The Associate Director for California River Conservation is an integral member of the Central Valley Program. The Associate Director develops and implements projects to protect and restore rivers and floodplains in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River and Delta system, promotes equitable access to and management of Central Valley rivers, and cultivates a river stewardship ethic among California decision makers. The Associate Director manages multiple river restoration projects in the Central Valley and helps expand our program to equitably improve water quality and river access for all communities in the region. Additionally, the Associate Director advances American Rivers’ core values of diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) by pursuing opportunities to increase engagement and collaboration with communities of color in the Central Valley.

Project management is paired with policy work, including supporting integration of river and groundwater management through groundwater recharge in floodplains, supporting effective implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, and improving the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan. This work is highly collaborative and performed in partnership with conservation groups, agencies, universities, and community-based organizations.

The position will report to the California Central Valley Program Director and is an active member of the American Rivers Conservation Program.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES   

• Lead development and implementation of river and floodplain restoration projects in the Central Valley, including partner engagement, overseeing multiple consultants and subgrantee teams, developing scopes of work, budgeting, contracting, invoicing, and public outreach.
• Increase engagement of communities of color both in existing and future restoration projects and policy work in the Central Valley.
• Promote and develop river-related projects that help remedy environmental injustices in the Central Valley
• Integrate climate change effects into project and policy work; communicate climate change effects and accommodation actions for river management and restoration in the Central Valley.
• Identify and evaluate new opportunities for restoration and multi‐benefit river management in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, including urban parkways.
• Develop fundraising proposals for restoration projects and write reports to funders.
• Collaborate with Central Valley team to troubleshoot project hurdles and review environmental documents, draft comments and advocacy letters to shape river management projects, programs and policies.
• Identify and communicate solutions to technical, policy and political challenges to improved river restoration and management in the Central Valley, including analysis of local, state and federal laws and policies.
• Represent American Rivers in public planning forums to promote floodplain and river restoration and multi-benefit floodplain management.
• Collaborate with the American Rivers National River Restoration team.