Utah Watershed Restoration & Partnerships Manager

World Resources Institute; Utah; Remote; USD 96,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Global network access

Impactful work

Diversity & inclusion

Working groups access

Hybrid working model

Generous leave days

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Retirement plan

Job summary

World Resources Institute in Utah seeks a Utah Watershed Restoration Manager to advance restoration and resilience across the Jordan River watershed and Greater Salt Lake Basin. You will coordinate utilities, local governments, and partners to identify and advance projects, fundraise, and navigate permitting processes.

The role focuses on planning, policy engagement, and donor relations, requiring strong relationships across state and federal agencies and community groups.

Qualifications

• Master's degree required or equivalent work experience.
• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience with watershed, water, forestry, wildfire, or environmental restoration projects.
• Experience with local governments, utilities, and watershed partnerships.
• Strong knowledge of Utah water policy and watershed planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead watershed restoration planning and implementation for priority watersheds.
• Build partnerships with utilities, governments, NGOs and agencies.
• Support funding, permitting, and project development across lands.
• Develop near- and long-term restoration strategies informed by science.
• Monitor budgets, performance, and outcomes; support evaluation.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Policy navigation

Communication

Travel willingness

Education

Master's degree in natural resources/environmental policy/water resources/forestry/planning/public administration

Job description

This is a remote position that must be based in Utah's Greater Salt Lake region (e.g., Salt Lake City, Ogden, Logan, Park City, Heber City, or Provo).

About the Program

WRI's U.S. Forests and Water program, part of the global Cities4Forests initiative, works to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, restore degraded forests, and protect watersheds across the U.S. The program focuses on designing, implementing, financing, and scaling projects with local partners to build disaster resilience, strengthen water security, protect and enhance infrastructure, create jobs and recreation opportunities, and boost rural prosperity. In Utah, WRI has served as a strategic partner for the U.S. Forest Service, water and electric utilities, state agencies, conservation organizations, academia, and local governments for nearly a decade and has worked to improve watershed health and reduce wildfire risk across the Great Salt Lake Basin. A key component of this work is the Utah Resilience Fund, an innovative fund that brings together public, private, and philanthropic funding to scale watershed restoration and long-term resilience. Additional information on the U.S. project portfolio can be found here.

Job Highlight

The Utah Watershed Restoration Manager will help advance watershed restoration, partnerships, and resilience projects across Utah, with an initial emphasis on the Jordan River watershed and its forested source watersheds. This position is focused on developing a pipeline of restoration projects from planning to implementation by coordinating partners, advancing policy priorities, supporting funding acquisition, and helping deliver on-the-ground restoration outcomes at scale. Working closely with the Utah Watershed Resilience Manager, Research & Project Development Manager, Cities4Forests' senior leadership and a diverse network of local partners, the Manager will build and maintain relationships with municipalities, water providers, conservation districts, state and federal agencies, community organizations, and other stakeholders. The role will help identify restoration opportunities, remove implementation barriers, navigate policy and permitting processes, secure project funding, and support successful project delivery. The successful candidate brings a strong understanding of Utah's water, watershed, forest, and wildfire landscape, an established network of relationships within the Greater Salt Lake region, and experience coordinating complex environmental or infrastructure projects. This position is ideal for someone who enjoys working directly with communities and partners to turn plans into action and create measurable benefits for watersheds, communities, and ecosystems.

What You Will Do

Restoration Planning & Watershed Leadership (40%)

Lead planning, implementation, and scaling of watershed restoration and resilience projects across priority watersheds, with an initial focus on the Jordan River watershed and Greater Salt Lake Basin. Partner with utilities, local governments, agencies, NGOs, and land managers to identify, prioritize, and advance restoration projects that improve watershed health, water security, and wildfire resilience. Help utilities consider financing approaches for integrated grey and green infrastructure strategies. Help move projects from concept to implementation by supporting project development, permitting, funding, stakeholder coordination, and delivery across public and private lands. Support development of near- and long-term restoration strategies informed by watershed science, wildfire risk, partner priorities, and implementation readiness. Track project performance, budgets, and outcomes, and support monitoring and evaluation efforts.

Partnership Building & Policy Engagement (40%)

Build trusted relationships with utilities, local governments, conservation organizations, state and federal agencies, community groups, and other partners. Lead watershed collaboratives, technical committees, and partner working groups to align priorities and accelerate restoration outcomes. Monitor and participate in water, forestry, wildfire, and watershed policy discussions relevant to WRI's work and restoration goals. Identify opportunities to align restoration priorities with local, state, and federal programs and funding sources. Develop recommendations and strategies that remove barriers to implementation and increase investment in watershed resilience.

Fundraising, Communications & Outreach (20%)

Lead the drafting of grant proposals and funding applications to support the work in Utah. Develop and steward opportunities and relationships with current and prospective donors. Represent WRI and the Utah Resilience Fund at conferences, workshops, utility meetings, and stakeholder events. Develop presentations, reports, case studies, and communications materials highlighting project impacts and lessons learned. Support peer learning among Utah partners and national watershed programs. Support efforts to position Utah as a national leader in watershed resilience and conservation finance. Contribute to publications, blogs, webinars, and other outreach activities that share best practices and elevate project visibility.

What You Will Need

• Experience Master's degree in natural resources, environmental policy, water resources, forestry, planning, public administration, or a related field. Work experience can be substituted in lieu of a degree.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience implementing natural resource, watershed, water, forestry, wildfire, or environmental restoration projects.
• Experience working with local governments, utilities, conservation organizations, state agencies, federal agencies, or watershed partnerships.
• Experience navigating public processes, permitting, grants, policy development, or interagency coordination.
• Established professional network within Utah, particularly along the Wasatch Front and Greater Salt Lake region.
• Experience working in or with the Jordan River watershed, Great Salt Lake Basin, or adjacent source watersheds.
• Familiarity with Utah water policy, watershed planning, forest management, wildfire mitigation, or environmental permitting processes.
• Existing relationships with Utah municipalities, utilities, conservation districts, state agencies, federal agencies, or watershed organizations.
• Experience with watershed restoration, forest management, wildfire resilience, and water resource issues in Utah.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Willingness to travel frequently throughout Utah.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience administering federal, state, or local grants.
• Experience coordinating multi-partner restoration initiatives.
• Experience working with elected officials, local government leadership, or executive-level stakeholders.
• Spanish language skills.

Potential Salary: $96,000–$120,000, commensurate with experience, qualifications, and location.

What we offer

• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, LatinAmericaand theUS
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission drivenorganizationwith access to varied learning and training opportunities
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of ourwork
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future ofWRI
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible workinghours
• Generous leavedays that increase with tenure. If based in the US:Medical Coverage, Dental Coverage, Vision Coverage, retirement plan access and employer contribution.

About Us

World Resources Institute works to improve people’s lives, protect and restore nature and stabilize the climate. As an independent research organization, we leverage ourdata, expertise and global reach to influence policy andcatalysechangeacrosssystems like food, land and water; energy; and cities. Our2,000+ staff work on the ground in more than a dozen focus countries and with partners in over 50 nations. Our mission and values:

Our mission and values

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Independence, Integrity, Impact, Partnership and Care.

Our culture

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission including equal opportunities in employment.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, caste, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status.

Our People team carefully reviews all applications. WRI is a trusted partner for change. Using research-based approaches, we work globally and in focus countries to meet people’s essential needs; to protect and restore nature; and to stabilize the climate and build more resilient communities. We aim to fundamentally transform the way the world produces food, uses energy and designs its cities to create a better future for all. We work across several topics affecting people, nature and the climate.

We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to promoting a diverse workplace.

If you are an individual with disabilities who needs accommodation or you are having difficulty using our website to apply for employment, please contact WRI’s Human Resources department at 202-729-7851.

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