Portland, OR

Position Title: Watershed Management Manager

Organization: Department of Environmental Quality

Location: Portland, OR

Organization Overview: The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is chief regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. State of Oregon responsible for protecting and enhancing the state’s natural resources. At DEQ, employees have the opportunity to work with a dynamic and supportive team of mission-focused individuals tasked with maintaining, restoring, and enhancing the quality of Oregon’s air, land, and water. The Water Quality Division has a critical role in achieving the Department’s mission by developing policy, implementation tools, and implementation priorities for improving and protecting the quality of water in Oregon’s waterways. The Water Quality Division works cooperatively with the Department’s three regional offices and the Laboratory to deliver programs and services that protect and enhance the quality of the waters of the state to protect public health and the environment.

Position Overview: Manage the day-to-day operations of the Watershed Management section, including leading statewide efforts to improve water quality through the programs administered by this section, while working in consultation with regional and Headquarters Water Quality managers. Supervise staff, with an emphasis on supporting staff to effectively achieve the responsibilities of the Watershed Management section. The Watershed Management section is responsible for leading the state’s efforts to develop and implement Total Maximum Daily Loads and nonpoint source strategies under the Clean Water Act and state laws. To accomplish this work, supervise a range of staff, including highly technical data analysts. In order to effectively accomplish the work of this position, build relationships with other government entities, including state, federal, and local governments, tribes, and various interested and regulated entities.

Duties: 

• Ensure staff are supported and have the tools, learning, and equipment necessary to perform their duties.
• Coaching, mentoring, and motivating staff; meeting regularly with staff to provide leadership, guidance, and feedback, and to encourage skill development and career growth.
• Setting clear work objectives, goals, and expectations for staff; evaluating performance and addressing performance in a timely manner.
• Building team cohesion; encouraging collaboration and ensuring staff are cross-trained.

Minimum/Preferred Qualifications:

• 6 years of supervision, management, or progressively related experience or 3 years of related experience and a Bachelor’s degree.
• Demonstrated commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity; proven experience developing and implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• Experience working with diverse groups and communities; skill and experience in communication and outreach to underrepresented communities; ability to build partnerships across diverse community and stakeholder groups and interests.
• Experience managing a department with natural resources responsibilities, including program and strategic planning; knowledge of the federal and state laws governing water quality and natural resources management; familiarity with regulatory programs involving permitting and compliance.
• Experience building and supporting high-performing, collaborative teams that appreciate and encourage diverse thinking; proven experience fostering teamwork among subordinates; experience coaching, mentoring, and motivating subordinates.
• Management experience in a government agency or organization; management experience with a union represented employer.
• Ability to be resourceful and pay attention to detail; ability to switch priorities or projects seamlessly; excellent project management skills.
• Experience in strategic planning, plan implementation, succession planning, outcomes based management, and change management; champions process improvement.
• Ability and experience managing human, financial, and informational resources in a manner that instills employee and public trust and accomplishes the organization’s mission.
• Demonstrated skill in advising executives and other decision-makers; political awareness; excellent verbal and written communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.; ability to communicate clearly and effectively in stressful situations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead both technical and program development teams using data collection, goal setting, measure design, and report development to address statewide environmental challenges and opportunities.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate emerging environmental programmatic priorities with both statewide and national implications.
• Public policy and program development experience in leading discussions with external stakeholders and agency responsibilities to protect human health and the environment.

Start/End Dates: Full time

Benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 11 paid holidays
• 10 hours of vacation per month, eligible to be used after 6 months of service
• 8 hours of sick leave per month, eligible to be used as accrued
• 24 hours of personal business leave per fiscal year, eligible to be used after 6 months of service
• Optional life insurance packages
• Flexible spending accounts
• Membership in the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)
• Optional deferred compensation retirement program
• Opportunity to potentially receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Application Deadline: May 7

How to Apply: Please use the online application to view the full job description as well as how to apply.