Building a Stormwater and Floodplain Framework and Implementation Plan to Support Resilient Growth

FUSE; Arkansas; On-site; USD 86,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Job summary

FUSE is a national nonprofit embedding private sector executives in city agencies to lead projects that improve public services and accelerate systems change. The Executive Fellowship in Bentonville will place a leader in the Mayor’s Office to advance a comprehensive stormwater framework, align infrastructure planning, land-use policy, parks integration, and regional coordination.

The two-year program begins with discovery, framework development, and initial implementation, then scales solutions

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressively responsible experience in organizational transformation and change management.
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear recommendations and action plans.
• Experience embedding executives in government or public sector projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-departmental coordination to establish a citywide stormwater framework and coordinated implementation strategy.
• Coordinate data inputs, stakeholder engagement, and development of tools that guide development and infrastructure decisions.
• Manage consultant engagement for technical modeling and ensure alignment with city operations and Parks Master Plan.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

Data analytics

Project management

Job description

The City of Bentonville is working to translate rapid growth into safer neighborhoods and long-term infrastructure resilience by advancing a comprehensive, data-driven stormwater and floodplain framework. The FUSE Executive Fellow will lead cross-departmental coordination to establish a clear citywide stormwater framework and move forward a coordinated implementation strategy that aligns infrastructure planning, land-use policy, parks integration, and regional coordination to reduce flood risk and support resilient development. This is a two-year fellowship, with Year One focused on discovery, framework development, and initial implementation, and Year Two focused on scaling solutions and embedding sustainable watershed management practices within City operations.

Fellowship Dates: October 26, 2026 – October 20, 2028

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual salary of $95,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. This amount is not representative of market-rate salaries for the experienced professionals in our program but is intended as compensation for a year of public service.

ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP

FUSE is a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing the capacity of local governments to work more effectively for communities. We embed private sector executives in city and county agencies to lead projects that improve public services and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 400 projects in 58 governments across 26 states, impacting a total population equivalent to 1 in 10 Americans.

Executive Fellows are embedded in government agencies working with senior leaders for at least one year of full-time work. Prospective responsibilities may include thorough data analytics and research, developing enhanced operations and financial models, building change management and strategic planning processes, and/or building broad coalitions to support project implementation efforts. Executive Fellows are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects. They build strong relationships with a broad array of stakeholders, foster alignment within and across various layers of government, and build partnerships between governments and communities.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Strategic stormwater and floodplain planning is critical to ensure that rapid growth translates into safe neighborhoods, protected property, and long-term infrastructure resilience. When cities proactively model watershed conditions and align development with natural drainage patterns, they can reduce flood risk, safeguard housing stability, and integrate water management with parks, open space, and community amenities. Data-driven stormwater planning also supports equitable growth by preventing unintended downstream impacts and ensuring that infrastructure investments benefit a broad range of residents, including those living in older neighborhoods with aging systems. Without comprehensive modeling and coordinated planning, fast-growing cities risk increasing localized flooding, shifting impacts onto adjacent properties, and missing opportunities to align infrastructure with sustainable development.

PROJECT APPROACH

Beginning in Fall 2026, the FUSE Executive Fellow will work with the City of Bentonville’s Mayor’s Office, Engineering Department, and Planning Department to advance a stormwater and floodplain framework and implementation plan that supports resilient growth and long-term infrastructure sustainability. Through this two-year fellowship, the fellow will help coordinate watershed management, reduce flood risk, and integrate planning that aligns infrastructure, land use, parks, and economic growth. The fellow’s work will focus on coordinating technical inputs, strengthening cross-departmental alignment, and building practical systems that guide proactive development and infrastructure decisions.

The fellow will begin with a 90-day period of in-depth discovery and assessment. During this phase, the fellow will conduct a comprehensive listening tour with key stakeholders, including the Mayor’s Office, Engineering and GIS staff, Planning and Parks leadership, Finance, City Council members, regional planning partners, watershed organizations, and key landowners. This process will surface insights into existing drainage challenges, development pressures, regulatory requirements, and opportunities for collaboration. The fellow will lead a landscape assessment of prior stormwater studies, floodplain data, development trends, FEMA requirements, and regional watershed plans to inform development of the framework and implementation priorities. The fellow will assess current development review practices, capital planning processes, and stormwater maintenance protocols, and research best practices from comparable fast-growing communities that have successfully implemented citywide stormwater models, regional detention strategies, and stormwater utilities.

Drawing on insights from the discovery phase, the fellow will refine project goals, priorities, and anticipated Year One deliverables for review and approval by City leadership. This step will ensure alignment with local conditions and departmental priorities before moving into implementation.

During Year One, the fellow will focus on establishing the stormwater framework and initiating the implementation plan. This will include overseeing development of a citywide stormwater model, coordinating data inputs across departments, and managing consultant engagement for technical modeling as needed. The fellow will work closely with Engineering and GIS staff to ensure that technical tools align with operational needs and can be sustainably maintained within City processes. Drawing on modeling results and departmental input, the fellow will help identify priorities for flood risk reduction and regional detention opportunities that may also support parks, greenways, or open space goals. Throughout the year, the fellow will support structured stakeholder engagement with developers, landowners, and regional partners to explore incentive-based strategies and coordinated watershed approaches.

The fellow will also develop practical tools and processes that strengthen data-informed development review and capital planning. This may include piloting enhanced development evaluation processes, aligning stormwater planning with the Unified Development Code and Parks Master Plan, and improving internal workflows for cross-department coordination. Where appropriate, the fellow may support early implementation efforts to test regional detention concepts or capital planning scenarios, while remaining flexible as priorities evolve based on ongoing findings.

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

By Fall 2027, at the end of Year One, the fellow is expected to have:

• Delivered a Citywide Stormwater Planning and Resilience Framework: Directed multi-departmental coordination to establish priorities, align stormwater investments with citywide development and parks plans, and advance an integrated, long-term approach to flood risk reduction and infrastructure strategy.


• Defined a Regional Detention Strategy and Site Portfolio: Identified and evaluated high-potential regional detention locations and developed preliminary partnership, land acquisition, and incentive-based implementation concepts to support multi-benefit outcomes.


• Developed Capital Planning and Funding Scenarios: Created preliminary capital improvement cost estimates and evaluated sustainable funding options, including a high-level stormwater utility framework to guide long-term investment discussions.


• Established Internal Decision-Support Tools and Protocols: Built and piloted standardized workflows and guidance that embed model-informed stormwater analysis into development review and cross-department planning processes.

By Fall 2028, at the end of Year Two, the fellow is expected to have supported the following high-level outcomes:

• Institutionalized a Citywide Stormwater Capital and Funding Strategy:Advanced a Council-ready capital improvement plan and recommended funding structure that supports sustained infrastructure investment and maintenance.


• Embedded a Proactive Watershed Management Framework:Established durable systems, governance practices, and regional coordination mechanisms that enable Bentonville to guide resilient, equitable growth over the long term.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

• Executive Sponsor – Stephanie Orman, Mayor of Bentonville


• Project Supervisor – Dan Weese, Transportation Director of Bentonville

QUALIFICATIONS

• 15+ years of progressively responsible experience in organizational transformation and change management, from practitioner to enterprise-level leadership.


• Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action-oriented implementation plans.


• Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.


• Generates innovative, data-driven, and result-oriented solutions to complex challenges.


• Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.


• Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.


• Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision-making.


• Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community-based relationships.


• Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground. Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.