Resource Type:

Job

Posted On: Feb 04, 2010

Posted By: Jessica Nagtalon

URL:

http://www.n-h-i.org/about-nhi/job-openings.html

Description:

The Natural Heritage Institute (NHI) in San Francisco is seeking to immediately hire an experienced water resources technical specialist to develop and implement water resource management innovations in both the California and global settings. NHI utilizes science, economics, policy and law to address today's most pressing freshwater issues. We have a large portfolio of cross-cutting projects that fall into four categories:

1. Water Management: Since its inception, NHI has been a leader in the formulation and enforcement of environmental regulations and planning mechanisms. Some of NHI's projects within this program include conjunctive use management in the Central and Sacramento Valleys of California and trans-boundary integrated water resources management of the Rio Grande/Bravo River system on the U.S./Mexico border.  For the latter project, the result has been to show how groundwater banking, reservoir reoperation and trans-boundary water trading can vastly improve the functionality of this basin, and enable environmental flows to be re-established. 

2. Ecosystem Restoration: Restoring aquatic ecosystems provides a way for people to breathe new life into the rivers and estuaries that we rely upon but have unintentionally damaged. Restoration offers promise: not to turn back the clock and restore a state of unblemished nature, but to create a new future where robust economies thrive alongside healthy ecosystems.  NHI develops creative strategies for re-engineering water resources infrastructure to achieve ecological restoration along with traditional flood control and water supply objectives. In the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, NHI has designed a series of restoration projects to both stabilize the delta as a water conveyance system and restore tidal marsh. NHI is also active in negotiating environmental standards to protect the ecological resources of the San Francisco Bay-Delta. 

3. Flow Restoration: Human alterations and development often transform highly dynamic river systems into static impoundments and water delivery channels. NHI is exploring and demonstrating tools and techniques for restoring natural functions to developed rivers while preserving the original benefits of existing infrastructure.  Our strategies include: Changing water storage and release patterns in hydropower facilities by linking irrigation reservoirs to groundwater banks (a bold new concept for conjunctive water management); redesigning flood management systems and floodplain land uses to restore periodic connections between rivers and their floodplains; and converting hydropower facilities to run-of-the-river operations by changing the role that these facilities play in the array of generators feeding the electrical grid; and modifying hydropower licenses in the United States to include environmental flow requirements.

In China and West Africa, NHI has developed partnerships with the national agencies that operate some of the largest hydropower dams in the world-including the Akosombo and Manantali dams - to reoperate these facilities to synchronize power generation with the pattern of natural rivers flows.  In the Klamath River Basin, NHI is a key participant in negotiations to remove of four large power dams-which has never been accomplished anywhere before-- to restore salmon and steelhead fisheries in a watershed the size of New England. 

4. Climate Change:  One of the most fundamental ways in which climate change will play itself out in the future will be through changes in hydrology. Thus, adaptations related to watershed management may have the most potential to reduce the threat to biodiversity hot spots and water supply reliability. Successful measures may include integrating groundwater and surface water storage; reformation of flood management policy; forest and wetland protection and enhancement; and changes in the operation of installed hydraulic infrastructure. NHI will be applying a new generation of analytical tools to explore adaptation options at a set of "learning laboratories" around the world to develop a knowledge bank of effective management strategies that could reduce the impact of climate change on biodiversity and water supply reliability.

For more information about NHI and the scope of our projects, visit our website at: www.n-h-i.org.

About the position: Reporting directly to NHI's president, the water resources scientist/specialist will provide technical project support, with the ultimate goal of developing, managing and resourcing his/her own projects.  Initially, tasks will depend on the nature and needs of NHI's current projects and the skill set/experience of the new employee.  Other responsibilities may include conducting scientific and internet research; drafting reports, concept papers and grant proposals; organizing project teams and assigning tasks; attending and leading meetings with partners, stakeholders and funders; creating and managing project budgets; etc.  This is a senior project management position that could evolve into an executive level position with responsibilities for organizational management.  We are seeking an individual with solid relevant credentials that demonstrates an understanding of complex and interdisciplinary water management issues.  Previous experience working on projects in California or the Western U.S. related to restoration, protection, governance and management of freshwater is highly desirable. The position requires exceptional writing, analytical, organizational and interpersonal skills. 

An overview of required and desired qualifications is provided below:

Required qualifications:

• Advanced degree in aquatic restoration ecology, environmental science and planning, civil engineering, hydrologic science, or fluvial geomorphology

• Excellent analytical skills, including familiarity with analytical tool and hydrologic planning models
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience

• Superlative written and oral communication skills
• Exceptional interpersonal skills
• Ability to conceive, organize, articulate, resource and manage complex water resources restoration projects, involving multiple partners and  consultants
• A passion for conservation of natural resources

Desired qualifications:

• Experience with California and/or Western water issues
• Proven skills in organizational management
• Experience with natural resource agencies at the federal level

• A good technical understanding of agricultural water management, hydropower or flood control systems
• Familiarity with international and intergovernmental institutions involved in the water sector
• Foreign language fluency (Spanish, Mandarin, French, or Portuguese)

We do not expect to find this full range of capabilities in any one individual.  Rather we are looking for solid relevant credentials and the ability to quickly master our exceptionally demanding projects. 

NHI pays competitive non-profit professional salaries and benefits.

Interested candidates should respond with a letter of interest and qualifications, C.V., and a representative writing sample to:

Jessica Peyla Nagtalon

Natural Heritage Institute

100 Pine Street, Suite 1550

San Francisco CA 94111

jnagtalon@n-h-i.org

Please indicate "Applicant" in the subject line.  No phone calls please.