Conowingo Watershed Implementation Plan (CWIP) Coordinator

Job Description

Job Description

Recruitment Framework

SRBC is conducting a concurrent two-track recruitment and selection process for the CWIP Coordinator function. The first track is an RFP to identify a firm capable of performing the CWIP Coordinator scope of work. The second track is to develop and post a job announcement through SRBC’s standard recruitment process for a three-year contracted term employee. SRBC is pursuing the two tracks concurrently to evaluate both and determine its ultimate course of action.

Program context. The Conowingo Watershed Implementation Plan (CWIP) is a collaborative interstate effort involving Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC). It supports Chesapeake Bay restoration by accelerating nutrient reductions in the Susquehanna watershed beyond the nutrient-reduction  commitments  already  assigned  to  the  states  through  their  respective  Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs). The effort responds in part to the reduced ability of Conowingo Dam to trap nutrient and sediment loads before they reach the Chesapeake Bay.

Relationship to Chesapeake Bay restoration. The Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (Bay TMDL) establishes watershed-wide limits for nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment and is implemented through state and federal WIPs, two-year milestones, and progress reporting under the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership. CWIP is intended to complement—not replace—the participating states’ WIP commitments by building capacity and advancing additional nutrient-reduction actions in priority watersheds.CWIP goal. The participating jurisdictions are pursuing an additional reduction of approximately 6 million pounds of nitrogen per year beyond existing state WIP obligations. Progress has been constrained by the absence of a single person or entity whose primary responsibility is to coordinate and advance this work across jurisdictions.

Coordinator function . Over a three-year period, the CWIP Coordinator will pursue a two-rail approach: (1) meet current coordination, technical, administrative, milestone-tracking, and reporting needs across the three jurisdictions; and (2) identify and advance new implementation strategies, partnerships, funding opportunities, and projects capable of accelerating nutrient reductions outside state WIP commitments. The function will leverage SRBC’s interstate role to coordinate partners and direct resources efficiently.

PATHWAY 2 – INDIVIDUAL JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Recruitment route: SRBC contracted term employee.

Conowingo Watershed Implementation Plan (CWIP) Coordinator

Employer - Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) Full-time contracted term employee

Position type Term -  Full-time contracted term employee

Location -  SRBC office / hybrid field-and-office role. Regular in-person presence and travel within Pennsylvania,Maryland, and New York are expected.

Benefits - SRBC employee benefits applicable to the term  position

Salary - $74,000-$94,000

Posting period - Approximately 30 days; may be extended if needed

Position Summary

SRBC is seeking a collaborative, highly organized environmental professional to serve as the Conowingo Watershed Implementation Plan (CWIP) Coordinator. This new, dedicated position will work across Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York to strengthen interstate coordination, build implementation capacity, secure and align resources, and accelerate nutrient-reduction projects that support Chesapeake Bay restoration.

The Coordinator will be managed and supported by SRBC and will work closely with the CWIP Steering Committee and CWIP leadership representatives. The position has two equally important dimensions: keeping the existing CWIP structure moving through coordination, milestones, reporting, and partner communication; and developing new strategies, partnerships, funding opportunities, and projects that can produce additional nutrient reductions beyond existing state WIP commitments.

About CWIP

CWIP is a collaborative interstate effort involving Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, and SRBC. It is intended to accelerate nutrient reductions entering the Chesapeake Bay watershed beyond the commitments already established through each state’s Watershed Implementation Plan under the Chesapeake Bay TMDL framework. Participating jurisdictions are pursuing approximately 6 million pounds per year of additional nitrogen reductions. Conowingo WIP implementation takes a two-tiered approach to implementation. The first tier consists of state-wide pay-for-success programs in MD and PA to implement the most cost-effective restoration projects in the Susquehanna Basin and PA, respectively. The second tier uses a more traditional technical assistance and grant application approach in targeted interjurisdictional watersheds (e.g., Octoraro Creek, Deer Creek, NY/PA upper Susquehanna River watershed). More capacity is needed for the targeted watershed approach to better understand the specific technical assistance and capacity needs across watersheds and jurisdictions. The Coordinator will provide the dedicated day-to-day leadership and continuity needed to move that work forward across jurisdictional and organizational boundaries.

SRBC is conducting a concurrent two-track recruitment and selection process for the CWIP Coordinator function. The function may be fulfilled either through the selection of a term employee working directly for SRBC through the recruitment process, or through a contract awarded through a competitive RFP process to an independent contractor, which may be an individual (e.g., operating through an LLC) or a firm. A common selection committee consisting of SRBC staff and agency CWIP representatives may review both job applicants and RFP offerors, allowing SRBC to compare the relative strengths of an employee-based model and an independent contractor or firm-based model.

What You Will Do

Build Capacity and Advance Projects

• Strengthen existing partnerships and cultivate new relationships in priority watersheds to advance agricultural conservation, stream and floodplain restoration, wetland restoration, and other water quality improvement

projects. Help partners identify restoration opportunities, coordinate technical expertise, overcome implementation challenges, and move projects from planning through implementation.

• Connect partners with funding opportunities and assist with developing project concepts, funding proposals, implementation strategies, and collaborative delivery approaches.

• Serve as a central point of contact among Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, EPA, and other CWIP partners to maintain communication, align priorities, and facilitate collaborative implementation.

• Identify and advance innovative or high-impact nutrient-reduction approaches and, where feasible, help move selected projects from concept toward implementation.

• Lead gap analysis to determine partner needs, including development and distribution of surveys, leading workshops or meetings, and developing recommendations.

• Organize partner meetings, technical exchanges, field tours, and other opportunities to share successful approaches, build implementation capacity, and encourage participation in CWIP activities.

Coordinate CWIP Administration and Accountability

• Prepare annual progress reports, outreach and implementation summaries, and practical tracking tools such as project/practice spreadsheets and infographics.

• Maintain regular communication among SRBC, the three jurisdictions, and implementation partners.

• Work with jurisdictional partners to communicate implementation accomplishments, identify emerging opportunities and challenges, and support coordination of progress reporting.

• Contribute to CWIP communication strategies, such as developing newsletter content.

Develop Funding and Partnerships

• Lead outreach and serve as a public-facing and partner-facing point of contact.

• Identify and coordinate funding sources that can support local CWIP implementation and build capacity, including state pay-for-success programs, grants, and potential matching opportunities, including PENNVEST's Clean Water Procurement Program and Maryland's Pay-for-Success initiatives.

• Assemble or support funding proposals and implementation partnerships.

• Compile and analyze implementation information to strengthen future strategy, document results, and communicate the benefits achieved.

Who You Will Work With

This position will work across a diverse partnership network that may include the county conservation districts, state environmental and agricultural agencies, academic institutions, watershed and conservation organizations, local governments, agricultural partners, Chesapeake Bay Program partners, and other organizations engaged in water-quality restoration and implementation funding.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in environmental science, natural-resource management, water resources, environmental planning, conservation, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.

• Professional experience in environmental protection, watershed restoration, resource conservation, water quality, or a closely related field.

• Strong project-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities, track commitments and deliverables, and move work forward across multiple organizations.

• Established outreach mechanisms & strategies.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including meeting facilitation, public speaking and presentations, report writing, stakeholder engagement, and the ability to communicate technical information to varied audiences.

• Working knowledge of water-quality restoration and the ability to help advance nutrient-reduction projects from planning toward implementation.

• Ability to build productive relationships with governmental, nonprofit, technical, agricultural, academic, and community partners.

• Ability and willingness to travel regularly within the Pennsylvania–Maryland–New York portion of the Susquehanna/Chesapeake Bay watershed and to attend in-person meetings as required.

Preferred Experience

• Chesapeake Bay restoration programs and/or Chesapeake Bay Program processes

• Watershed implementation planning and execution

• Agricultural conservation and nutrient-reduction practices

• Interstate or multi-jurisdictional collaboration

• Government, nonprofit, or watershed program coordination

• Grant writing, funding strategy, or proposal development

• Conservation implementation partnerships and on-the-ground project delivery

• Working knowledge of GIS

• 3-5 years of experience in a related field

• Advanced degree in relevant field

Work Arrangement and Supervision

The Coordinator will be an SRBC contracted employee managed by SRBC for a 3-year term, with regular program input and coordination from the CWIP steering group and CWIP leadership representatives from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York. Because the role depends heavily on relationship-building and cross-jurisdictional coordination, the position will combine office work, remote work as authorized, field/partner travel, and in-person meetings.

Compensation and Benefits

The Commission’s compensation plan includes a combination of a competitive salary between $74,000 - $94,000 based on relevant experience, and comprehensive benefits including health care insurance and participation in Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System. There is no civil service exam requirement.

How to Apply

A cover letter with salary expectations and a resume emphasizing relevant experience to watershed restoration, stakeholder coordination, project implementation, and funding or partnership development are required and must be submitted by November 23, 2026 .

Must possess a valid driver's license. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a pre-employment background check and drug screening.

SRBC is an equal opportunity employer.

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