Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Water Resource Program Consultant

🎯 Role Definition

The Water Resource Program Consultant is a multidisciplinary technical and program delivery role responsible for designing, implementing, and managing water resources programs and projects that improve watershed health, meet regulatory requirements, and advance institutional resilience. This role combines hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, water quality and biological monitoring, permit and compliance support, grant and project delivery, stakeholder engagement, and adaptive program management. The successful candidate will translate scientific analyses into actionable program plans, lead cross-disciplinary teams, and deliver measurable outcomes for public agencies, utilities, NGOs, and private clients.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Water Resources Technician or Field Technician
Environmental Scientist / Staff Engineer (entry-level)
GIS Analyst with hydrology exposure

Advancement To:

Senior Water Resource Program Manager
Principal Water Resources Consultant
Program Director / Watershed Program Lead

Lateral Moves:

Watershed Coordinator or Stormwater Program Manager
Environmental Planner or Regulatory Compliance Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead end-to-end design and implementation of watershed restoration, stormwater, and water quality improvement programs, ensuring projects meet ecological objectives, budget constraints, and schedule milestones.
Develop project scopes, schedules, and detailed work plans for hydrology, hydraulics, and restoration projects, including tasks, deliverables, risk registers, and resource plans.
Conduct hydrologic and hydraulic modeling (e.g., HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, SWMM, SWAT) to evaluate flood risk, conveyance capacity, sediment transport, and alternatives analysis for infrastructure and restoration decisions.
Design and implement water quality and biological monitoring programs (field sampling plans, QA/QC protocols, lab chain-of-custody), analyze results, and translate findings into adaptive management actions.
Prepare regulatory permit applications and supporting documentation for Clean Water Act §404/401, NPDES, state water quality certifications, and local land-use permits; coordinate submittals with agencies.
Manage grant applications and federal, state, and local funding agreements, including writing proposals, preparing budgets, and delivering compliance and progress reports to funders.
Lead stakeholder engagement and public outreach processes, including workshops, community meetings, interagency coordination, and tribal consultation to build consensus and incorporate local knowledge.
Produce high-quality technical reports, feasibility studies, environmental assessments, and technical memoranda that summarize methods, results, and recommendations for technical and non-technical audiences.
Oversee field investigations (topographic surveys, stream cross-sections, sediment and substrate sampling, groundwater monitoring) and supervise field crews to ensure safe, compliant, and accurate data collection.
Maintain and analyze spatial datasets using GIS (ArcGIS, QGIS), remote sensing, and LiDAR to support planning, prioritization, and visualization of watershed conditions and project impacts.
Develop and apply performance metrics, monitoring indicators, and adaptive management frameworks to evaluate program effectiveness and inform iterative improvements.
Coordinate contract administration, scope-of-work development, consultant selection, and construction oversight for restoration and stormwater infrastructure projects.
Advise on permit compliance, operational best management practices, and stormwater pollution prevention plans (SWPPPs) to minimize regulatory risk and environmental impact.
Provide subject-matter expertise on groundwater-surface water interactions, water rights considerations, and climate change impacts to inform long-term program resilience.
Calibrate, validate, and document model inputs and outputs; perform sensitivity analyses and uncertainty quantification to support defensible technical decision-making.
Integrate sensor networks, telemetry, and real-time monitoring data into program dashboards to support operational decisions and emergency responses (e.g., flood forecasting).
Prepare cost estimates and ROW/landowner coordination plans for channel improvements, floodplain reconnection, and habitat restoration projects.
Chair and represent the program at technical advisory committees, permitting meetings, and public hearings; prepare presentations and briefing materials for elected officials and senior managers.
Train and mentor junior staff and partner organizations on monitoring methods, data analysis, and field safety practices; develop training materials and standard operating procedures.
Implement QA/QC procedures for data management systems, databases (SQL), and reporting workflows to ensure accuracy, reproducibility, and regulatory defensibility of datasets.
Support emergency response and contingency planning related to spill events, storm impacts, and urgent infrastructure failures; coordinate rapid assessments and remedial actions.
Evaluate and recommend green infrastructure and low-impact development (LID) solutions, including design guidance, maintenance protocols, and performance expectations.
Lead cost-benefit and lifecycle assessments for proposed infrastructure and natural infrastructure alternatives to support funding and permitting decisions.
Coordinate multi-disciplinary teams (engineers, ecologists, planners, outreach specialists) to ensure integrated project delivery and alignment with agency goals.

Secondary Functions

Maintain and update program databases, GIS layers, and project trackers to provide timely status reporting and support budgeting and invoicing.
Support proposal development and business development efforts by preparing technical approaches, key personnel resumes, and past performance summaries.
Assist with procurement and contract management tasks, including RFP development, scope reviews, and contractor performance assessment.
Respond to ad-hoc technical information requests from internal teams, partners, and regulatory agencies; synthesize technical findings into executive summaries.
Contribute to the development of program-level adaptive management plans, data strategies, and long-term monitoring roadmaps.
Coordinate equipment inventory, maintenance schedules, and field logistics to ensure efficient deployment of field crews and monitoring assets.
Participate in internal and external training initiatives to stay current on regulations, modeling tools, and monitoring best practices.
Provide peer review and technical oversight for deliverables produced by subconsultants and junior staff to ensure quality and consistency.
Compile and submit regulatory and grant-required reports, including performance metrics, financial reporting, and deliverable attachments.
Support stakeholder communications and socialization of technical results through graphics, story maps, and public-facing reporting tools.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced hydrologic and hydraulic modeling (HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, SWMM, SWAT, MIKE SHE); model calibration and validation experience.
GIS and spatial analysis (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, geoprocessing, LiDAR analysis, watershed delineation).
Water quality monitoring and field methods (sample collection, chain-of-custody, in-situ sensors, laboratory coordination).
Environmental permitting and compliance knowledge (Clean Water Act, NPDES, §404/401 permits, state water quality standards).
Grant writing, funding acquisition, and federal/state grant management (EPA, NOAA, state grant programs).
Technical data analysis and visualization (Python, R, Excel, statistics, dashboarding tools).
Database management and QA/QC (SQL, data schemas, metadata standards).
Restoration design and green infrastructure planning (bioengineering, floodplain reconnection, BMP/LID design).
Project and contract management (schedules, budgets, SOWs, RFPs, procurement).
Remote sensing and use of aerial imagery and LiDAR for change detection and landcover mapping.
Field safety and health compliance (OSHA, HAZWOPER awareness preferred) and crew supervision.
Experience with real-time monitoring systems, telemetry, and sensor networks for hydrology and water quality.
Technical writing for reports, permit narratives, and regulatory submittals.

Soft Skills

Strong written and verbal communication tailored to technical and non-technical audiences.
Stakeholder facilitation and consensus-building, including public engagement and tribal consultation.
Project leadership and team coordination across multi-disciplinary teams.
Critical thinking and problem-solving with an emphasis on pragmatic, cost-effective solutions.
Attention to detail and commitment to data integrity and quality assurance.
Time management and ability to prioritize competing deadlines in a programmatic environment.
Adaptability to changing regulatory or environmental conditions and shifting client priorities.
Cultural competency and ability to work respectfully with diverse communities and partners.
Mentoring and capacity-building skills to elevate junior staff and partners.
Negotiation and conflict resolution skills for multi-stakeholder environments.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Hydrology, Civil or Environmental Engineering, Water Resources, Ecology, Environmental Science, Geoscience, or related discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Hydrology, Water Resources, Civil/Environmental Engineering, or Environmental Science with coursework or thesis in watershed processes, water quality, or restoration ecology.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Hydrology / Water Resources
Civil or Environmental Engineering
Ecology / Aquatic Biology
Environmental Science / Geoscience
Geographic Information Science (GIS) / Remote Sensing

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–8 years of progressive experience in water resources, stormwater, or watershed program work.

Preferred:

5+ years with demonstrated experience leading projects or programs, performing hydrologic/hydraulic modeling, preparing permits, managing grants, and delivering restoration or stormwater capital projects.
Demonstrated track record working with federal, state, and local agencies (e.g., EPA, USACE, state DEQs), tribal governments, and community stakeholders.
Experience supervising field crews, managing consultants, and producing defensible technical documentation suitable for permitting and public review.