River Steward

Position Description
River Stewards are the principal advocates for the Connecticut River Conservancy and serve as the public face of CRC in their respective state. They advocate for clean and healthy rivers, collaborate with community and governmental partners, and communicate with the public. The River Stewards play a vital role in protecting and restoring the Connecticut River and its tributaries as part of the CRC team, working to ensure the long-term health and vitality of our watershed.

General Description and Major Responsibilities:
While each River Steward will address issues and priorities unique to their state, all River Stewards are expected to:

• Create and implement legislative advocacy strategy
• Conduct outreach and education about river issues and promote recreational access
• Maintain awareness of relevant regulatory permitting processes (NPDES, 401, wetlands, etc.) and submit public comments when necessary
• Monitor active hydro facilities and engage in current FERC relicensing efforts as appropriate
• Partner with watershed organizations to promote collaboration, capacity building, and information sharing
• Collaborate with the CRC communications team to create content for e-blasts, blog posts, op-eds and media interviews
• Serve as a resource for public inquiry, to include connecting individuals and organizations with the appropriate internal or external resources
• Apply for grants and manage grant funding to support advocacy work
• Support donor relations activities
• Maintain knowledge of and inform other programmatic work ongoing in the state

New Hampshire Focused Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with other NGOs on New Hampshire specific legislation and policy
• Monitor the activities and operations of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) dams along the Connecticut River and tributary rivers.  Remain actively engaged in the licensing of the Wilder, Bellows Falls, and Vernon facilities
• Attend NH Exotic Aquatic Weeds and Species Committee meetings and support invasives removals and education within the watershed
• Work with recreation staff to increase safe and equitable access to the Connecticut River and tributaries
• Collaborate with CRC staff, the Connecticut River Joint Commission, and NH Department of Environmental Services to expand volunteer water quality monitoring in New Hampshire
• Work with Vermont River Steward on cross boundary issues including nutrient runoff/nitrogen reduction strategies, stormwater management, academic partnership opportunities, and flood resilience
• Collaborate with the Events Coordinator to plan, promote, and attend events relevant to New Hampshire advocacy work
• Build CRC presence in New Hampshire by building collaborations, engaging with the public, and broadening CRC’s visibility

Direct Reports:
The New Hampshire River Steward may supervise part-time and/or seasonal staff and interns based on awarded grants

Qualifications:

We understand that many folks who may be impacted by biased hiring standards, such as women, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC applicants, may only apply if they meet every requirement listed in a job posting. If you are interested in this opportunity and believe you meet most of the job requirements, we encourage you to apply and highlight your relevant experience and transferable skills in your cover letter.

• Master's degree or higher or comparable experience in environmental science, policy, or related field
• Ability to communicate scientific principles and complicated topics to a variety of audiences.
• Effective public speaking and ability to advocate persuasively for CRC positions
• Comfort managing overlapping projects with competing priorities
• Experience with volunteer and/or employee management
• Success in identifying funding opportunities, crafting grant proposals, and managing grant resources
• Comfort using Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, and online databases
• Ability to collaborate and interact respectfully with colleagues, members, partners, and others of varied backgrounds and experience levels
• Demonstrated experience integrating values of equity and inclusion into work initiatives; willingness to participate in ongoing learning in this area is required
• Ability to travel throughout your state and the entire watershed as needed; must have access to a vehicle

Location: 
The New Hampshire River Steward position will be a hybrid position located remotely working from your home office in New Hampshire with some in-person presence in Greenfield, MA as needed. Applicants must be able to travel within the Connecticut River watershed and regularly attend staff meetings and regional events.

Salary and benefits:
The starting salary range for this position is $60,000 to $65,000. CRC provides a comprehensive benefits package

Overview of the Organization: 
The Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) restores and advocates for clean water, healthy habitats, and resilient communities to support a diverse and thriving watershed. Through collaborative partnerships in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, CRC leads and supports science-based efforts for natural and life-filled rivers from source to sea. We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace.