Watershed Specialist – Southern Sector

Job Type: Full Time, Temporary (4 years)  - this position is primarily funded by a grant that has commited to Flint Riverkeeper (FRk) for four years. Continued employment at the end of the grant cycle will be considered based on performance, funding, and other factors. Promotion opportunities will be similarly considered.

Reports To:  The FRk Director of Watershed Operations

Position Overview: The Watershed Specialist (Southern) will work under direction of the Director of Watershed Operations, generally responsible for patrol and enforcement-related actions in the southern portion of the Flint River watershed, Georgia.  This position will also assist in programmatic outreach work.  Occasional weekend and evening work will be required throughout the year. 

This position will primarily be responsible for the following duties:

• Patrolling by water, land, and air the southern portion of the Flint River watershed to detect pollution that may be illegal under the U.S. Clean Water Act, the Georgia Water Quality Control Act, the Georgia Erosion and Sedimentation Act, derivative local ordinances, and other environmental laws.
• Responding to citizen complaints under the general direction of the Director of Field Operations and (on occasion) the Riverkeeper®.
• Documenting, using water sampling, photography, videography, positioning equipment, aircraft, drones, and other means evidences of violations.
• Preparing dossiers and communications for review and approval by supervisory staff, then delivering to federal, state, and local agencies.
• Establishing new and maintaining existing monitoring sites for various water-quality parameters, working directly with staff and volunteers to accomplish this work.
• Assisting in and in some cases accomplishing individual processing of water samples and other collections of field materials in a laboratory or workshop.
• Maintaining (a) database(s) of monitoring sites and data, enforcement sites and data, NPDES permits and data, LAS permits and data, and other information as is necessary to execute the work, in as highly organized and as portable a format as possible.
• Working with legal teams to develop, file, and pursue judicial branch and administrative procedures against violators who do not respond adequately to enforcement entreaties and actions, and/or against state or other agencies who do not properly execute their lawful duties.
• Working directly with volunteers, supervisory staff, and other organizations to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of patrol, monitoring, and enforcement activities.
• With specific reference to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant project entitled “Flow Restoration in the Lower Flint River”: serving as an outreach agent to communicate to landowners specific information on public and private conservation funding programs available to improve their farming, ranching, timber growing, orchard, and other operations and opportunities. 
• At all times interact in a positive, polite fashion with landowners, agency representatives, users of the river and streams, elected public officials, staff, members, and alleged violators.  Respect private property.
• From time to time prepare written materials, video materials, and audio materials for public dissemination through newsletters and on the web, and make public presentations to small and large groups of children, teens, and adults.
• From time to time provide live testimony to elected and appointed officials at public hearings and other meetings.
• Ensuring maintenance and timely repair of land and water vehicles and equipment.
• Adhering to the standards of the Waterkeeper® Alliance and the internal policies of Flint Riverkeeper®, Inc.
• Working directly with the public to explain the vision and mission of Flint Riverkeeper®, the functions and values of the river system, and recruit members of the public to assist with efforts to restore and protect the system.
• Answering directly to the Director of Watershed Operations (who also serves as the upper watershed specialist) in accomplishing these responsibilities and tasks.  Assist the Director of Development and Outreach, the Administrative Manager, the Riverkeeper®, other staff, and Board of Directors as warranted and requested. He/she is expected to be a self-starter for many work tasks, recognizing what needs to be done and doing it, as well as take direction on specific tasks from the direct supervisor.
•  Assisting with tracking and reporting successes and failures for various project metrics. 
• Assisting with planning and execution of outreach events as needed.