The Deschutes River Conservancy seeks a Program Manager to join our dynamic team in restoring streamflow and improving water quality in the Deschutes Basin.

HOW TO APPLY

Please send a resume and cover letter in one PDF, not to exceed 3 pages, to search@deschutesriver.org. In your cover letter, please explain why you are interested in the position and the skill set you will bring to this dynamic and challenging role.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Initial interviews with selected candidates are targeted for early October 2026. The position will remain open until filled. The target start date is November 2026.

WHO WE ARE

The Deschutes River Conservancy (DRC), based in Bend, Oregon, is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization founded in 1996 to restore streamflows and improve water quality in the Deschutes Basin. We bring together tribal, irrigation, environmental, hydropower, and federal, state and local government interests to accomplish our mission through financing and implementation of voluntary ecosystem restoration projects.

Three major program areas provide focus to our work:

• ‍Irrigation Infrastructure Improvements: The DRC facilitates water conservation projects with irrigation district partners and their patrons that restore streamflows and improve water quality.‍
• Voluntary Market-Based Transactions: The DRC integrates technical support, innovation, program design, financing, and project execution to implement voluntary market- based transactions to restore streamflows.‍
• Basin-Wide Water Management Planning: The DRC coordinates and leads multi-stakeholder partnerships and cultivates relationships to design strategic solutions to Deschutes Basin water management needs.

We are governed by a 15-person board of directors and managed by a full-time Executive Director with eleven employees. The DRC has a $2-$5 million annual budget.

WHAT WE VALUE

We are an innovative, consensus-based, and highly collaborative organization. We proactively seek new solutions for solving old problems. We don’t engage in litigation, preferring instead to leverage partners’ strengths to get the watershed-scale outcomes we seek. And we live the values of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Click to read our full Mission, Vision and Values.

We honor the native people who have called this region home for thousands of years. We join them in stewardship of our rivers for the next seven generations.

WHO YOU ARE

You are someone who can:

• Think creatively, strategically, and entrepreneurially around complex problems
• Lead in a dynamic and evolving context and create structure out of ambiguity
• Distill complex and diverse information into effective planning and management strategies
• Understand western water rights laws and their context in Oregon water management issues
• Rapidly develop an understanding of Deschutes Basin water management context and issues
• Understand and integrate scientific, legal, and social factors to enhance strategies and tasks
• Manage multiple concurrent tasks, schedules, and budgets to meet desired goals and deadlines
• Develop and maintain trusting relationships with landowners, irrigation districts, government agencies, and other conservation organizations
• Negotiate with landowners and other partners to develop water transactions programs
• Build consensus-based solutions to move water management strategies forward
• Foster collaboration and partnership among diverse stakeholders
• Inspire innovation with internal and external teams and partners
• Communicate complex technical issues in clear and accessible forms to a variety of audiences

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING

Basin-Wide Water Planning and Collaboration – Program Development and Management (~45%)

• Build and maintain trusting relationships with diverse groups of stakeholders to advance Deschutes Basin collaborative efforts
• Identify emerging opportunities, build collaborations, identify resources, and develop projects and programs to restore streamflow within priority stream reaches leading to lasting benefits
• Support efforts to convene and facilitate stakeholder processes in the Deschutes Basin and for priority stream reaches
• Cultivate shared vision among stakeholders

Initial Focal Project: Deschutes Basin Water Collaborative (DBWC)

• Manage the Deschutes Basin Water Collaborative (DBWC) process, a multi-stakeholder basin water management collaborative group
• Coordinate all aspects of project including technical, administrative, budgetary, and funding (grant writing and management) support to the DBWC
• Lead technical writing, document refinement, compilation, and finalization of the Upper Deschutes Sub-basin Water Management Plan

Water Marketing – Program Management (~45%)

• Conceptualize, convene, and facilitate stakeholder processes in support of transactions programs in priority stream reaches
• Negotiate agreements with landowners, irrigation districts and contractors to support streamflow restoration through water bank transactions in priority stream reaches
• Work with DRC staff, contractors, and partners to develop and implement a Deschutes Water Bank
• Coordinate and manage the work of project teams, including in-house resources, subcontractors, and agency partners to complete projects
• Lead and manage budgets and funding for water bank efforts, including grant writing and grant management
• Manage contracts with engineers, consultants, and other subcontractors
• Assist in research tasks associated with water rights analysis

‍DRC Internal Operations Support (~10%)

In addition to the primary responsibilities above, Program Manager may be assigned tasks that contribute to broader Program Team goals.

These may include but are not limited to:

• Supporting organizational and programmatic grant proposals and reports
• Supporting organizational strategy development
• Supporting content development for outreach and education with the communication team
• Supporting and attending DRC events and site visits
• Conducting or coordinating GIS analysis, map production, and spatial data management

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

This is a full-time, exempt position. Benefits include a group medical and dental insurance policy, access to a retirement plan with an employer contribution, and a competitive personal paid-time-off policy.

The DRC supports continuing education opportunities for all staff.

• ‍Annual Salary Range: $72,000-$85,000, full-time, exempt‍
• Health, Vision, and Dental Insurance: employee premiums paid 100% by DRC‍
• 403(b) Plan: DRC starting contribution is 5%. Employee contributions are optional.‍
• Vacation: Starting paid vacation accrues at 15 days per year.‍
• Personal/Sick: Paid personal/sick days accrue at 12 days per year.‍
• Holidays: 9 paid holidays + 4 floating holidays per year.

DRC is committed to equal employment opportunities and encourages applications from people of all races, ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, religions, beliefs, national origins, or abilities.

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