California Watersheds Program Officer

Position Summary

The California watersheds program officer is a seasoned professional who, under the guidance of a senior program officer and the California director, leads RLF’s California freshwater-related programs including on-the-ground programmatic work, policy development, and advocacy and campaigns. The program officer uses grantmaking, contracting, direct engagement, and other tools to advance program outcomes.

This position focuses on advancing the health and restoration of California’s watersheds and waterways. They will have a portfolio that includes management and restoration of riparian systems, improving water quality, and barrier and dam removal.

Qualifications

Note: These qualifications are guidelines, not hard and fast rules, so if you have 75% of the qualifications listed, we encourage you to apply.  Experience can include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work and lived experiences that helped you to build the competencies, knowledge, and skills needed for this position. Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered.

• At least 7 years of experience in leading programs and/or policy/advocacy campaigns.
• Working knowledge of California policy, processes, and politics or a commitment to learning them.
• California freshwater expertise preferred, particularly in water quality, riparian restoration, watershed management, and/or dam and barrier removal work.
• Comfortable and eager to work within a complex policy, stakeholder, and political space, and familiar with environmental challenges and opportunities.
• Experience building relationships with stakeholders and diverse constituencies such as governmental decisionmakers, Tribes/Tribal communities, and non-profit partners.
• Experience building, supporting, and managing diverse coalitions and effective campaigns for administrative and legislative policy and funding outcomes.
• Commitment to working creatively and in collaboration with diverse partners across sectors to advance impactful California water policies and funding.
• Excellent composition, editing, and spoken communication skills. Ability to synthesize complex information from multiple sources into lucid, cohesive, and compelling written products.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to build trust-based relationships.
• Experience supervising direct reports.
• Experience developing and executing program strategies.
• Previous fundraising and/or grantmaking experience a plus, including grant writing and reporting and donor engagement.
• Experience developing and tracking outcomes and metrics to understand program effectiveness is desirable.