Water Trail Coordinator

Title: Water Trail Coordinator 

Part Time/Exempt 

$27,600 

3 days per week (24 hours)   

Reports To: Watershed Planner 

About the Organization: 

Located in Rochester Hills, MI and serving the entirety of the Clinton River watershed, the Clinton River Watershed Council’s mission is to protect, enhance, and celebrate the Clinton River, its watershed, and Lake St. Clair for the benefit of communities, the environment, and our future. For over 50 years, CRWC has worked to improve watershed management practices alongside local municipalities, provide educational programming for communities and children of all ages, and work to restore and enhance the Clinton River to become a place folks want to work, live and play.  

 
PART-TIME POSITION DESCRIPTION 

The Water Trail Coordinator will work collaboratively with the Watershed Planner to facilitate activities and planning under CRWC’s management of the Clinton River Water Trail. CRWC updated the Water Trail Plan in 2025. The Water Trail Coordinator is responsible for assisting with Water Trail activities including organizing and coordinating water trail activities, assisting with planning and executing trail related programming, and developing a strategy to implement the goals of the water trail plan. This position is overseen by the Watershed Planner and will consist of a mixture of office work and time in the field.  

The Water Trail Coordinator will be a part of the staff team at CRWC working to uphold the organization’s mission and will be expected to function as a collaborative team member, including occasionally contributing to team needs as they arise; production of high-quality work in a timely fashion; courteous, service-oriented behavior towards volunteers, partners, and coworkers at all times; and ability to work collaboratively with partners, colleagues and administrative staff.   

Primary duties will include: 

• Assist in the organization and coordination of Clinton River Water Trail management
• Assist in planning, executing, and implementing updated Water Trail plan with partner organizations
• Assist the Watershed Planner and Communications Manager with strategies to improve user experience on the water trail, ensuring water trail improvements align with CRWC’s ecological work, and strengthening water trail communities’ collaboration
• Coordinate with the CRWC River Stewards and paddler groups
• Collaborate with other staff on water trail programming as needed

REQUIRED SKILLS: 

• A demonstrated and documented interest and experience in recreational paddling, outdoor recreation, or recreational programming. This can include working towards a degree in planning, natural resource management, parks and recreation management or related field, or at least 1-2 years of relevant professional or volunteer experience.
• Working familiarity with local government functions, urban planning, or recreational management.
• Strong analytical, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Sense of tact, patience, and courtesy towards clients.
• Demonstrated ability to track and manage multiple tasks, must be skilled in planning and prioritization, and highly organized.
• Working familiarity with word processing, desktop publishing, spreadsheet, and database programs.
• Must be a collaborative team member, willing to support the success of the broader CRWC team as needed.
• Must be dependable and capable of working all scheduled hours, including irregular hours at locations throughout the watershed.
• Must have the ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions, as well as be familiar with and observe all site safety protocols established by the project team.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: 

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions, unless making the reasonable accommodation would cause an undue hardship.  

• Project work will involve all-weather physical activity
• Ability to paddle, lift, and load canoe/kayak
• Must maintain valid driver’s license
• Candidates are subject to a background check

COMPENSATION: 

Part-time employees are those who are normally scheduled and who do work fewer than 30 hours per week. Part-time employees may be assigned a work schedule in advance or may work on an as-needed basis. This position is salaried for 24 hours per week. There are no guaranteed hours of employment. This position is at-will. “At-will” means that either the Water Trail Coordinator or the employer may terminate the employment for any time for any or no reason, with or without notice. 

APPLICATION: 

The Clinton River Watershed Council is an equal opportunity employer and will comply with applicable federal, state and local laws relating to the use of background checks for employment purposes. All background checks will be conducted in strict conformity with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), applicable state fair credit reporting laws, and state and federal antidiscrimination and privacy laws.