Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Pacific Institute is a global water think tank focused on water sustainability and resilience. They are seeking a strategic Senior Program Manager for their Water Efficiency and Reuse focus area to lead high-impact projects and oversee related efforts, ensuring alignment and quality across multiple workstreams.
Responsibilities
- Lead the development and execution of complex projects and multi-year initiatives
- Oversee and coordinate a portfolio of related projects, ensuring alignment across workstreams, consistency in quality, and integration of outcomes
- Develop, manage, and monitor complex project budgets, ensuring financial accountability and alignment with funder and organizational requirements
- Translate strategic vision into actionable project plans, including defined scopes, milestones, and deliverables, to ensure effective execution of project and program objectives
- Develop and manage project workflows and timelines to ensure delivery of high-quality outputs on schedule and on budget
- Prepare and oversee high-quality project deliverables (reports, briefs, presentations), ensuring rigor and relevance for target audiences
- Monitor project quality, cost, progress, and adjust scope, approach, or resourcing as needed to main delivery on objectives
- Identify and advance innovative approaches, new applications, and emerging opportunities in water efficiency and reuse
- Lead the collection, analysis, interpretation, and synthesis of quantitative and qualitative data from primary and secondary sources
- Design and oversee research methodologies, literature reviews, landscape scans, and stakeholder interviews to inform projects
- Develop and implement quality assurance and quality control protocols and processes to manage data quality, documentation, and integrity, ensuring reliable outputs
- Translate research findings into actionable insights and recommendations for utility, agency, nonprofit, philanthropic, and private-sector audiences
- Build and maintain strong relationships with existing and prospective project partners, stakeholders, and external collaborators
- Communicate project results and insights with internal and external audiences through publications, presentations, and other channels
- Represent the organization at conferences, meetings, and public forums to elevate visibility and influence
- Expand the organization’s network by identifying new partnership and collaboration opportunities, particularly across utility, public agencies, and large industrial water users
- Secure sustainable program funding through opportunity identification, proposal development, relationship management, and strategic outreach
- Lead the development of competitive proposals and grant applications for foundations, corporations, and government funding sources
- Manage relationships with funders, ensuring timely, accurate reporting and stewardship
- Provide strategic guidance and oversight to team members leading individual projects within a broader portfolio
- Hire, train, and mentor team members, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and learning
- Lead and manage project teams to deliver within the time and budget available, setting clear expectations and resolving issues early
- Align complex initiatives and team efforts with organizational strategic thinking and planning
- Model inclusive leadership practices that contribute to a healthy, productive team environment
- Support professional development and capacity building across team members, including setting clear expectations and providing regular, constructive feedback
Skills
- Minimum 12 years of relevant professional experience advancing water efficiency, reuse, or closely related areas or an advanced degree in environmental or sustainability sciences, civil or environmental engineering, water resources, environmental economics, hydrology, or a closely related field with at least 10 years of equivalent experience
- Extensive expertise in water efficiency and reuse, with specialized knowledge in at least one of the following: water-energy interdependencies or applied water economics
- Working knowledge of water and wastewater utility operations, including practical, regulatory, and financial realities that shape implementation and decision-making
- Demonstrated ability to identify innovative solutions, emerging trends, or new applications in water efficiency, reuse, or related fields
- Proven ability to lead complex, multi-stakeholder projects from design to delivery, meeting timelines and budgets
- Proven ability to manage a portfolio of projects or programs, including coordinating across multiple workstreams and providing oversight to project leads
- Proven success securing project funding from foundations, corporations, or government sources, including developing successful competitive proposals
- Proven ability to build and maintain trust-based relationships with diverse partners, including utility leaders, nonprofits, and government agencies
- Experience leading and managing teams to deliver high-quality results within scope, schedule, and budget
- Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret and synthesize research and data into strategic, actionable recommendations
- Proficiency with relevant software tools for data analysis and visualization (e.g., Excel, R, Python, Power BI, Tableau)
- Excellent writing and editing skills for both technical and non-technical audiences
- Strong oral communication and presentation skills, with confidence engaging diverse stakeholders
- Existing professional relationships with philanthropic, corporate, or government funders active in water, climate, or sustainability
- Direct experience working within or alongside water or wastewater utilities and nonprofit organizations
- Familiarity with local, state, and federal water policy landscapes in the United States
- Experience working at the water-energy nexus on policy, planning, or research
- Demonstrated experience working with frontline or historically underrepresented communities on water issues
Benefits
- Paid vacation and benefits
- Generous health, dental, and Institute-matched retirement plan
- Competitive salary that is commensurate with experience and reflects the field
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