The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) seeks a highly motivated, detail-oriented conservation practitioner familiar with aquatic habitat restoration to join our Watershed Conservation Team as the Connecticut/New York Restoration Coordinator. This position covers the Housatonic River watershed in Litchfield and Fairfield Counties (CT) and Dutchess County (NY). The Connecticut/New York Restoration Coordinator will work closely with the Watershed Conservation Director, the Connecticut Watershed Manager, the Ten Mile River Watershed Manager and HVA’s partners to identify, plan and execute aquatic habitat restoration projects, including but not limited to culvert right-sizing, dam removal, green stormwater infrastructure, natural stream channel reconstruction, floodplain reconnection and riparian buffer enhancement. This position is based out of HVA’s office in Cornwall Bridge, CT.

Reports to:

Watershed Conservation Director

Status:

Full-time, Salaried, Exempt

Duties:

With support from HVA colleagues, consultants and contractors, this position coordinates all phases of HVA’s aquatic habitat restoration work in New York and Connecticut. This includes regional assessment of restoration opportunities, project identification/prioritization, field data collection, project design and permitting, construction and post-construction monitoring/adaptive management.

Specifically, the Restoration Coordinator will:

• Liaise with partners (including but not limited to municipal staff and officials, landowners, fellow not-for-profit organizations, and regional, state and federal agencies) to identify, prioritize and implement aquatic habitat restoration projects.
  • Along with the Watershed Conservation Director, this position will lead HVA’s participation in the CT/NY River Restoration Network (RRN). The CT/NY RRN is an alliance of not-for-profit conservation organizations working to increase the pace of aquatic habitat restoration in the Long Island Sound watershed.

• Collect field data to support all phases of aquatic habitat restoration. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Rapid assessment of stream corridors, wetlands and adjacent property/infrastructure to support regional conservation planning and restoration project identification/prioritization.
  • Chemical and biological water quality monitoring.
  • Detailed assessment of proposed restoration project sites to support design, permitting and construction. Assessments may include but are not limited to:
    • Rod-and-level survey to map topography, infrastructure, natural features and other site elements necessary for restoration project design.
    • Characterization of stream geomorphology.
    • Documenting species and habitats including conservation targets, reference ecosystems and invasive organisms that could threaten restoration project success.
    • Identification and characterization of pollution sources from adjacent land use.
    • Mapping surface and sub-surface drainage infrastructure.
    • Characterization of soils to support specification of restoration practices.
• Supervise field crews to ensure data collection follows quality assurance protocols. Field crews may include other HVA staff, seasonal interns and/or volunteers.
• Organize and manage field data to facilitate analysis, decision-making and sharing with partners, with support from the GIS Manager.
• Develop and manage budgets for aquatic habitat restoration projects.
• Manage contracts for services related to aquatic habitat restoration, with support from the Finance Director and the Watershed Conservation Director. Services contracted by HVA to complete aquatic habitat restoration projects often include engineering design, permitting and construction, but are not limited to these. The incumbent is responsible for overseeing performance of consultants/contractors and working with HVA colleagues to ensure prompt and complete fulfillment of HVA’s contractual obligations.
• Work with HVA’s Watershed Conservation and Advancement staff to secure funding for aquatic habitat restoration projects from competitive grants and other sources, and ensure timely completion of administrative tasks associated with project funding.
• Prepare technical and lay reports to support project design and permitting, grant compliance, and communication of aquatic habitat restoration project processes and outcomes with stakeholders and the public.

Required Experience/Qualifications:

• Enthusiasm and passion for conservation work and HVA’s mission.
• Experience working with municipal government and/or private landowners to implement conservation projects.
• Experience planning and leading construction projects that require complex permitting and consultant/contractor management.
• Proficiency with ArcGIS Pro.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work outside for extended periods of time under inclement conditions.
• Ability to balance multiple projects concurrently to ensure quality, performance, and consistency with established schedules and deadlines.
• Access to a reliable personal vehicle. HVA provides mileage reimbursement for work-related travel at the federal rate (currently $.67/mile), but does not provide work vehicles for staff.

Desired Experience/Qualifications:

• Familiarity with rod-and-level survey techniques and best practices, including post-survey data management.
• Familiarity with field data collection using GPS, and management of GPS data.
• Experience planning and managing aquatic habitat restoration projects.
• Familiarity with the regulatory environment in Connecticut and/or New York related to aquatic habitat restoration projects, particularly in-stream work.
• Understanding of surface water hydrology and fluvial geomorphology.

Time and Compensation:

The starting annual salary range for this full-time position is $60,000-$70,000. Benefits include health insurance, 403b retirement plan and HVA match, life and short-term disability insurance, 11 paid holidays/year, 20 days of paid time off/year, and remote work flexibility.