This position is based in northern Utah, with a preference for Salt Lake City. Other examples include Logan, Provo, Ogden, Park City, and Heber City. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission. WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.
About the Program:
Cities4Forests (https://cities4forests.com/) and the Natural Infrastructure Initiative are cross-programmatic efforts – including WRI’s Land’s, Water, and Cities programs. Cities4Forests is a global alliance of more than 90 cities acting to conserve, restore, and sustainably manage nature, especially the world’s forests, for human well-being. Our member cities promote major forest-friendly policy changes, facilitate the flow of finance for nature-based projects, and advocate for forest and nature conservation and restoration on the local, regional, and global stage. Cities4Forests and the Natural Infrastructure Initiative support cities with technical assistance on policy; political engagement; economics and finance; gender and social equity; mapping and technology; monitoring, evaluation, and learning; and more. In addition to cities, the programs work with water and power utilities, multilateral development banks, public and private financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies, civil society and conservation organizations, and local community and Indigenous groups.
Job Highlight:
The Cities4Forests and Natural Infrastructure Initiative team seek a full-time Watershed Health Coordinator (Associate I) to support watershed health and wildfire mitigation work in northern Utah and lead the scaling of a successful innovative finance pilot, the Resilience Fund, from the Weber River Watershed to include two additional tributaries to the Great Salt Lake: the Jordan River and the Bear River. You will support watershed protection strategies, short- and long-term planning needs, and collaboration with key federal, state, utility, and other partners. Also, you will provide project management support for discrete projects in these watersheds.
This position is co-funded with our utility partners – Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities (SLCDPU) and the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District (WBWCD) – to improve planning and coordination with federal, state, and local partners, including the US Forest Service (USFS), Utah’s Forestry, Fire, and State Lands (FFSL), Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative (UWRI), local counties, and non-profit partners, including Blue Forest Conservation, Trout Unlimited, and Pheasants Forever, among others. You will help implement strategies to collaborate with partners more effectively and allocate resources towards utilities’ priorities and watershed restoration goals. An important part of this position will ensure that utility perspectives and priorities are incorporated into federal, state, and non-profit designs, planning, and project preparation on public and private lands.
Also, this role will require significant partner outreach and engagement to both plan and support fuel reduction and watershed restoration projects across public and private lands.
This position is partially funded through grant awards and utility contributions. You will report to WRI’s Environmental Finance Manager and is a combination of remote work and in-person in the utility’s office space(s).
What will you do:
Watershed management planning (6o%):
- Lead, coordinate, and serve on basin-specific and cross-basin steering committees to communicate utility priorities and develop strategies that support increased investment in source water protection and restoration activities, and support projects for investment and implementation.
- Understand the criticality and importance of the watersheds and ensure that watersheds are protected through the administration of these projects to minimize the risks of wildfire.
- With partners, co-develop a 2-year, 5-year, and 10-year strategy to address both water conservation efforts and watershed protection efforts to maintain high quality and quantity water reserves. Integrating with ongoing partner plans, help designate priority areas for risk assessments, propose science-backed activities, estimate project costs, and help guide federal, state, county, and private land workstreams.
- With partners, develop proposals to secure sustainable funding streams to support the Resilience Fund and capitalize the endowment by exploring watershed protection fees, mitigation fees, and beneficiary-pay-models.
- Help move projects on public and private lands from the conceptual to transactional stages and develop strategies to advance demonstration projects to scaled interventions.
- Contribute to long-term monitoring and evaluation goals to measure improved water security as a result of project interventions.
- Meet with utility partners SLCDPU and WBWCD to coordinate efforts with the utility and ensure that utility goals are met.
Fundraising and Operations (20%):
- Work with senior utility staff and partners on the strategic development and management of watershed restoration work.
- Develop relationships and manage multi-sector partnerships to produce project outcomes.
- Support fundraising, including promoting new project opportunities and prospective donors as well as preparing proposals.
- Organize internal and external meetings, workshops, and other data gathering and research distribution activities.
- Collaborate with internal staff and project partners to problem solve and produce solutions to project implementation issues.
Outreach and Communications (20%):
- Conduct outreach and communications including presenting at internal/external meetings and conferences, co-authoring reports, and blog posts.
- Convene with important policymakers, elected officials, decision-makers, private landowners, and other partners.
- Contribute to public engagement and communication efforts.
What will you need:
- Education: Master’s degree in water science, environmental management, natural resource management or similar degree
- Experience: Minimum 7 years of relevant full-time work experience in water science or environmental or natural resource management
- Ability to present complex information
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with diverse teams of individuals and colleagues
- Strong written and oral communication skills, particularly when it comes to communicating technical concepts to non-technical audiences
- Ability to juggle multiple tasks and deadlines while setting and delivering on clear priorities
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and demonstrated strong work ethic
- Flexibility to travel
- Fluency in English required; Spanish language skills a plus
- Requirements: Existing work authorization in the US is required at the time of application.
Preferred skills:
- Familiarity with ecosystems/region a plus
- Prior demonstrated experience with intergovernmental agreements, fundraising and partnership funded projects.
- Prior experience working with governments; ability to navigate pathways to influence public policy
- Prior demonstrated experience in designing, evaluating, and/or implementing watershed restoration projects, including fuel reduction, forest health treatments, beaver-dam analogs, etc.
- Experience working with federal, state, utility, and/or non-profit partners
Potential Salary:
$84,000 – $95,000 if based in the United States. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.
How to Apply:
Please submit a resume with cover letter by July 31. You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.
What we offer:
- A competitive salary and generous PTO that increase with tenure.
- Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US.
- Opportunity to provide impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities.
- A workplace that focuses diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work.
- The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI.
- Long-term commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours.
About Us:
Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.
The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.
Our mission and values:
WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect our Earth’s natural resources and their capacity to provide for current and future generations.
Our values are shared ideals: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence, Respect.
Our culture:
WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.
Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.
