Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Water Resource Program Director

🎯 Role Definition

The Water Resource Program Director leads strategic planning, program design, and operational delivery of water resources initiatives across watershed management, stormwater and floodplain programs, water quality monitoring, and community resilience projects. This role blends technical hydrology and environmental science expertise with program and grant management, regulatory compliance, stakeholder engagement, and fiscal oversight. The Director serves as the senior internal and public-facing leader who defines program priorities, secures funding, coordinates multi-disciplinary teams, and ensures measurable outcomes that protect and enhance water resources and community resilience.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Water Resources Engineer or Hydrologist
Watershed/Stormwater Program Manager
Environmental Science or Regulatory Affairs Manager

Advancement To:

Director of Water Resources and Resilience
Chief Resilience or Environmental Officer
Senior Director, Natural Resources or Regional Water Programs

Lateral Moves:

Watershed Conservation Director
Regulatory Affairs Director (water/environment)
Grants & Partnerships Director (environmental/nonprofit)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Provide strategic leadership and vision for the organization’s water resource programs, developing 3–5 year work plans, measurable goals, performance indicators, and annual budgets that align with municipal, regional, or state-level climate resilience and watershed protection objectives.
Manage, mentor, and evaluate multidisciplinary teams (hydrologists, engineers, ecologists, GIS analysts, outreach specialists), setting clear expectations, professional development plans, and workload prioritization to ensure high-quality program delivery.
Lead program budgeting and financial oversight, including annual budget preparation, trust fund allocation, cashflow forecasting, fiscal monitoring, and producing monthly/quarterly financial reports for senior leadership and funders.
Secure and manage diversified funding streams by identifying opportunities, writing and submitting competitive grants, administering awarded grants, and overseeing contracts and reporting to federal, state, and private funders (e.g., EPA, FEMA, state revolving funds).
Direct project delivery across watershed restoration, stormwater retrofits, green infrastructure, floodplain mapping, and habitat enhancement projects — including scoping, procurement, contracting, construction oversight, and closeout with attention to schedule, cost, and quality control.
Ensure regulatory compliance for projects and programs with Clean Water Act permits, NPDES stormwater requirements, Section 404/401 permitting, state water quality regulations, endangered species consultations and local ordinances, coordinating with permitting agencies and legal counsel as needed.
Oversee water quality and hydrologic monitoring programs: design sampling plans, set QA/QC procedures, manage field teams and lab contracts, analyze trends, and translate technical results into actionable program adjustments and public-facing reports.
Develop and implement watershed management plans and integrated water resource strategies that combine green stormwater infrastructure, flood risk reduction, and ecosystem restoration to meet ecological and community resilience goals.
Serve as the primary liaison with municipal agencies, regional planning bodies, state/federal regulatory agencies, non-profit partners, utilities, tribal governments, and community stakeholders to coordinate work, negotiate inter-agency agreements, and build coalitions.
Lead public outreach and community engagement strategies, including facilitating stakeholder meetings, public comment processes, community workshops, and targeted communications to ensure equitable participation and transparency in project planning and implementation.
Establish and maintain GIS-based data systems for watershed modeling, asset inventories, stormwater infrastructure mapping, and decision-support tools; direct integration of spatial data into planning and reporting products.
Manage vendor selection and procurement processes for engineering, construction, and professional services; prepare RFPs/RFQs, evaluate proposals, negotiate scopes and fees, and supervise contract performance and invoicing.
Oversee risk management, emergency response coordination, and contingency planning for flood events or water infrastructure failures, including interagency incident response and post-event damage assessment and reporting.
Design and track program-level metrics and performance dashboards to evaluate outcomes such as pollutant load reductions, acres of restored wetlands, reduced flooding frequency, cost per unit benefit, and social equity indicators.
Lead adaptive management processes, using monitoring results and post-project evaluations to refine design standards, maintenance protocols, and future project selection criteria.
Translate complex technical analyses into accessible briefings, policy recommendations, and visual materials for elected officials, boards, and community audiences to inform decision-making and secure program approvals.
Champion climate adaptation and resilience integration into all water resource planning, incorporating sea-level rise, changing precipitation intensity, and extreme weather projections into modeling and infrastructure design.
Foster innovation by evaluating and piloting new technologies and practices (real-time sensors, low-impact development, bioengineered stream restorations, nature-based solutions) that improve performance and reduce lifecycle costs.
Maintain and improve asset management systems for public stormwater and watershed infrastructure, establishing maintenance schedules, performance standards, and cost-effective rehabilitation plans.
Ensure workforce safety and regulatory compliance on project sites by enforcing health and safety plans, permitting requirements, and contractor oversight during field work and construction.
Prepare detailed technical and financial reports for boards, funders, and regulatory agencies, ensuring timely compliance with grant deliverables, permit conditions, and interagency agreements.
Represent the organization at conferences, technical working groups, and public hearings; publish or contribute to technical guidance documents, policy papers, and agency memoranda to advance regional water management practices.

Secondary Functions

Provide technical review and quality assurance of internal and externally prepared engineering and environmental deliverables, including design reports, environmental assessments, and permit applications.
Support policy development and advocacy efforts by synthesizing program performance data, regulatory impacts, and best practices to inform local or regional water resource policy updates.
Maintain and expand partnerships with academic institutions for applied research, student internships, and program evaluation to drive evidence-based practice.
Contribute to cross-departmental strategic initiatives such as sustainability planning, urban greening, and community resilience programs.
Coordinate minor continuous improvement projects, assist with administrative tasks related to program operations, and respond to routine public inquiries or constituent concerns.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Watershed management and stormwater program design and implementation
Hydrologic and hydraulic modeling (e.g., HEC-RAS, SWMM, HEC-HMS) for floodplain and stormwater analyses
Water quality monitoring design, laboratory QA/QC, and data interpretation
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for spatial analysis, asset mapping, and scenario modeling (ArcGIS/QGIS)
Regulatory and permitting expertise (Clean Water Act, NPDES, Section 404/401, state water quality regs)
Grant writing, grant management, and reporting for federal/state funding (EPA, FEMA, state revolving funds)
Project and construction management, including contracts, RFPs, procurement, and construction oversight
Budget development and fiscal management, including cost estimating and financial reporting
Environmental permitting and compliance tracking systems
Asset management and infrastructure lifecycle planning
Climate adaptation and resilience planning, including incorporation of sea-level rise and precipitation trends
Data management, performance metric development, and dashboard/reporting tools
Experience with green infrastructure, low-impact development, and nature-based solutions
Contract negotiation and vendor management
Familiarity with public engagement tools and participatory planning methods

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership and program visioning with track record of delivering measurable outcomes
Stakeholder engagement and coalition-building across government, private sector, non-profits, and communities
Clear and persuasive written and oral communication; ability to translate technical content for non-technical audiences and elected officials
Strong political acumen and ability to navigate regulatory and intergovernmental processes
Team building, coaching, and people management to motivate multidisciplinary teams
Problem solving and adaptive management mindset to iterate on projects based on monitoring results
Time management and prioritization in a complex, multi-project environment
High integrity, accountability, and commitment to equity and environmental justice principles
Negotiation and conflict resolution skills for interagency and public disputes
Public speaking and facilitation skills for community meetings and stakeholder workshops

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

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

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree or higher in Water Resources Engineering, Environmental Management, Hydrology, Public Administration (MPA) with an environmental focus, or related discipline.
Professional licenses/certifications such as P.E., CFM (Certified Floodplain Manager), or PMP are highly desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Civil / Environmental Engineering
Hydrology / Water Resources
Environmental Science / Ecology
Public Policy / Public Administration (environmental focus)
Geospatial Science / GIS

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 8–15+ years of progressive experience in water resources planning, engineering, or program management.

Preferred:

10+ years leading multi-disciplinary water resource programs with direct supervisory responsibility.
Demonstrable experience obtaining and managing state/federal grants and delivering complex capital projects from planning through construction.
Proven track record working with regulators, municipalities, and community stakeholders to achieve permitting, funding, and operational objectives.
Experience with regional watershed planning, stormwater utility design, or municipal stormwater program administration is strongly preferred.
Familiarity with relevant state and federal water resource funding programs and regulations, and experience producing defensible technical reports and public-facing deliverables.