The Water Quality Coordinator supports the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association’s (UMRBA’s) member states (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin) in their collective efforts to improve and sustain the availability of clean water in the Upper Mississippi River basin for people, fish, and wildlife. Under the direction of UMRBA’s Executive Director and Deputy Director, and with the support and guidance of Water Quality Program Leader, the Water Quality Coordinator supports interjurisdictional cooperation planning and action for the purposes of accelerating reduction of nonpoint source pollutants to waters within the Upper Mississippi River basin. In particular, the position will focus on nonpoint sources of nutrients, chloride, and harmful algal blooms.
UMRBA is a Board-driven organization that relies heavily on the leadership and initiative of staff. The UMRBA Board consists of Governor-appointed representatives of the five member states and is responsible for setting policy and committing the organization to a course of action. In carrying forward the UMRBA Board’s strategic goals, the Water Quality Coordinator works with the Water Quality Program Leader to support interjurisdictional planning forums and implementation of the UMRBA 2022 – 2035 Water Quality Program Plan.
This position will have a primary focus on fulfilling UMRBA’s roles within the Gulf Hypoxia Program. Specifically, this involves coordinating UMRBA’s Nutrient Committee and support of the Hypoxia Task Force Upper Mississippi River Sub-basin Committee.
Application Instructions
By Thursday, August 22, 2024, submit cover letter, resume, and brief writing sample to UMRBA via email to umrba@umrba.org. You may also subject any questions about the position or application process to umrba@umrba.org.
Specific Responsibilities
With the direction of the Executive Director and Deputy Director, and with the support and guidance of the Water Quality Program Leader, the Program Coordinator will implement the following responsibilities:
- Gulf Hypoxia Program — Coordinate UMRBA’s support of the Hypoxia Task Force Upper Mississippi River Sub-basin Committee. Planned activities in 2024-2026 are to:
- Create an integrated Upper Mississippi River Nutrient Reduction Strategy, compiling separate state nutrient reduction strategies and identifying important interstate actions.
- Develop an Upper Mississippi River Basin Nutrient Reduction Adaptive Management Framework, evaluating implementation of important interstate actions to reduce nutrient pollution in the Upper Mississippi River and incorporating insights into ongoing implementation efforts.
- Create an Upper Mississippi River Interstate Communications Strategy, communicating with stakeholders and other actors in the basin about important interstate actions and to gain their commitment to ongoing implementation efforts.
- Maintain and enhance interstate collaboration by supporting the HTF Sub-Basin Committee, including its various work teams.
- Participate in various projects or forums convened by UMRBA member states, the Hypoxia Task Force, and other partners and stakeholders.
- UMRBA 2022-2035 Water Quality Program Plan — Support the UMRBA Water Quality Program Leader in implementing nutrient-, chloride-, and harmful algal bloom-related projects and other initiatives.
- Project implementation — Support other interstate and interdisciplinary projects that, individually and collectively, advance UMRBA’s policy and programmatic goals.
- Public participation — Continue to enhance accessibility for potentially affected interests to participate in UMRBA policy and programmatic activities. Provide means for decision-makers to hear, understand, and use stakeholder input. Implement the UMRBA accessibility and inclusion policy and plan as it relates to public participation.
- Partnership — Participate in partners’ forums and other activities related to water quality management to both learn from other individuals and entities and to communicate about UMRBA’s perspectives and priorities.
- Technical expertise — Maintain knowledge of, interpret, and communicate the best available scientific information on nonpoint sources of nutrients, chloride, and harmful algal blooms to the UMRBA member states and partners.
- Communications — Support efforts to draft and disseminate communications about UMRBA’s water quality goals and project implementation processes and outcomes. Implement the UMRBA accessibility and inclusion policy and plan as it relates to communications.
- Advocacy — Draft UMRBA position statements, study reports, testimony, and letters of comment, and other UMRBA publications and official correspondence.
- Issue analysis — Track and analyze water resource issues of potential interest to UMRBA. Assist member states in developing joint positions as appropriate.
- Financial agreements — Work with the Operations Manager to draft work plans and progress reports associated with the financial agreements that support UMRBA’s water quality program.
- Identify new opportunities — Identify new ways in which UMRBA can help meet its member states’ needs. This includes refining ongoing work as well as identifying possible new areas of endeavor and the resources needed to support new activities.
- Other duties — Assist UMRBA in advancing other policy and programmatic goals as directed.
Position Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree, advanced degree (preferred), or equivalent experience in water resources, environmental science, conservation biology, or a related field.
- Knowledge of applicable federal and state policies and regulations related to nonpoint source management as well as the Clean Water Act and other water quality standards.
- Knowledge of, and experience in, agriculture, conservation, and nonpoint water quality management.
- Communication skills and abilities in all formats necessary to translate scientific and technical information to water quality practitioners and other non-technical audiences in a productive and courteous manner.
- Organizational and interpersonal skills necessary to work as a productive member of a team.
- Conflict resolution/human relation skills necessary to negotiate, resolve issues, read situations and settle disputes equitably by finding common ground and cooperation.
- Excellent analytical, strategic planning, and communication skills.
- Willingness and ability to travel on average once per month.
- Commitment to equity and accessibility in both work and workplace, including acting in accordance with UMRBA’s equity statement (see below); be respectful of differences of identity and/or beliefs; and successfully work across those differences to meet work objectives.
Employment Type: Full time
Location: Edina, Minnesota (hybrid; at minimum three days/week in office)
Salary Range: $54,000 – $85,000
Benefits: 30 percent of salary in lieu of pension and medical insurance
Tax-sheltered health insurance or spending account options
403(b) retirement savings plan (employee contributions only)
Paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave
About the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association (UMRBA)
The UMRBA is a non-profit organization formed in 1981 by the Governors of the five Upper Mississippi River states (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin) to provide a forum for discussion and collective action on regional water resource issues. Each state is represented on UMRBA by a gubernatorial designee, typically from the state agency with primary responsibility for water management. Federal advisory members include the USACE, USDA, USCG, USEPA, USFWS, USGS, MARAD, and FEMA. UMRBA’s activities span a broad range of issues, including commercial navigation, ecosystem health, water quality, flood risk management, hydropower, spill response, and aquatic invasive species. Additional information is available on the UMRBA website at www.umrba.org.
As a leading organization in the Midwest dedicated to solving the complex water resource challenges facing the Upper Mississippi River Basin, UMRBA recognizes the essential importance of including all people and communities in the process of creating and implementing solutions to these challenges. UMRBA welcomes, respects, and appreciates all of the ways individuals identify by race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and socioeconomic stratum, and is consistently striving to expand the range of voices, experiences, and perspectives that are heard in the discussions we convene throughout the Basin. UMRBA is also committed to understanding and addressing the impact that its policies and programs have on different people and communities, and working to ensure equity in opportunity and outcomes.
UMRBA is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, age, gender identity, gender orientation, family status, or mental or physical limitations unrelated to bona fide job requirements.