Director of Water Development

Digitailor; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Meaningful stock options

Comprehensive medical, dental, vision

401(k) with employer matching

Unlimited PTO

Parental leave

Relocation assistance

Daily lunch provided at HQ

Job summary

Rainmaker's Director of Water Development based in Washington, DC, will own the engagement with the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation. You will build programs, partnerships, and funding pathways, and manage congressional relationships to sustain work across basins.

You will develop funding authorities, coordinate with state offices, and lead proposals, demonstrations, and advocacy to advance precipitation enhancement as federal water infrastructure.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in Western water policy, natural resources policy, or federal government relations.
• Experience with DOI and Reclamation operations at national and regional levels.
• Track record securing federal funding and navigating grant processes.

Responsibilities

• Own DOI and Reclamation engagement end to end, including senior leadership and regions.
• Develop funding strategies leveraging WaterSMART, drought authorities, and related programs.
• Shape legislative proposals, appropriations language, and new authorities as needed.
• Manage congressional relationships and prepare briefing materials for committees.
• Coordinate with state government affairs and build a federal partnership network.
• Organize field demonstrations and site visits for leadership and staff.

Skills

Policy experience

Congressional relations

Stakeholder management

Strategic planning

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Make it rain. Make Snow. Make Earth Habitable. Rainmaker builds and deploys audacious technologies that work with nature to create an abundant, habitable planet. We are modernizing proven cloud-seeding science with weather-resistant UAS, radar and satellite observations, numerical weather prediction, novel sensing and validation systems, and sustainable seeding technologies. We are building an integrated system to make more freshwater available to farms, ecosystems, and communities. Our ambition is bold, but we pursue it with humility. We take on difficult problems in the real world with technical rigor, grit, integrity, and an openness to learning and course-correcting. We are hiring individuals with evidence of exceptional ability. If you want to build systems that endure, restore and deliver the future we were promised, we want to hear from you. Rainmaker is pioneering a modern precipitation enhancement cloud seeding system to solve water scarcity. We develop and incorporate radar validation, weather-resistant UAS, and numerical weather modeling to make water abundant. As Rainmaker’s Director of Water Development, you will own our engagement with the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation. You will build the programs, partnerships, and funding pathways that put precipitation enhancement to work in the basins Reclamation manages, and you will own the Congressional relationships and coalition presence that make the work durable. This position is based in Washington, DC.

What You'Ll Do

Interior & Reclamation Engagement: Own Rainmaker’s relationship with DOI and Reclamation end to end, including the Commissioner’s office, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, the policy and program offices, and Research and Development. Build durable relationships with senior career and political leadership, and know where decision authority sits between Washington and the regions. Program Development & Funding: Identify and secure the Reclamation authorities and funding vehicles that can support precipitation enhancement, such as WaterSMART and its component programs, drought response and resiliency authorities, Science and Technology and R&D funding, basin-specific and system conservation programs, cooperative agreements, and the standing weather modification authorities. Own proposal development, submission, and follow-through. Authorities & Legislative Strategy: Maintain command of the statutory landscape governing Reclamation, develop legislative proposals and appropriations language, and pursue new authorities where existing ones do not reach. Congressional Engagement: Own relationships with the House Natural Resources and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committees, the Energy and Water appropriations subcommittees, and the Western delegations whose states and districts our projects serve. Prepare member- and staff-level briefing materials that make the case for precipitation enhancement as federal water supply infrastructure. State & Federal Alignment: Work in close partnership with Rainmaker’s State Government Affairs team, who own our relationships with state water agencies, districts, and basin bodies. Understand what each state and basin is working toward, then find the federal authorities, funding, and relationships that advance it. Reclamation Regional Engagement: Build direct relationships with Reclamation’s regional and area offices, where projects are administered and where much of the practical decision-making on federal water operations happens. Coalition & Community Building: Represent Rainmaker across the Washington water community. Identify the positive-sum opportunities on water policy where our objectives and theirs align, and convert them into shared advocacy. Build the network of validators and allies that gives Rainmaker standing on these issues. Field Demonstrations & Site Visits: Organize visits for Interior and Reclamation leadership, Congressional staff, state and basin officials, and water user groups, building first‑hand understanding of what the technology does and where it fits in a working water system.

Qualifications

10+ years in Western water policy, natural resources policy, or federal government relations. Examples include time at Interior or Reclamation, a Congressional natural resources role, a state or local water agency, a water NGO, or the government affairs function of a comparable company. Thorough working knowledge of how DOI and Reclamation operate at both the national and regional level. In-depth command of Reclamation programs, authorities, and funding vehicles. Demonstrated command of Western water law and policy. Track record of developing projects and securing federal funding for them, including familiarity with the mechanics of federal grant, cooperative agreement, and cost‑share processes, and with appropriations and authorization cycles. Current relationships across the Department of the Interior, the Congressional natural resources and appropriations committees, and the Western water community. Working familiarity with the federal environmental compliance landscape. Ability to operate as both a strategist and a hands‑on operator in a fast‑paced startup environment, comfortable building a function from the ground up. Bachelor’s degree required. Hydrology, engineering, or water resources background is a bonus. Must be based in DC with willingness and ability to travel domestically for Hill engagement, agency meetings, regional and area office visits, coalition work, and project site demonstrations. Supporting the Rainmakers behind the mission Making earth more habitable is ambitious work and we want the people doing it to feel supported: A stake in what we build: Meaningful stock options and the opportunity to help shape Rainmaker as an early member of the team. Support for your health: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family. An investment in your future: A 401(k) with employer matching to help you build long‑term savings. Time to recharge: Unlimited PTO for rest, exploration, and the people and pursuits that matter to you plus a generous paid holiday schedule. Time for a growing family: Paid parental leave for both parents to welcome a child and spend time together. Lunch together: Daily lunch provided at our El Segundo headquarters, giving Rainmakers a chance to share a meal and connect with teammates. Help making the move: Relocation assistance for eligible roles to support your transition to Rainmaker.