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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Water Program Consultant

💰 $ - $

EnvironmentalWater ResourcesConsultingRegulatory Compliance

🎯 Role Definition

The Water Program Consultant is an experienced environmental professional who plans, implements, and manages water quality and watershed programs for public agencies, utilities, and private clients. This role ensures regulatory compliance (Clean Water Act, NPDES), leads monitoring and data analysis, develops BMPs and watershed plans, manages stakeholder engagement and grants, and delivers technically rigorous reports and project deliverables. The ideal candidate balances fieldwork, technical analysis, regulatory expertise, and program management to advance clean water outcomes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Environmental Technician or Water Quality Field Technician
  • Water Resources Analyst or Hydrologic Technician
  • Regulatory Compliance Specialist or Permit Coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Senior Water Program Consultant or Lead Consultant
  • Water Program Manager or Watershed Program Manager
  • Director of Water Resources / Environmental Services

Lateral Moves:

  • Stormwater Program Specialist
  • Permitting & Compliance Specialist
  • GIS and Hydrologic Modeler

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead development and implementation of municipal and regional water programs, including NPDES stormwater permits, MS4 program administration, and watershed-scale planning to achieve water quality goals and regulatory compliance.
  • Prepare, submit, and negotiate permit applications, variances, and regulatory documentation (NPDES, 404/401 coordination, state discharge permits), ensuring alignment with federal, state, and local requirements.
  • Design, implement, and supervise water quality monitoring networks and field sampling campaigns, including sample collection protocols, chain-of-custody procedures, and QA/QC plans for chemical, biological, and physical parameters.
  • Analyze water quality and flow data using statistical and time-series methods to assess trends, loadings, and compliance status; translate results into actionable recommendations and performance metrics.
  • Develop watershed management plans, total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation strategies, and best management practice (BMP) selection and optimization to reduce pollutant loading and improve aquatic health.
  • Manage multidisciplinary project teams, consultants, and subcontractors; prepare scopes of work, RFPs, SOWs, evaluate proposals, and oversee contract administration to deliver projects on schedule and budget.
  • Prepare technical memos, regulatory reports, monitoring summaries, environmental impact analyses, and deliverables for municipal clients, state agencies, and grant funders; ensure clarity for both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Lead community and stakeholder engagement activities including public meetings, workshops, interagency coordination, and preparation of outreach materials to build consensus and implement programs effectively.
  • Develop and manage program budgets, grant proposals, and funding strategies (federal, state, and foundation grants); track expenditures, deliverables, and grant reporting requirements.
  • Conduct field inspections and construction oversight for stormwater and watershed restoration projects to verify BMP installation, compliance with permits, and contractor performance.
  • Implement and maintain GIS-based inventories of drainage systems, BMPs, sampling sites, and watershed characteristics; create maps and spatial analyses to support planning and reporting.
  • Apply hydrologic and hydraulic modeling tools (e.g., EPA SWMM, HEC-RAS, hydrologic models) to evaluate flood risks, pollutant transport, and BMP effectiveness under different land-use and climate scenarios.
  • Advise clients on emerging regulations, policy changes, and best practices related to water resources, climate resilience, low-impact development, and sustainable stormwater management.
  • Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs), monitoring protocols, and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) documentation to ensure consistent program delivery and defensible data.
  • Provide technical training, mentoring, and capacity building for municipal staff, field crews, and partner organizations on monitoring techniques, permit compliance, and BMP maintenance.
  • Coordinate incident response and spill investigation activities; perform rapid assessments of discharges, document findings, and support enforcement or corrective actions as needed.
  • Synthesize monitoring and modeling results into cost-benefit analyses and implementation prioritization for capital improvement planning and adaptive management.
  • Support data management workflows including database design, data validation, visualization dashboards, and automated reporting to improve transparency and program efficiency.
  • Represent the organization at regulatory meetings, technical advisory committees, and stakeholder groups; prepare briefing materials and present technical findings to boards, councils, and regulators.
  • Lead performance measurement and continuous improvement efforts by establishing KPIs, tracking pollutant reductions, and refining program elements based on monitoring outcomes.
  • Coordinate cross-disciplinary inputs (planning, engineering, ecology, communications) to ensure integrated, multi-benefit project delivery that aligns with community objectives.
  • Conduct field-based assessments of habitat, riparian condition, and sediment transport to inform restoration design and adaptive management of stream and wetland projects.
  • Prepare and review environmental permit compliance audits, site compliance reports, and corrective action plans to remediate non-compliance issues and minimize enforcement risk.
  • Support climate adaptation planning by evaluating vulnerabilities in water infrastructure, recommending resilient design approaches, and integrating green infrastructure to enhance urban water systems.
  • Manage procurement processes, schedule control, and milestone tracking for program deliverables; escalate and resolve project risks and issues proactively.

Secondary Functions

  • Support development of outreach campaigns and educational materials to increase public awareness of water quality issues and citizen science participation.
  • Maintain and update program webpages, dashboards, and public-facing data portals to improve transparency and stakeholder access to monitoring results.
  • Assist with internal program strategy development, grant opportunity identification, and long-term funding planning to scale successful pilot projects.
  • Participate in interagency working groups, technical workshops, and professional conferences to share lessons learned and incorporate emerging best practices.
  • Provide occasional support for organizational proposals, business development activities, and client relationship management.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Expertise in NPDES/MS4 permit requirements and municipal stormwater program management.
  • Water quality monitoring and laboratory coordination, including sampling design, chain-of-custody, and QA/QC procedures.
  • Hydrologic/hydraulic modeling experience (e.g., EPA SWMM, HEC-RAS, TR-55) and pollutant loading models.
  • GIS proficiency (ArcGIS, QGIS) for mapping, spatial analysis, and asset inventories.
  • Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools (R, Python, Excel, SQL, Tableau/Power BI).
  • Experience preparing technical reports, regulatory submittals, and grant proposals with strong scientific writing.
  • Familiarity with federal and state environmental regulations (Clean Water Act, state-specific water quality standards, wetland permitting).
  • Design and specification of BMPs and green infrastructure (bioretention, permeable paving, constructed wetlands).
  • Project management skills, including budgeting, scheduling, contract management, and RFP development.
  • Field inspection and construction observation experience for stormwater and restoration projects.
  • Environmental sampling instrumentation and laboratory QA/QC knowledge (e.g., turbidity, TSS, nutrients, bacteria sampling).
  • Experience with environmental permitting processes (Section 401/404 coordination, state discharge permits).
  • Knowledge of watershed planning frameworks, TMDL development/implementation, and load reduction strategies.
  • Grant management and public funding reporting (federal/state grants, grant compliance).
  • Familiarity with cloud-based data platforms and environmental data standards (CAMP, WQX, or similar).

Soft Skills

  • Strong written and verbal communication tailored to technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Stakeholder facilitation and consensus-building, including public meeting leadership.
  • Critical thinking and problem solving with an emphasis on pragmatic, cost-effective solutions.
  • Attention to detail and rigorous approach to QA/QC in data collection and reporting.
  • Time management and multi-project coordination in fast-paced environments.
  • Leadership and mentoring to develop junior staff and promote cross-training.
  • Adaptability to changing regulatory landscapes and evolving client priorities.
  • Negotiation skills for permit discussions, interagency agreements, and contractor oversight.
  • Presentation skills for technical briefings to boards, councils, and regulatory agencies.
  • Empathy and cultural competency for working with diverse communities and partners.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Hydrology, Ecology, or related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Water Resources, Environmental Engineering, Hydrology, or Public Policy with emphasis on water/environmental management.
  • Professional certifications such as Professional Engineer (PE), Certified Environmental Scientist, or PMP are advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Hydrology / Water Resources
  • Civil Engineering
  • Environmental Science / Ecology
  • Public Policy / Environmental Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive experience in water program delivery, monitoring, or regulatory compliance.

Preferred: 5–10+ years managing municipal or regional water programs, demonstrated success with NPDES/MS4 permits, watershed planning, and multi-stakeholder projects. Experience supervising teams, managing grants, and producing high-quality technical deliverables is highly desired.

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