"Urban Waters Coordinator"

Overview of Urban Waters Coordinator

The Northwest Indiana Urban Waters Partnership Coordinator acts as liaison and neutral convener for a coalition of nonprofit, government and non-governmental organizations that work on surface water-related (rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands) issues and projects in northwest Indiana. The Coordinator must excel at relationship building, managing multiple tasks and projects simultaneously, and working independently. Expertise and experience in watershed management and/or water quality issues is strongly preferred. Strong communication skills are a must, including writing and public speaking. The coordinator facilitates effective communication, collaboration, and project development between local, state, federal, educational, business, and non-profit partners who work on waterway-related projects in northwest Indiana. The coordinator is expected to attend in-person meetings at various locations around Lake and Porter Counties on a regular basis. Funding is also available for local travel (mileage reimbursement), cell phone work costs, and other position-related expenses.

This position does have the opportunity for a flexible work schedule but does require a strong in-person presence.

Schedule:

• Full-time (40 hours/week) or Part-time (32 hours/week) is available
• Some evening and weekend meetings
• Flexible when non-meeting work takes place

Pay:

• $41,600 - $54,912 (32 hours/week)
• $52,000 - $68,640 (40 hours/week)

Note: This is a grant funded position with a finite end date depending on funding status

Duties and Responsibilities of Urban Waters Coordinator

• Build and maintain good relationships with people and organizations that participate in partnerships or join in the future.
• Encourage and facilitate collaboration between partner organizations.
• Identify state and local partners’ needs for technical assistance from Federal partner agencies.
• Organize and facilitate quarterly full partnership meetings. Includes developing agendas, arranging guest speakers, securing meeting space, setting up A/V equipment or virtual meeting technology, taking, and disseminating meeting minutes, facilitating the conversation, and ensuring follow up to priorities and tasks agreed upon during the meetings.
• Send out a monthly e-newsletter (via Constant Contact) to the 400+ contacts in the NWI Urban Waters database. The newsletter includes relevant local activities, funding opportunities, training opportunities, and other information that may assist local partners via a monthly partnership newsletter. Collect news items, training and funding announcements, and other newsletter items throughout each month.
• Identify opportunities to assist local partners, such as field work, data analysis, technical writing, education and outreach, meeting assistance, project development, grant application development, and so on. Connect federal partners to these needs and provide direct assistance as appropriate.
• Work with all active partners to develop and update a Work Plan document.
• Attend local meetings of watershed groups and other partnership organizations to keep on top of and help advance local waterway-related issues. Assist with priority projects as requested and as capacity allows.
• Arrange and facilitate meetings for special work groups, or federal partner (‘fed-to-fed’) meetings, as needed.
• Coordinate and engage with CommuniTree planning and projects.
• Develop and make presentations about the northwest Indiana Urban Waters partnership.
• Communicate local watershed activities to core federal partners locally and nationally.
• Participate in national Urban Waters conference calls to stay informed about the program and provide updates about the Northwest Indiana partnership.

Benefits of Urban Waters Coordinator

• Full benefits – Medical, Dental, Vision, Short Term Disability, Retirement, Life Insurance and more
• Accrue 15 days’ vacation your first year, then 22 days’ vacation your 2nd year plus rollover
• University contribution of 10% to retirement (3 year waiting period)
• University contributions to Health Savings Account –
  + Plus a chance to earn more through participating in University Wellness Initiatives
• 10 paid holidays
• Employee Wellness Programs
• Paid Parental Leave after one year of service
• Tuition remission for you, your spouse and dependent children at any Purdue campus

For more information on our excellent benefit package, please visit: https://www.pnw.edu/human-resources/benefits/

Education of Urban Waters Coordinator

Bachelor's degree required. A combination of education and experience may also be considered.

Experience of Urban Waters Coordinator

One-year professional experience involving water quality.

Core Competencies of Urban Waters Coordinator

• Must excel at relationship building, managing multiple tasks and projects simultaneously, and working independently
• Expertise and experience in watershed management and/or water quality issues is strongly preferred
• Strong communication skills are a must, including writing and public speaking
• Must be able to push, pull, lift, carry 10 lbs. frequently, and up to 20 lbs.

Additional Information

Professional references will be verified prior to any offer of employment. Employment is contingent upon completion of successful background check. Purdue University Northwest is an equal opportunity/equal access university.

For full consideration, please attach a cover letter, resume, and three references. Please detail how your experience addresses the criteria listed in this job announcement.

The review committee will promptly review applications and solicit interviews after the application deadline of March 5, 2026. If you have job specific questions, please contact brent.a.hart@usda.gov

Funding for this position has been provided since 2013 by USEPA and US Forest Service through a cost-share agreement with Purdue University Northwest.