Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Water Quality Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Water Quality Manager leads program design and execution for water quality monitoring, regulatory compliance, laboratory operations, and watershed/stormwater/wastewater management. This role is responsible for developing and implementing monitoring plans, ensuring compliance with NPDES and state permits, managing laboratory quality systems (ISO/IEC 17025 or equivalent), interpreting analytical data, supervising technical staff and contractors, and communicating findings to regulators, stakeholders, and the public. The ideal candidate combines technical expertise in environmental chemistry and hydrology with strong project management, regulatory knowledge, and proven leadership.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Environmental Technician (Water/Wastewater)
Water Quality Specialist / Analyst
Laboratory Analyst (EPA methods, Hach/YSI instrumentation)

Advancement To:

Senior Water Quality Manager
Director of Water Resources or Environmental Programs
Regulatory Affairs Director / Environmental Compliance Director

Lateral Moves:

Environmental Compliance Manager
Stormwater Program Manager
Watershed or Fisheries Program Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, implement, and manage comprehensive water quality monitoring programs (surface water, groundwater, stormwater, and wastewater) to assess compliance with federal, state, and local regulations including NPDES, Clean Water Act requirements, and state-specific water quality standards.
Lead preparation, review, and submittal of regulatory reports and permit applications (NPDES, stormwater permits, industrial permits), ensuring timely and accurate reporting to EPA, state agencies, and municipal authorities.
Design and optimize sampling plans using sound statistical approaches, site selection criteria, and QA/QC protocols to ensure representative, defensible data for decision-making and regulatory compliance.
Oversee field sampling operations, train and supervise field teams, manage sample chain-of-custody, and ensure adherence to SOPs and safety procedures (confined space, PPE, HAZWOPER awareness where applicable).
Manage laboratory operations or coordinate with external laboratories to ensure method compliance (EPA methods, Standard Methods), analytical accuracy, and timely turnaround of parameters such as BOD, TSS, pH, DO, nutrients (N, P), metals, and toxics.
Implement and maintain QA/QC systems including calibration logs, method detection limits, control charts, audit trails, corrective actions, and documentation consistent with ISO/IEC 17025 and internal quality manuals.
Interpret environmental analytical results, perform trend analyses and statistical evaluations, and translate findings into concise technical reports, executive summaries, and presentations for internal leadership, regulators, and public stakeholders.
Develop and manage water quality models and data analysis workflows (loadings, mass balance, pollutant fate and transport) using tools such as QUAL2K, SWMM, HSPF, or custom statistical scripts to support permit renewals, TMDL development, and mitigation planning.
Lead cross-functional coordination with engineering, operations, planning, and watershed restoration teams to integrate water quality objectives into capital projects, treatment upgrades, and low-impact development (LID) initiatives.
Prepare and manage program budgets, procurements, and contracts for laboratory services, field equipment, consultants, and monitoring supplies; track expenditures and report on budget performance.
Supervise, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary team of water quality scientists, technicians, and contractors; set performance objectives, conduct evaluations, and ensure staff professional development and certification upkeep.
Develop, review, and revise Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), health & safety plans, and technical guidance documents to ensure consistency and regulatory defensibility across monitoring and laboratory activities.
Serve as primary liaison with regulatory agencies during inspections, audits, and compliance reviews; respond to notices of violation, develop corrective action plans, and negotiate compliance schedules where necessary.
Lead permit negotiation and permit condition interpretation for point-source discharges, stormwater BMPs, and industrial pre-treatment programs to protect receiving water bodies and minimize regulatory risk.
Coordinate incident response and emergency sampling during spills, upsets, and extreme weather events; provide rapid data interpretation and recommend containment, remediation, or operational changes as required.
Drive continuous improvement by evaluating new monitoring technologies (sensors, in-situ sondes, passive samplers), remote telemetry systems (SCADA, RTU), and data management platforms to increase efficiency and data quality.
Oversee geospatial analysis and mapping of monitoring networks, land use impacts, and pollutant sources using ArcGIS or comparable tools to support prioritization, planning, and public communications.
Manage long-term datasets and databases (SQL, Access, cloud platforms), ensure data integrity, implement metadata standards, and produce dashboards and visualization products for internal and external audiences.
Lead watershed assessments, source identification studies, and best management practice (BMP) effectiveness monitoring to inform restoration projects, grant applications, and community outreach programs.
Prepare technical documentation, scientific reports, and grant proposals; secure external funding for monitoring and restoration projects and ensure compliance with grant deliverables and schedules.
Oversee contractor selection, scopes of work, and technical evaluations for complex monitoring, laboratory, and modeling tasks; ensure deliverables meet quality and schedule requirements.
Ensure workplace safety and environmental health compliance, train staff on safe sampling and laboratory practices, and maintain incident reporting and corrective action systems.

Secondary Functions

Coordinate public outreach and stakeholder engagement including public meetings, educational materials, and online resources to communicate water quality status, risks, and improvement plans.
Support internal environmental policy development and corporate sustainability initiatives related to water stewardship and pollution prevention.
Assist in cross-departmental strategic planning, incorporating water quality goals into capital improvement programs and corporate environmental objectives.
Maintain awareness of emerging contaminants (PFAS, microplastics, harmful algal bloom toxins) and coordinate pilot studies or monitoring expansions as needed.
Provide technical support for litigation, third-party audits, and environmental transactions by compiling defensible datasets and expert summaries.
Support development and rollout of asset management strategies for monitoring equipment, samplers, and laboratory instrumentation.
Participate in professional societies, regulatory stakeholder groups, and technical working groups to influence policy, share best practices, and stay current on evolving regulations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Permit and regulatory compliance: comprehensive knowledge of NPDES, Clean Water Act, state water quality standards, and permit reporting requirements.
Environmental sampling techniques: proficiency in surface water, groundwater, sediment, and stormwater sampling methods and chain-of-custody procedures.
Laboratory QA/QC and methods: experience with EPA and Standard Methods for chemical/biological analyses, proficiency in managing internal/external labs and QA systems (ISO/IEC 17025 familiarity).
Analytical data analysis: strong skills in interpreting lab results, trend analysis, statistical evaluation, and familiarity with statistical software or programming (R, Python, or advanced Excel).
Water quality modeling: experience applying hydrologic and water quality models (QUAL2K, SWMM, HSPF, WASP) or equivalent tools for load and fate analysis.
GIS and geospatial analysis: competent use of ArcGIS, QGIS, or similar for mapping monitoring sites, land use analysis, and presentation graphics.
Instrumentation and telemetry: experience with field sondes (YSI), flow meters, autosamplers, and remote telemetry/SCADA integration for near real-time monitoring.
Database and data management: proficiency with environmental databases, SQL/Access, cloud data platforms, LIMS, and dashboarding tools for visualization and reporting.
Project and budget management: proven ability to manage multi-year monitoring programs, vendor contracts, and program budgeting.
Emergency response and incident management: ability to mobilize sampling and data interpretation during spills and events, and prepare incident reports.
Technical writing and reporting: skilled in preparing regulatory reports, technical memos, grant proposals, and public-facing summaries.
Grant and contract administration: experience securing and administering grants for monitoring/restoration projects and managing scope/deliverables with consultants.

Soft Skills

Leadership: strong people-management, mentoring, and team-building capabilities to lead multidisciplinary technical teams.
Communication: clear, persuasive verbal and written communication for regulators, executives, technical staff, and the public.
Problem-solving: pragmatic and analytical approach to identifying sources, designing investigations, and recommending cost-effective solutions.
Stakeholder engagement: ability to build consensus with municipalities, regulators, NGOs, and community groups.
Attention to detail: rigorous focus on QA/QC, documentation, and defensible scientific methods.
Time and priority management: able to balance routine compliance tasks with strategic program development and ad-hoc investigations.
Adaptability: comfortable with evolving regulatory landscapes, emerging contaminants, and new monitoring technologies.
Ethical judgment: commitment to scientific integrity, transparent reporting, and regulatory compliance.
Presentation skills: ability to present complex technical findings to non-technical audiences and decision-makers.
Negotiation: experience negotiating permit conditions, compliance schedules, and contractor scopes.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, Hydrology, or a closely related scientific discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree or higher in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Hydrology, or Water Resources Management.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Environmental Science / Environmental Engineering
Hydrology / Watershed Science
Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry
Civil Engineering (water/wastewater emphasis)
Ecology / Aquatic Biology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

5–10+ years of progressive experience in water quality monitoring, laboratory management, regulatory compliance, or related environmental programs.

Preferred:

7+ years with demonstrated supervisory experience, proven track record managing NPDES and state permitting processes, laboratory QA/QC oversight (ISO 17025 familiarity), and experience with modeling, GIS, or telemetry systems.