Water Group Director

JOB TITLE: Water Group Director

POSITION CLASSIFICATION: Director II

SALARY BAND: B

REPORTS TO: SVP, Conservation

LOCATION: Remote

About American Rivers

American Rivers is a national conservation organization working to make every river clean and healthy for people and wildlife. We combine evidence-based solutions with enduring partnerships to safeguard the 4.4 million miles of rivers and streams that are essential to our nation’s clean drinking water, extraordinary wildlife, and the strength of our communities. For more than 50 years, our staff, supporters, and partners have been driven by a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers.

The beauty of rivers is that they connect all people and communities – including within our organization. The life experiences, knowledge, innovation, and talent that different people bring to our work provides perspectives, experiences, and competencies which are critical to our effectiveness in protecting wild rivers, restoring damaged rivers, and conserving clean water for people and nature.

JOB SUMMARY

The Water Group Director will serve as the primary coordinator and Director for a national confederation of water-dependent sectors advancing state and federal water policies. The Director will support governance, facilitate collaboration among senior leaders, lead the development of strategic plans and funding strategies, coordinate rapid-response activities, and identify opportunities for collective action across the family of water movements.

The Water Group Director will work closely with confederation leaders, funders, and prospective partners to align priorities, strengthen collaboration, and advance shared policy and conservation goals. This position requires a highly organized and strategic professional with strong project management, communications, partner-building, and fundraising skills.

The Director will report to the Senior Vice President for Conservation and work closely with President & CEO, the Water Group Steering Committee and confederation partners to advance coordinated national water strategies.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead and coordinate the Water Group confederation and its sectors, aligning strategy, strengthening collaboration, and fostering effective partnerships among members and stakeholders.
• Facilitate confederation governance and operations by convening leadership meetings, preparing agendas and briefing materials, documenting decisions, and translating strategic priorities into actionable workplans, budgets, timelines, and implementation frameworks.
• Monitor and analyze policy developments, campaigns, and emerging opportunities affecting water conservation and management, while conducting research and developing strategic recommendations to advance confederation priorities.
• Develop and maintain mapping, intelligence, and analytical products that identify coalition assets, strategic opportunities, partnership prospects, and pathways for collective impact.
• Create high-quality communications and engagement materials, including executive briefings, presentations, talking points, reports, and rapid-response resources to support confederation leaders, partners, and external audiences.
• Support fundraising and donor engagement efforts by developing case-for-support materials, cultivating philanthropic relationships, and helping build strategic funding opportunities for shared priorities.
• Establish performance metrics, track progress, synthesize lessons learned, and ensure effective coordination among confederation members while advancing inclusive practices throughout confederation activities and decision-making.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of eight years of experience in coalition or confederation management, policy advocacy, campaign strategy, partnership development, or multi-stakeholder leadership.
• Demonstrated success convening and influencing senior leaders, executives, funders, and diverse stakeholders to advance shared priorities and achieve measurable outcomes.
• Strong strategic planning and project management skills, including the ability to translate complex discussions into actionable workplans, implementation strategies, budgets, and performance measures.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience developing executive briefings, presentations, strategic communications, and stakeholder-facing materials.
• Experience supporting fundraising, donor cultivation, philanthropic strategy, and resource development initiatives.
• Ability to use research, data, and analysis to inform decision-making, identify opportunities, and guide strategic investments and partnerships.
• Proven ability to work effectively across diverse political, geographic, cultural, and organizational contexts, with a commitment to collaborative leadership, community-centered approaches, and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in water policy, freshwater conservation, natural resource management, climate resilience, environmental advocacy, or related fields.
• The successful candidate will be a self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced environment and can balance strategic thinking with operational execution. They will possess exceptional relationship-building skills, strong judgment, political awareness, and the ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments. The ideal candidate will be highly collaborative, mission-driven, and capable of building trust among diverse partners while advancing ambitious conservation goals.
• Candidates who are unsure if they meet all minimum qualifications or who have transferrable skills and experience beyond the conservation sector are encouraged to apply.

LOCATION: Remote

COMPENSATION

American Rivers offers marketable compensation that reflects the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate. The salary range for this position is $104,600-127,800, annually, depending on experience and qualifications. We provide a comprehensive Total Rewards package to our full-time, regular employees, including:

• Health and Wellness: Medical, dental, vision, long-term and short-term disability, and life insurance.
• Financial Security: After one year of service, American Rivers begins contributing a 3% employer contribution. There is no vesting schedule for employer contributions as employees are 100% vested upon participation.
• Time Off: Four weeks of paid leave, eleven paid holidays, three floating holidays, and sick leave.

At American Rivers, we are committed to supporting our employee’s well-being, professional growth, and financial security, ensuring they can thrive both at work and in life.

COMMUNITY AND OPPORTUNITY

• At American Rivers, our core values drive everything we do – we Lead with Collaboration and Trust, Infuse Equity and Justice, Deliver Results, and Ensure Staff and Volunteers Thrive. We are committed to fostering a workplace where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to make a difference.

• Our culture prioritizes work-life thriving through Focus Fridays (no internal meetings), professional development opportunities, a home office stipend and our comprehensive leave policies, including sabbatical leave (every seven years) and paid parental leave (six weeks w/ one year of service).

• We also ensure leadership stays connected to staff needs through an internal advisory group, fostering open communication and continuous improvement.

• At American Rivers, our people are our strength, and we are dedicated to building a thriving, inclusive workplace where everyone can grow and contribute to our mission.

American Rivers is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request reasonable accommodation, please contact the Human Resources department at 202-243-7040 or [email protected]. Please note that one week’s advance notice is preferred.

Applicant must be legally allowed to work as an employee in the United States.American Rivers is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Candidates of all personal and professional backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Originally posted on Himalayas