Water Program Manager

Job Title: Water Program Manager 

Reports to: Program Director 

Time of Work: Full-time, salaried 

Classification: Exempt 

Start Date: March-April 2025 

Location: Lander, WY (negotiable within Wyoming) 

Deadline to Apply:  February 15, 2025, but applications accepted until position is filled.

Starting salary: $60,000 

About the Organization 
Founded in 1967, the Wyoming Outdoor Council is the state’s oldest independent conservation organization. We use western science and Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge as well as legal and policy expertise to advocate for public land, wildlife, clean air and water. We seek lasting change by striving to meet people where they are, valuing diverse perspectives, building coalitions, and practicing reciprocity. We hold government agencies, lawmakers, and industries accountable for decisions that threaten the land, wildlife, clean air and water we depend on. We are a steadfast and trusted conservation voice at the state legislature. We support and empower people to be effective advocates in their communities.

We offer a flexible, collaborative, and team-based environment with significant opportunities to take on strategic leadership, and competitive compensation offered in tandem with an excellent benefits package. This includes health, vision, dental, and disability coverage (where WOC pays 100% of the employee’s premiums); a 403(b) retirement plan with up to a 5% WOC match, paid sick leave (up to 30 days), 15 days of vacation to start plus additional discretionary days off, 11 paid holidays; additional paid religious observance leave upon approval by the executive director; a health reimbursement account, a cell phone stipend, 12 weeks of paid family leave (available twice, after 18 months of employment); and the opportunity for 8 weeks of paid sabbatical leave every five years.

The Outdoor Council is an equal opportunity employer. We prioritize fairness in salaries across the organization and the scope of responsibilities may change depending upon experience. WOC is committed to building a diverse staff, board of directors, and an organizational culture of equity & belonging where we live our values. 

Our Values

• We are dedicated to protecting Wyoming’s environment and quality of life now and for future generations. 
• In our conservation work, we lead with humility. We value diverse perspectives. We are solutions oriented. 
• In our words and actions, we contribute to a respectful and equitable workplace where everyone feels a genuine sense of belonging. 
• We seek creative solutions to tough problems. We are flexible and willing to change course if something isn’t working. 
• With kindness and honesty, we communicate directly. We respond to feedback with openness and a growth mindset.

About Your Role 
You will join a team of enthusiastic, motivated conservation advocates to develop conservation strategies and champion policies that safeguard Wyoming’s environment and quality of life. You will work closely with the program director and other staff to address water quality issues and protect Wyoming’s unique water resources. You will develop strategies to watchdog state and federal environmental agencies and their policies, rules and regulations, that affect water quality across the State. You will also work with other staff to provide input and support on issues that may impact water quality and quantity. 

Specifically, you will: 

• Develop conservation strategies for protecting Wyoming’s surface and ground water quality. 
• Monitor local, state and federal agency decision making on policies, plans, rules and regulations affecting water quality.
• Develop technical comments and/or testimony on relevant agency decisions or planning processes. 
• Maintain robust understanding of state and federal environmental laws and regulations affecting water quality, and provide guidance and analysis on policy changes as needed. 
• Monitor permitting processes (compliance and enforcement) of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) permits for extractive industry wastewater discharge and/or development projects that may impact water quality. 
• Coordinate regularly with key conservation partners on water quality issues at large. 
• Assist in tracking legislation on state and federal levels that have implications for Wyoming’s water quality. 
• Meet with agency officials, including federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, various state agencies, and advisory boards, as well as local, state, and federal elected officials and other decision makers to further our conservation goals. 
• Respond accordingly to emerging water quality issues, including conducting site visits to investigate and determine potential solutions to identified issues. 
• Clearly communicate technical information and complicated processes to a variety of audiences, including decision makers, partner organizations, and the public. 
• Provide technical assistance and support to other staff to analyze energy development projects’ impacts on water quantity/quality on state and federal lands. 
• Work with the communications team to produce email, social media, and website content related to your program work. 
• Conduct outreach and build partnerships with diverse stakeholder groups including hunters and anglers, outdoor businesses, landowners, conservation partners, industry groups, and others.
• Support the work of equity and belonging at WOC.
• Attend and participate in annual staff retreat and staff days.  
• Pursue other duties as assigned by the program director. 

About You 
You love working on a collaborative team, but are self-driven, organized, and able to take ownership and leadership over your projects to make them your own. You have a strong understanding of policies affecting water quality and quantity in Wyoming and are interested in work that requires direct engagement with agencies, citizens, and various stakeholders. You are comfortable providing analysis of complex reports and data regarding water quality, and drafting technical comments to influence agencies and decision makers. You like meeting new people and are a great communicator in both formal and informal settings, even when highly technical subjects are being discussed. You are eager to build lasting relationships with community members, decision-makers, and partners. 

You are committed to contributing to WOC’s equity and belonging work to ensure the organization is a welcoming place for all staff, board, volunteers, members, and organizational partners. You have experience working with Indigenous communities and/or Tribal governments, or the willingness to learn. You are curious about and respectful of Indigenous ways of knowing and cultural differences.

You love Wyoming and enjoy traveling the state to attend meetings, hold events with members, and give public testimony as necessary. You are familiar with the state’s geography, natural resources, and culture(s). You like working flexible hours. You have a valid driver's license and a clean driving record. You are experienced working on Apple devices and the standard suite of office tools and technologies. You are comfortable using Zoom, but also aware of its limitations. You aren’t afraid to learn new systems. You can efficiently share documents and other files in the Google Suite collaborative work environment. 

And, most of all, you are committed to the mission of the Wyoming Outdoor Council. 

We strongly encourage applicants from underrepresented groups to apply.

To Apply
Application Deadline: February 15th, but position open until filled. Initial application review will begin March 1, 2025

To apply, use the following link

https://wyomingoutdoorcouncil.bamboohr.com/careers/23 

Or, email Misti Haase at misti@wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org (please put “Water Program Manager” in the subject), any questions or if you need any accommodations in the application or interview processes. 

We may ask for additional writing samples as part of the interview process.