The Harney Community-Based Water Planning (CBWP) Collaborative is seeking an outstanding Project Manager to support its stakeholder-driven, water resources planning initiative. The CBWP is jointly convened by the Harney County Watershed Council and Harney County Court in southeastern Oregon. This call is for an independent contractor.

Application Deadline: Friday, October 25 (11:59pm PT)

Project Summary:

• Who: The Harney Community-Based Water Planning (CBWP) Collaborative is jointly convened by the Harney County Watershed Council and Harney County. The water planning process is open to the public and engages a diverse group of stakeholders to develop a long-term, integrated water resources strategy to help meet the water needs of the Harney Basin.
  • The Collaborative is currently comprised of approximately 40 diverse stakeholders who regularly attend water-planning meetings, including: farmers/ranchers, rural domestic and municipal well users, tribal members and staff, land managers, conservation nonprofits, business owners, elected officials, government staff, and scientists/university staff.
• What: The water plan will include a summary of the basin’s water resource conditions and current and future water needs, as well as a set of innovative and implementable near- and long-term strategies (e.g., projects, studies, management actions/ approaches) to help meet those needs.
• Where: The Collaborative convenes in Harney County, Oregon, mostly in Burns, Oregon. Stakeholder representatives involved in the planning process live and work across Oregon, and even in Idaho!
• When: The Collaborative has been working together for three years and continues to grow stronger and to make progress. The integrated water plan will be completed in 2023, after which implementation, monitoring, and adaptation of the included strategies will be critical.
• How: The CBWP Collaborative convenes monthly and works as a group on the water plan. The group is currently addressing issues primarily related to groundwater, and will then turn its focus to addressing issues primarily related to surface water in the coming year.
• Why: To manage water quantity and quality in the Harney Basin for people, the economy, and environment.

More information about the project can be found on our website and in this Backgrounder.

Summary of Project Manager Responsibilities:

Process Management (25%):

• Serve as primary lead in process design and management, ensuring streamlined communications and work plans among partners, stakeholders, and Working Groups.
• Serve a significant role in the strategic design and implementation of the CBWP.
• Help coordinate the development of CBWP deliverables, such as: progress updates, emails to stakeholders, meeting materials, and informational reports.
• Serve as a main point of contact for the CBWP.
• Coordinate and facilitate regular Project Coordinating Committee Calls
• Assign tasks and review progress on other’s commitments.

Outreach & Communications (25%):

• Help ensure timely dissemination of meeting announcements and materials, progress updates, and general CBWP information.
• Inform stakeholders in a well-coordinated and efficient way, and demonstrate that the CBWP is a transparent and inclusive grassroots initiative.

Stakeholder Meetings (25%):

• Attend and support facilitation of monthly Collaborative meetings, and attend and facilitate any additional Working Group meetings.
• Develop meeting agendas and materials, as well as to draft, finalize, and disseminate meeting summaries.

Data Collection & Information Gathering (20%):

• Support Working Group members and the CBWP technical consultant in developing informational materials (e.g., summary reports of technical information). Help compile information in a way that will be readily usable to inform the Collaborative.

Development (5%):

• Assist the CBWP grant-writer with grant materials as needed by: copyediting, assisting with the wording of content, ensuring consistency with planning and outreach materials, and providing information (e.g., evaluative metrics of CBWP progress).

What to know about the team:

The Project Manager’s go-to team members include: two strong convening leaders, a technical consultant and grant writer, a meeting facilitator, the Harney County Watershed Council coordinator, and a volunteer local coordinator. You’ll also support and be supported by a dedicated Coordinating Committee comprised of diverse stakeholders. Several Collaborative stakeholders also volunteer their time to give feedback on the project’s needs. Our current project manager is looking forward to helping onboard the new Project Manager for a smooth and successful transition! She is dedicated to helping hire the right person to support the CBWP continue its impressive work.

Details: Our current project manager estimates that approximately 32 hrs/week is sufficient for supporting the CBWP. The Project Manager must be able to attend monthly, multi-day meetings in Hines/Burns, Oregon. A desk is available at the Harney County Watershed Council located in Hines, Oregon, or the Project Manager can work remotely (ideally in or within ~130 miles from Hines). Funding for this position is secured for at least two years, with a high chance of continued funding. The CBWP project is currently funded by an impressive combination of state and federal government agencies and private philanthropies.

Required Qualifications

• 2+ yrs experience planning & coordinating complex projects with near- and long-term deadlines
• 2+ yrs in public communications, outreach, and/or education
• Deep respect for rural communities and a genuine interest in learning about Harney County’s culture, economy, and ecology
• Able to communicate diplomatically and build and maintain strong working relationships with people from diverse backgrounds
• Able to serve the Collaborative from an objective/neutral standpoint
• Able to understand and help communicate technical information (e.g., science, policy)
• Top-notch organization skills and self-disciplined
• Familiar with water resources science and policy subject matter
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent ability to hear & summarize (verbally and in writing) complex discussion in real time
• Passionate about long-term social, economic, and ecological sustainability
• Bachelor’s in environmental science or policy, or a related field
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and strong typing skills
• Sense of humor and upbeat personality

Preferred Qualifications

• 2+ yrs experience in collaborative community or natural resources planning, and/or in conflict management/transformation
• Exemplified meeting facilitation skills
• Technical writing skills and experienced supporting the co-production technical work
• Experience in grant writing and reporting
• Experience working with government agencies
• Budget planning and management skills
• Master’s in water resources, or a related field

Compensation: Independent Contractor- Up to $80,000/yr, distributed in monthly payments; contractor is responsible for allocating funds for own CBWP-related travel, self-employment/business and personal taxes, health insurance, etc.; there will be a 90-day probationary contract