Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Water Program Director

🎯 Role Definition

The Water Program Director is a senior program leader responsible for designing, implementing, and managing a portfolio of water resources programs focused on surface water and stormwater quality, watershed protection, source water protection, and regulatory compliance. This role leads multi-disciplinary teams, manages budgets and grants, ensures program effectiveness against measurable outcomes, and serves as the primary organizational representative to regulators, municipalities, community stakeholders, and funders. The Water Program Director develops strategy, ensures compliance with state and federal water regulations (including the Clean Water Act and NPDES), and leverages science, GIS, and monitoring data to drive policy, infrastructure investment, and behavioral-change programs.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Water Resources or Watershed Manager with program oversight experience.
Stormwater or NPDES Program Manager with regulatory permit experience.
Environmental Program Manager or Senior Environmental Scientist with demonstrated stakeholder leadership.

Advancement To:

Director of Environmental Programs or Director of Water Resources.
Chief Sustainability Officer or VP of Natural Resources.
Executive Director (for nonprofit water-focused organizations).

Lateral Moves:

Regulatory Affairs Manager (water quality focus).
Urban Infrastructure or Stormwater Program Lead.
Grants & Funding Director for environmental programs.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the development and execution of multi-year water program strategies that align with organizational goals, regulatory requirements, and regional watershed priorities to reduce pollutant loads and improve aquatic ecosystem health.
Manage all program operations including annual workplans, performance metrics, staff supervision (technical and professional), procurement processes, vendor and consultant contracts, and multi-million dollar budgets.
Oversee permitting and regulatory compliance activities including NPDES MS4 permit implementation, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) response plans, and coordination with state environmental agencies and EPA regional offices.
Direct water quality monitoring programs (surface water, stormwater, groundwater) including QA/QC protocols, sampling design, laboratory contracting, data review, trend analysis, and public reporting.
Lead watershed planning and restoration projects from scoping to implementation — conducting feasibility analyses, prioritizing project sites, securing permits, and supervising construction and post-construction monitoring.
Develop, write, and manage grant proposals and funding agreements (federal, state, foundation) and ensure timely reporting, compliance, and fiscal stewardship for awarded funds.
Build and maintain strong partnerships with municipalities, utilities, conservation districts, community groups, industry stakeholders, Tribes, and academic partners to leverage resources and align program delivery.
Design and implement stormwater BMP programs, green infrastructure initiatives, and Low Impact Development (LID) strategies that reduce runoff volume and improve water quality.
Translate complex scientific and regulatory information into clear messaging for elected officials, municipal staff, the public, and media; prepare briefings, presentations, and policy recommendations.
Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and outcome-based measures to evaluate program effectiveness, make course corrections, and produce annual program impact reports.
Provide technical oversight and mentoring to engineers, scientists, and field staff on hydrologic modeling, pollutant load estimation, BMP design, and best practices in watershed management.
Coordinate emergency response and contingency planning for water quality incidents (e.g., spills, algal blooms), including liaison with emergency services and executing rapid assessment and communication protocols.
Lead community engagement, public education campaigns, and behavior-change initiatives to improve watershed stewardship, reduce source pollution, and increase community resilience.
Ensure data management, GIS mapping, and information systems adhere to data governance standards to support transparent decision-making and open-data reporting.
Manage procurement and contract administration for consultants, contractors, and monitoring labs, ensuring scope, deliverables, and environmental compliance requirements are enforced.
Develop policy positions and contribute to local, regional, and state-level water policy development, advocating for science-based management and equitable access to clean water resources.
Oversee capital project planning and prioritization for infrastructure investments (e.g., stormwater retrofits, green streets, wetland restoration) and coordinate with capital programming and finance teams.
Conduct cost-benefit and life-cycle analyses to prioritize projects and recommend sustainable financing strategies including utility fees, mitigation funds, and public-private partnerships.
Lead interdisciplinary teams in grant-funded research or pilot projects, ensuring integration of outcomes into scalable program models and peer-reviewed dissemination where appropriate.
Ensure programs incorporate equity, environmental justice, and community needs assessments into program design, outreach, and monitoring to serve historically underserved populations.
Prepare and present budgets, forecasts, and grant spending plans to executive leadership and boards; ensure fiscal compliance and internal controls for program expenditures.
Represent the organization at regional working groups, advisory boards, technical committees, and public hearings to influence collaborative watershed solutions and regulatory outcomes.

Secondary Functions

Maintain and continuously improve standard operating procedures (SOPs) for field monitoring, permitting documentation, and project delivery to increase efficiency and reduce risk.
Support cross-functional initiatives such as climate adaptation planning, watershed resilience assessments, and green infrastructure integration across municipal departments.
Provide technical review and approval of engineering designs, environmental assessments, and contractor deliverables to ensure compliance with permit conditions and best practices.
Facilitate training programs for municipal staff, volunteers, and partner organizations on monitoring protocols, BMP maintenance, and stormwater operations.
Lead internal program evaluation and grant closeout activities, ensuring final technical and financial reports meet funder requirements.
Convene and facilitate stakeholder workshops and advisory groups to gather input for watershed plans and prioritize projects that reflect community priorities.
Support fundraising and development teams with technical content for donor briefings, impact narratives, and stewardship materials that highlight program outcomes.
Serve as backup spokesperson or subject matter expert for media inquiries and public-facing communications in coordination with communications staff.
Participate in organizational strategic planning processes and help identify new programmatic opportunities, pilot studies, or scaling strategies.
Promote a culture of safety, inclusivity, and continuous learning across the water program team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven expertise in water resources management, watershed planning, and stormwater program design (NPDES/MS4 implementation).
Strong working knowledge of federal and state water regulations, including the Clean Water Act, NPDES permitting, TMDLs, and state-specific water quality standards.
Demonstrated experience in designing and executing water quality monitoring programs, sampling protocols, and statistical analysis of environmental data.
Proficiency with hydrologic and hydraulic modeling tools (e.g., HEC-RAS, SWMM, EPA SWMM, or similar) and pollutant load estimation methods.
Advanced GIS skills for watershed analysis, site prioritization, mapping, and spatial data visualization (ArcGIS, QGIS).
Grant writing and grant management experience with federal (e.g., EPA, USDA), state, and foundation funding sources, including compliance reporting.
Budget development and financial management skills including capital planning, grant budgets, and fiscal reporting.
Contract administration and project management experience, including RFP development, contractor oversight, and deliverable verification.
Knowledge of green infrastructure, LID design, BMP maintenance practices, and construction oversight for ecological restoration projects.
Data management and data governance familiarity, including QA/QC procedures, database systems, and open-data publication.
Experience with community engagement methodologies and public outreach tools for behavior-change campaigns and stakeholder collaboration.
Familiarity with environmental impact assessment, planning processes, and permitting pathways for restoration and infrastructure projects.

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership and team management with a track record of leading interdisciplinary technical teams and mentorship.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills for translating technical data into policy-ready recommendations and public messaging.
Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills to build consensus among diverse partners, regulators, and funders.
Problem-solving orientation with the ability to prioritize under competing demands and tight regulatory timelines.
Political acumen and comfort operating in public-facing roles, interacting with elected officials, boards, and community groups.
Analytical mindset with attention to detail while keeping a strategic, outcomes-focused perspective.
Collaborative collaborator who fosters partnerships across municipal, nonprofit, academic, and private sectors.
Resilience and adaptability in the face of project changes, funding cycles, and emergent environmental incidents.
Instructional and coaching ability to develop staff capacity and promote continuous professional development.
Cultural competency and commitment to environmental justice principles in program design and outreach.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Civil or Environmental Engineering, Hydrology, Watershed Science, Ecology, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree (MPA, MS, or similar) in Water Resources, Environmental Management, Public Administration, Civil/Environmental Engineering, or related discipline. Professional certifications (e.g., CPESC, P.E., CFM) are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Water Resources Management
Civil/Environmental Engineering
Ecology, Hydrology or Watershed Science
Environmental Policy, Public Administration or Planning
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 7–15+ years of progressively responsible experience in water resources, stormwater, or watershed program management.

Preferred:

10+ years leading complex water programs with direct supervisory responsibility, budget and grant oversight, and demonstrated success managing regulatory compliance (NPDES/TMDL).
Proven experience securing and managing federal/state grants, executing capital projects, and delivering measurable water quality outcomes.
Experience working with municipal utilities, regional planning bodies, Tribal governments, and community stakeholders on collaborative watershed solutions.