Program Coordinator

The Southwestern Water Conservation District (“District”), based in Durango, Colorado, is seeking candidates for the Programs Coordinator position. The District was created by Colorado statute in 1941 to lead in the protection, conservation, use, and development of the water of the San Juan and Dolores River basins for the welfare of the District, and to safeguard for Colorado all waters of the basin to which the state is entitled.

The District encompasses all of La Plata, Montezuma, Archuleta, San Juan, San Miguel, and Dolores counties, and parts of Montrose, Hinsdale, and Mineral counties. The District has a nine-member Board of Directors who are each appointed by the Board of County Commissioners of each member county.

The Programs Coordinator provides support to the General Manager in overseeing the day-to-day District operations and coordinates core Southwestern Water Conservation District (“SWCD” or “District”) programs, including the District’s outreach and education activities. The position also provides administrative support and assists the General Manager with special projects as they arise, including Board administration and coordination. The General Manager provides day-to-day supervision of the position, with additional guidance and oversight provided by the SWCD Board of Directors (“Board”).

The position is a full-time, non-exempt position that is based out of the District’s office in Durango. Please see the Job Description below for additional information about the position.

The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, have strong verbal and written communication skills, and good public relations abilities. The Minimum Requirements for the position are:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Environmental Science, Water Resources, Engineering or related natural resources field
• Four (4) years of work experience in a natural resource field is preferred
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills
• Proficient with Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe
• Organizational and time management skills
• A valid Colorado driver’s license (or ability to obtain within 3 months of hiring) as well as valid motor vehicle insurance which meets Colorado’s minimum requirements

Highly Desirable Traits and Skills include:

• Knowledge of geographic area and river basins in southwest Colorado
• Background in water issues, water rights, or water policy
• Experience in management of natural resource programs
• Experience with event coordination, public outreach, and educational activities
• Experience with grant programs
• Experience leading or assisting with event planning & coordination
• Experience performing administrative tasks
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to multi-task
• Detail oriented
• Ability to work well independently as well as with a team

This is a full-time position with benefits including Paid Time Off (PTO) and holidays, retirement plan, and health and life insurance. Anticipated pay range is $55,000 to $70,000 annually. Although a pay range is listed, annual pay for this position will be set commensurate with the successful candidate’s qualifications and in compliance with the State and Federal equal pay laws. All employees of Southwestern Water Conservation District are Employees At Will.

• Work with grant applicants to clarify guidelines and application requirements; prepare evaluation of grant applications and make recommendations to the Board using the SWCD Grant Program Guidelines; ensure SWCD’s reporting requirements are met, and generate annual program report to the Board.
• Annually review and recommend updates to the Board of the SWCD Grant Program Guidelines.

• Hold regular group and individual project coordination meetings with subrecipients.
• Monitor subrecipients’ compliance with grant and related contractual terms.
• Assist in contracting process with Bureau of Reclamation and subrecipients.
• Develop and implement communication strategy with stakeholders and members of the public.
• After initial review by the General Manager, guide Notice…