability to participate and collaborate in a team setting and also to engage in independent creative and critical thought.
- Experience working on your own to meet a common goal of a team.
- Valid driver’s license and reliable, insured personal transportation.
- Ability to occasionally attend multi-day conferences, work evenings, and weekends.
Preferred
Please note that an absence of one or more of these skills is not critical as long as you demonstrate a willingness to learn new skills.
- Graduate degree in Hydrology, Fluvial Geomorphology, Watershed Science, Water Resources, or related field, or equivalent professional experience preferred.
- Experience with low-tech process based restoration, beaver or other stream & meadow restoration work.
- Experience analyzing water quality parameters including nutrients, heavy metals and E. Coli.
- Experience authoring comprehensive technical reports to be shared with agency partners and funders.
- Ability to solve complex problems using sound professional judgment, creativity, and innovation.
- Experience in science communication and data visualization.
- Willingness to teach skills you already have to promote community stewardship.
- Experience working with rural communities and/or forested watersheds or wildfire a plus.
Salary and Position Details
A salary range of $68,000 to $78,000 will be offered with an opportunity for a performance raise after one year of employment. This position is currently funded for two years, with the intention of continuation of the position dependent upon grants/fundraising potential. BWC offers a $400 per month insurance stipend ($200 per pay period), $100 per month technology stipend for remote work and option for a 401K.
The BWC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and no otherwise qualified individual shall be subject to discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion or religious affiliation, sex, familial status, age, genetics, disability, or national origin in any phase of employment for this position.
We highly value building and sustaining an inclusive, equitable and collaborative working environment for all staff, board members and the communities we work with. We believe every member on our team and within our communities enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to build solutions in these complex times. We invite new candidates to help us continue to improve our abilities to provide an inclusive and equitable working environment.
Boulder Watershed Collective Background and Structure
The September 2013 floods across Colorado’s Front Range and the ongoing threat of climate change and severe wildfire has changed the local population’s relationships with their watersheds. Today, local communities are very engaged in protecting ecological values and contributing to evolving land management processes which impact communities within the watershed. Covid-19 displayed the widespread value of natural spaces to diverse communities and the complex relationships between public health, ecology, land use, climate and disasters. The Boulder Watershed Collective broadly focuses on watershed resilience and the integration of ecological and community priorities.
The BWC (formerly the Fourmile Watershed Coalition) was primarily focused on stream restoration and flood recovery projects in Fourmile Canyon from 2015-2019. In 2020 BWC expanded our focus area from the Fourmile Creek watershed to the larger Boulder Creek watershed. This expansion allows a larger geographical focus which includes more diverse communities, urban and rural populations, and forested and plains landscapes encompassing a variety of needs and priorities.
BWC is a stakeholder driven organization that highly values collaborative planning, building and maintaining community relationships and long-term partnerships with agencies. The current Board of Directors includes representation from private landowners, the City of Boulder, Boulder County, Colorado State Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy and the University of Colorado with advisory members from various private and non-profit organizations.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $68,000.00 – $78,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
Work Location: Multiple Locations
