Project Manager, Licensing & Natural Science
Are you passionate about natural resources and skilled at managing complex projects? We’re looking for a talented Project Manager – Licensing & Natural Sciences to lead critical efforts in obtaining and implementing Rock Island Dam's relicensing. In this role, you’ll lead natural science working groups, collaborate with diverse stakeholders, navigate regulatory requirements, and oversee environmental studies impacting fisheries, water quality, wildlife, and more. If you’re a strategic thinker with top-notch communication skills and a proven track record in natural science project management, we invite you to make a meaningful impact with us.
Overview
The Project Manager Licensing & Natural Sciences is responsible for leading natural science working groups to assist the relicensing team with obtaining and implementing a license for Rock Island. Responsibilities include initiation, planning, execution, and close-out of studies, reports, strategies, and implementation projects on time and within budget. Studies and projects are typically complex, single or multi-year efforts involving multiple objectives and extensive coordination with internal and external stakeholders, consultants and internal staff.
The Project Manager Licensing & Natural Sciences demonstrates a high level of skill and ability to understand FERC license requirements, conduct stakeholder engagement, consider fisheries, water quality and quantity, wildlife, soils and geology, botanical, and aquatic invasive species needs, strategically meet deadlines, and balance competing priorities.
Responsibilities
- Communication and Coordination: Coordinate with management and internal subject matter experts for consistent and timely communication, information flow, review and concurrence for relicensing and implementation documents. Educate internal and external stakeholders on licensing requirements. Serves as primary contact between the District and federal, state and local regulatory agencies and Tribes to ensure accurate and efficient flow of information and good cooperation for relicensing purposes. Requires a great deal of public speaking and stakeholder interaction.
- Study and Report Management: Manage and coordinate the interface with internal technical experts, consultants, and agency, Tribe and other stakeholder working groups to ensure timely and cost-effective study execution, report development, and identification of implementation projects. Prepare acceptable relicensing documents and application material, and completion of implementation planning and longer-term compliance activities. Manage scope, schedule and budget for relicensing studies, reports, management plans, and implementation projects associated with subjects such as fisheries, water quality and quantity, wildlife, soils and geology, botanical, and aquatic invasive species. Provide advice on FERC requirements for report rigor and requirements.
- Study Planning: Work with external stakeholders, internal technical experts and consultants to develop study plans including resource requirements, milestones, deliverables, risk assessments, cost estimates, quality requirements and study-specific procedures. Verifies sufficient consultation occurs and negotiates scope as needed. Train internal and external stakeholders on licensing requirements.
- Contract Oversight: Monitor contractor and District adherence to established work schedules and contract terms. Verify quality controls are established and in place throughout the studies to enable customer satisfaction and to prevent breaches of contract or permit violations. Report to management when controls are missing and recommend a plan of action to address. Assist with implementing controls, as needed. Oversee contractors’ compliance with FERC requirements.
- Maintain regular and predictable attendance: Perform related duties and responsibilities as required. Comply with District policies. Complete all required training. Maintain a working knowledge and comply with District safety procedures and specific safety requirements of this position, and those in accordance with applicable provisions of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) and Washington Administrative Code (WAC).
- As an essential function, drive a motorized vehicle while conducting business on behalf of the District.
Reports To
Manager - Hydro Licensing
Overtime exemption
Exempt
Qualifications
Education
Equivalent experience (year for year) may substitute for required education.
- Bachelor's Degree (B. S., B. A.) in Physical or Biological Sciences, Natural Resources, Economics, Business or a related field from a four-year college or university is required.
- Equivalent experience (year for year) may substitute for required education.
Experience
- 5+ years increasingly complex work experience managing multi-faceted projects over a duration greater than one (1) year impacting multiple stakeholders is required.
- Candidates must have experience managing work in at least one of the following areas: hydro licensing or relicensing, large permitting efforts (such as extensive NEPA or SEPA processes), or the natural sciences, natural resources, biology, or environmental sciences field—specifically in fisheries, water quality and quantity, wildlife, soils and geology, botanical resources, or aquatic invasive species management.
- Preference will be given to candidates whose experience best aligns with the types of projects to be managed.
Licenses and Certifications
- Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)-PMI is preferred.
Skills and Abilities
A fully skilled incumbent will have the following knowledge skills & abilities:
- Solid knowledge of project management tools and processes
- Subject matter knowledge of regulatory requirements including FERC and licensing/relicensing
- Natural science knowledge and/or education (fisheries, water quality and quantity, wildlife, soils and geology, botanical, and aquatic invasive species)
- Demonstrated expertise in initiating, planning, executing, and closing out projects
- Proven skills in developing project plans, scheduling, estimating, and contract administration
- Ability to outreach and develop and nurture effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders
- Negotiating skills with District personnel, external regulatory agencies, Tribes, stakeholders, and contractors
- Excellent communication, correspondence, negotiation and presentation skills
- Excellent organizational skills
- To perform this job successfully, an individual is required to have basic knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, General Office Equipment and SharePoint; intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word and Primavera.
- Must be proficient in reading, writing and speaking English.
- This position communicates with the public 5 - 20% of the time. Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish is desired.
Physical Demands
- Sitting - Frequently
- Standing - Occasionally
- Walking - Occasionally
- Lifting 1-10 lbs Floor-Waist - Occasionally
- Lifting 1-10 lbs Waist-Shoulders - Occasionally
- Lifting 1-10 lbs Above Shoulders - Occasionally
- Lifting 11-25 lbs Floor-Waist - Occasionally
- Lifting 11-25 lbs Waist-Shoulders - Occasionally
- Lifting 25 - 50 lbs Floor-Waist (copier paper) - Occasionally
- Stooping/Bending - Occasionally
- Reach Waist to Shoulder - Occasionally
- Wrist/hand/fingers manipulation (keyboarding, mousing, etc.) - Frequently
- Repetitive Motions - Frequently
- Talking - Frequently
- Visual - Near Acuity - Regularly
- Visual - Far Acuity - Regularly
- Visual - Depth Perception - Regularly
- Visual - Color Discrimination - Regularly
Working Conditions
- Exposure to Weather - Occasionally
- Noise Intensity Level: - Moderate
District Values
- Safety - Protect public and employee health and safety
- Stewardship - Acting on behalf of customer-owners, protecting public resources entrusted to us
- Trustworthy - Competence, integrity, respect
- Operational Excellence - High-quality innovative work execution
