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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Water Program Specialist

💰 $ - $

EnvironmentalWater ResourcesProgram Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Water Program Specialist is a mid-level technical and programmatic position responsible for designing, implementing, and managing water-quality and watershed programs that ensure regulatory compliance, protect aquatic resources, and support sustainable stormwater and watershed management. This role blends field monitoring, data analysis, regulatory permitting (NPDES, MS4, wetlands), grant and contract management, community outreach, and interagency coordination. Ideal candidates demonstrate strong technical knowledge of Clean Water Act requirements, hands-on experience with water-quality monitoring and BMPs, and proven project management and stakeholder engagement skills.

Keywords: water quality specialist, stormwater specialist, watershed coordinator, NPDES, MS4, TMDL, watershed restoration, environmental compliance, GIS mapping, monitoring and assessment.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Environmental Technician, Water Quality Technician, or Field Sampling Technician
  • Environmental Planner, Stormwater Coordinator, or GIS Technician
  • Civil or Environmental Engineering Technician with water resources exposure

Advancement To:

  • Senior Water Program Specialist / Watershed Manager
  • Water Resources Project Manager or Stormwater Program Manager
  • Environmental Program Manager or Director of Water Resources

Lateral Moves:

  • Regulatory Compliance Specialist (water/air/land)
  • Grant & Funding Specialist for environmental programs
  • Community Outreach/Environmental Education Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of water-quality monitoring programs (surface water, stormwater, groundwater) including sampling plans, QA/QC protocols, chain-of-custody procedures, and laboratory coordination to ensure reliable, defensible data for regulatory and programmatic decisions.
  • Manage NPDES/MS4 permit compliance activities, including inspections, sampling, pollutant load tracking, development and review of SWPPPs, preparation of compliance reports, and coordination with permitting authorities to mitigate violations.
  • Develop and implement Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) monitoring and implementation plans; evaluate water-quality data against TMDL targets and coordinate best management practice (BMP) implementation projects to achieve load reductions.
  • Prepare, write, and manage federal, state, and local grant proposals and funding applications (e.g., EPA, state revolving funds, Section 319), including budget development, scope of work, deliverables, performance metrics, and grant administration to secure program funding and meet reporting requirements.
  • Oversee watershed restoration and stormwater infrastructure projects from planning through construction and monitoring, including selection of BMPs (bioretention, permeable pavements, green roofs, stream restoration), contract management, RFP development, and construction oversight.
  • Conduct technical environmental permitting and regulatory reviews for projects affecting wetlands, riparian zones, and water bodies; prepare permit applications, environmental assessments, and responses to regulatory agencies to maintain project compliance.
  • Perform field investigations and inspections of sites, stormwater facilities, discharge points, and construction projects to evaluate compliance, identify pollutant sources, document findings with photographs and GPS/GIS coordinates, and recommend corrective actions.
  • Analyze complex environmental datasets (chemical, biological, hydrologic) using statistical methods and water-quality indices; generate technical interpretations, trend analyses, and visualizations to inform management decisions and public reports.
  • Develop, write, and present clear technical reports, memos, regulatory submittals, and public-facing documents summarizing monitoring results, project outcomes, permitting actions, and recommendations for elected officials, boards, and community stakeholders.
  • Coordinate multi-agency partnerships and stakeholder engagement efforts (municipal departments, state agencies, tribal governments, NGOs, developers) to align watershed goals, leverage resources, and implement collaborative solutions for water-quality challenges.
  • Lead public outreach, educational programming, and community engagement campaigns on stormwater pollution prevention, riparian restoration, and watershed stewardship; prepare outreach materials, host workshops, and represent the program at public meetings.
  • Manage contracts and consultant teams for engineering, environmental assessment, and construction work; develop scopes, monitor deliverables, review invoices, and evaluate contractor performance to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery.
  • Implement and maintain water-quality databases and data management systems (e.g., STORET, EQuIS, Excel, SQL) to store, validate, and retrieve monitoring data; ensure adherence to metadata standards and data quality objectives.
  • Utilize GIS to create watershed maps, identify impervious cover, model drainage areas, and analyze spatial relationships that guide project prioritization, permit reviews, and public communication materials.
  • Provide technical assistance and training for municipal staff, contractors, and community partners on BMP operation and maintenance, sampling methods, permitting requirements, and adaptive management practices to sustain program outcomes.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests, advanced data queries, and exploratory data analysis for internal teams and external stakeholders to facilitate timely decision-making and regulatory responses.
  • Contribute to the organization's water data strategy and roadmap, including recommendations for monitoring networks, database improvements, and interoperability with state and federal systems.
  • Collaborate with business units and engineering teams to translate water-quality and monitoring needs into technical requirements for data systems, sensor deployments, and reporting tools.
  • Participate in project planning, sprint planning, and agile ceremonies within cross-functional teams to prioritize deliverables, manage workloads, and integrate water program tasks with broader organizational initiatives.
  • Monitor and integrate emerging science, technologies, and best practices (sensor networks, remote sensing, machine learning for water quality) into program design to increase efficiency and improve environmental outcomes.
  • Provide administrative support for boards, commissions, or advisory groups including drafting agendas, preparing briefing materials, and presenting technical updates to inform policy decisions.
  • Assist in emergency response and pollution incident investigations (spills, illicit discharges), coordinating sampling, field response, agency notifications, and documentation to support enforcement and remediation.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Water-quality monitoring and sampling techniques (grab samples, automated samplers, in-situ sensors) and laboratory coordination.
  • Regulatory knowledge of federal and state water laws and permits (Clean Water Act, NPDES, MS4, TMDL frameworks).
  • Grant writing and grant management experience, including federal/state reporting and budget tracking for environmental programs.
  • Stormwater BMP design, selection, and performance evaluation (bioretention, infiltration basins, swales, green infrastructure).
  • Environmental data analysis, statistics, data QA/QC, and experience with tools such as R, Python, Excel, or statistical packages.
  • GIS mapping and spatial analysis using ArcGIS, QGIS, or similar tools for watershed delineation and project prioritization.
  • Experience with environmental databases and data management systems (EPA STORET/WQX, EQuIS, SQL databases).
  • Permit preparation and environmental documentation (environmental assessments, technical memos, Categorical Exclusions).
  • Project and contract management skills: scopes of work, RFPs, consultant oversight, cost estimating, schedule management.
  • Field safety and OSHA/HAZWOPER awareness for field sampling, confined space, and site inspections.
  • Knowledge of hydrologic and hydraulic modeling tools (SWMM, HSPF, HEC-RAS) is a strong plus.
  • Familiarity with ecological assessments, benthic macroinvertebrate sampling, and biological indicators of water quality.

Soft Skills

  • Strong written and verbal communication tailored to technical audiences, decision-makers, and the public.
  • Effective stakeholder management and consensus-building across agencies, community groups, and contractors.
  • Problem-solving and adaptive management mindset: translate monitoring results into actionable program improvements.
  • Project prioritization and time management with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and deadlines.
  • Leadership and mentorship abilities to guide junior staff, interns, and seasonal technicians.
  • Attention to detail and a quality-first approach to data integrity, reporting, and regulatory submissions.
  • Public presentation skills, facilitation of workshops, and conflict resolution during community engagement.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

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

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Water Resources, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Management, or a related discipline.
  • Professional certifications such as Certified Ecologist, Professional Engineer (PE) with water focus, Certified Professional in Stormwater Quality (CPSWQ), or Project Management Professional (PMP) are advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Environmental Science
  • Civil/Environmental Engineering
  • Hydrology/Water Resources
  • Ecology/Biology
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Environmental Policy/Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3–7 years of progressive professional experience in water quality monitoring, stormwater management, watershed planning, or environmental compliance.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of experience with demonstrated success leading monitoring programs, managing grants/projects, and working with regulatory authorities on NPDES/MS4/TMDL matters.
  • Proven track record of community engagement, interagency coordination, and delivering capital or restoration projects on schedule and within budget.
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