- Salary: $59,051.20 – $91,083.20 Annually
- Location: State of Iowa – See Job Description, IA
- Job Type: Full-time
- Job Number: 25-00283
- Agency: 542 Iowa Department of Natural Resources
- Opening Date: 08/14/2024
- Closing Date: 9/4/2024 11:59 PM Central
- LinkedIn Tag: #LI-POST
- Point of Contact: Jerah Sheets; Jerah.Sheets@dnr.iowa.gov; 515-314-6328
Job Description
Only applicants who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and meet all selective requirements (listed below) will be placed on the eligible list.
Join The Team!
Are you ready to assist the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in furthering its mission of: Conserving and enhancing our natural resources in cooperation with individuals and organizations to improve the quality of life in Iowa and ensure a legacy for future generations?
If yes – we are seeking a Water Quality Improvement new team member to join our Watershed Improvement program as the Western Iowa Basin Coordinator.
This role will allow individuals to contribute their experience and knowledge towards fulfilling our mission through their behaviors and actions demonstrating the DNR’s Guiding Principles of Accountability, Collaboration, Continuous Improvement, Customer Focus, Data-Based Decisions, Empowerment, Integrity, Long-Term Thinking, Mutual Respect, Results/Outcome Orientation, and Valuing Employees.
Join us on our journey to become the role model for public service nationwide!
What We’re Looking for in You!
Describe in your application materials how you demonstrate the Guiding Principles & Critical Job Competencies, can perform the majority of the Essential Functions, and have education/experience transferable to the Job Description. Applicants are encouraged to attach a Resume, Cover Letter, and other supporting materials related to the position. College or university students that are pending graduation in May 2024 with a Bachelor’s Degree in a natural science are eligible to apply for this position.
This pivotal role brings value to Iowa’s water quality improvement efforts by serving as a technical and financial assistance provider for locally-led watershed projects to maintain or improve Iowa’s waters. This role also serves as a lead worker for Watershed Coordinators.
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Advises the 319 Nonpoint Source Program Coordinator and Water Quality Improvement Section Supervisor on watershed activities and opportunities throughout river basins in Western Iowa or assigned areas. Serves as the technical assistance provider, watershed improvement advocate, project manager for 319 funded watershed projects, and financial assistance and technical resources liaison between the DNR Watershed Improvement Program and locally-led watershed projects, and regional, and state watershed groups within the assigned river basin(s). Provides lead worker duties to DNR Environmental Specialist Watershed Coordinator(s) within the geographic area or assigned by the supervisor.
- Manage and coordinate the implementation of local and regional water quality improvement project activities, conservation planning and implementation of practices, outreach and education, assessment, and other related activities essential to the water quality priorities in Iowa.
- Collaborate with appropriate agencies, groups, and individuals that can affect the success of water quality improvements and source water protection in the targeted project areas.
- Serve as liaison and resource between the DNR and other local, regional, and state watershed groups within the assigned river basin(s). Examples but not limited to Watershed Management Authorities (WMA), Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), County Conservation, and other local government and watershed groups.
- Develop and conduct comprehensive watershed and source water protection monitoring plans and/or assessments. Complete and submit all necessary financial and progress reporting documents.
- Develop and implement EPA approved 9-element watershed plans to address impaired waters and source water protection plans to protect drinking water. Planning and implementation activities will address areas of local environmental concern, which may include, but are not limited to, sedimentation, nutrients, pesticides, livestock manure, bacteria and other water quality issues in assigned watersheds.
- Inspect watershed and source water protection project sites (with varying terrain and access limitations).
- Assess the technical accuracy of watershed implementation projects and provide recommendations on improving the technical accuracy of local Watershed Management Plans (WMPs).
- Research, plan, and implement outreach and education activities to raise awareness and encourage implementation of practices that improve water quality and source water protection with rural and urban constituencies. Assist with planning and implementation of training for installing watershed practices to varying audiences in person, in the field, and/or virtually.
- Develop case studies of successful watershed activities to share with other local watershed groups developing watershed or source water protection plans and/or implementation projects.
Essential Functions
- Analyze environmental principles related to water quality and communicate technical and non-technical information clearly to diverse audiences.
- Write, review and interpret studies, reports, and laws related to water quality/watershed management and evaluate the impacts of agricultural activities and economics on water quality and nonpoint source pollution.
- Develop and maintain effective relationships with all stakeholders.
- Facilitate and lead discussions among technical and non-technical groups to advance watershed management goals
- Prepare, manage, and interpret project contracts and financial tracking documents.
- Conduct field assessments while traversing various terrains and provide training on field protocols and watershed planning.
- Review and approve contract claims, invoices, and deliverables, ensuring proper contract administration and management.
Critical Job Competencies
Accountability, Integrity, High Productivity, Interpersonal Skills, Communication Skills, Customer Focus, Team Player, Self Management, Computer Skills, and Technical Skills – Natural Resources Planning, Project Management and Problem-solving.
What You Get From Us:
A competitive pay plan and rewarding work.
Insurance benefits that start the first of the month following 30 days of employment.
(Premiums can start as low as $61/month for single and $205/month for family coverage).
Separate vacation and sick leave accruals that start on the first day and can roll over annually.
Nine paid holidays/year.
Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) retirement package with employer match.
Optional deferred compensation (457/401A) plan with employer match.
Professional training opportunities.
Flexible schedules and opportunities for hybrid telework (as approved by supervisor).
Family friendly and professional work environment.
Employee Discount Programs (vision, cellular, fitness, recreation, season passes, travel, counseling)
The State’s total compensation package features benefits that are worth about 30% of your total compensation. For a list of additional benefits, please visit the DAS website for more information.
Comments:
This position will work from an office approximately 60% of the time, when not in an office, this position will work in the field in the Western Iowa territory covering approximately 30 Iowa counties (Lyon, Osceola, Dickinson, Sioux, Obrien, Clay, Plymouth, Cherokee, Buena Vista, Woodbury, Ida, Sac, Monona, Crawford, Carroll, Harrison, Shelby, Audubon, Pottawattamie, Cass, Adair, Mills, Montgomery, Adams, Union, Fremont, Page, Taylor, Ringgold, Decatur, Wayne, and Appanoose). The successful candidate is expected to establish a relationship with local DNR field offices, as well as county conservation district offices within the western Iowa district.
The successful candidate must reside within one hour of the Western Iowa territory. Please refer to this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dLR2F4ZviHesOXPrLFERQAI2EFJVuiQ0/view?usp=sharing
Within this one-hour restriction, the following options are available:
• This position will oversee program operations and team members stationed in the Western Iowa territory listed with the above counties. This position will also meet with water quality improvement partners located predominantly in the Western Iowa territory.
• This position will also engage with project coordinators stationed around the state and represent the agency onsite for water quality events predominately in the Western Iowa territory and on occasion around the state.
• The successful candidate, as approved, may choose to telework (establish a home office/remote working location) in Iowa within the 1 hour driving distance of the Western Iowa territory.
• The successful candidate, as approved by all parties, may be stationed at an existing Partner or DNR facility/office in the Western Iowa territory.
The starting salary for new state (Executive Branch) employees is expected to be at the base of the pay range. Additional salary increases may occur after the first six months, and then annually (if applicable). The State’s total compensation package features an outstanding set of employee benefits that are worth about 30% of your total compensation. Visit the DAS website for more benefit information.
For more information about DNR Employment Opportunities and position specific notices, please visit the DNR Employment website.
The State of Iowa is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
Iowa DNR Mission:
To conserve and enhance our natural resources in cooperation with individuals and organizations to improve the quality of life in Iowa and ensure a legacy for future generations.
Selectives
246 Grant Writing and Management
6 months’ professional level experience as one of a team or as the sole organizational resource managing the grant program, which includes all of the following: writing grant applications/proposals, managing grant funds, providing technical assistance to sub-grantees, monitoring grants, and grant performance reporting. Experience must have been a major or dominant function of the job. May also include experience reviewing, approving/awarding, and monitoring others’ grant proposals, but this alone does not qualify.
OR
621 Service and Performance Contract Negotiations and Management
6 months’ experience, 12 semester hours, or a combination. Differs from labor contract negotiation. These are contracts with various vendors or other service providers and the applicant must have demonstrated experience and/or education that allowed them to review performance and service delivery and know what to do and be able to act when performance does not meet expectations. Includes: drafting or developing contracts for provision of products and/or services and the related budget components; negotiating the terms of contracts to include: costs, timeframes and performances expectations and/or work products; monitoring and managing all aspects of the contracts: to include timely submission of financial reports, performance reports, work products and determining when appropriate benchmarks for payment of invoices are met. Specific educational courses that relate to the selective might include: contract management, business law, principles of economics, business management and similar courses.
AND
450 Natural Resources
6 months’ experience, 12 semester hours, or a combination of both in one or in a combination of more than one of the following:
- Ecology
- Environmental planning
- Soil conservation
- Biological sciences
- Waste water treatment
- Forestry
- Engineering related to natural resource areas (dams, sanitary engineers, etc.)
- Outdoor recreation planning
- Physical sciences
- River basin planning
- Geography
- Wildlife management
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree in a Natural Science and three years of full time professional scientific experience in an environmental program in the areas of water supply, waste water, animal feeding operations, hazardous substances, radiation, sewage treatment, solid waste, geology, history, archeology, flood plain, air pollution, dam safety, or underground storage tanks;
ORan equivalent combination of education and experience substituting one year of the required full-time professional work for each 30 semester hours of the required education;
ORan equivalent combination of education and experience, substituting thirty semester hours of accredited graduate level coursework in a Natural Science, history, or archeology for each year of the required experience to a maximum substitution of two years;
ORemployees with current continuous experience in the State of Iowa Executive Branch that includes twenty-four months of full-time work as an Environmental Specialist or Environmental Engineer.
For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.(Download PDF reader)
Agency: State of Iowa
Agency: 542 Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Address: 6200 Park Ave STE 200 Des Moines, Iowa, 50321
Website: http://www.iowadnr.gov/
