Infrastructure Project Manager

ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP

The City of Centerton, Arkansas, seeks a FUSE Executive Fellow to help modernize stormwater and floodplain management systems by strengthening internal processes, improving inter-agency coordination, and building capacity for stormwater permitting and compliance. Over two years, the fellowship aims to improve service delivery, reduce risk, and embed resilient stormwater management practices to keep pace with growth. The Fellow will participate in the floodplain management permitting process and other stormwater compliance review activities.

Fellowship Dates: October 26, 2026 – October 22, 2027

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual salary of $95,000. Fellows can access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. This amount is not representative of market-rate salaries for the experienced professionals in our program but is intended as compensation for a year of public service.

Centerton is one of the fastest-growing communities in Northwest Arkansas, with residential and commercial development placing increasing pressure on stormwater systems and floodplain management. As headwaters for multiple watersheds, decisions in Centerton affect neighboring jurisdictions and vulnerable populations, including residents in flood-prone areas who face risks to property, safety, and affordability. Effective stormwater and floodplain management protects life and property, maintains eligibility for federal programs, and helps ensure growth does not disproportionately burden lower-income households.

The City must comply with federal and state requirements, including FEMA floodplain regulations and Community Rating System (CRS) participation, which provide critical flood insurance discounts to residents. Rapid growth has created backlogs of permits, incomplete or fragmented records, and processes that rely on institutional knowledge rather than standardized systems, increasing staff workload and the risk of compliance gaps that could affect resilience and equity outcomes.

Centerton has strong floodplain management practices and maintains one of the highest CRS ratings in the state. City staff manage floodplain permits, elevation certificates, map amendments, and inspections while coordinating with developers, consultants, and state and federal agencies. The City has begun updating stormwater and floodplain codes and participates in regional discussions about stormwater management, trails, and downtown redevelopment. Limited staff capacity and the complexity of these systems constrain proactive modernization and leveraging external funding opportunities.

This FUSE fellowship presents an opportunity to strengthen Centerton’s stormwater and floodplain management systems at a pivotal moment of growth and infrastructure investment. By improving internal organization, clarifying workflows, and tracking procedures, the City can move toward a more efficient, transparent, and resilient approach.

Across the first 90 days of the fellowship, the Fellow will focus on discovery and relationship-building, including a listening tour with Engineering and Planning staff, external engineering partners, and relevant state and federal agencies. The phase will include reviewing existing stormwater studies, floodplain permits, elevation certificates, CRS documentation, and related records, as well as assessing current workflows for permitting, review, approval, and recordkeeping.

The Fellow will research best practices from comparable communities managing growth-related stormwater challenges and will develop refined project goals, priorities, and deliverables for City leadership’s review after the discovery period.

Following discovery, the Fellow will lead implementation-focused work to stabilize and modernize floodplain management systems. Core activities include organizing and digitizing floodplain and stormwater records into accessible, auditable systems; developing standardized permitting, review, and documentation workflows; and expediting the final and closeout processes.

The Fellow will coordinate with internal staff and…