Careers

Become part of Sustainable Conservation.

Sustainable Conservation is fortunate to have talented, dedicated staff who are committed to collaboration both internally and externally. We care about what we do, and we care about each other.

Our size affords staff an opportunity to see the direct impact of their work, and our culture encourages continuous learning while providing opportunities for professional development. We work hard while providing flexible schedules, telecommuting, generous paid holidays and other benefits that support well-being.

Openings

Project Director (Water Resources)

Position Description

Modesto/San Francisco/Sacramento/Fresno

Experience Level: 8-12 years; or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Start Date: September 2, 2025, or as soon as possible

Job Type: Exempt, full time with benefits

To Apply: Please send your cover letter and resume to JOBS@suscon.org and include “Project Director (Water Resources)” in the subject line.

About Us

Sustainable Conservation unites people to solve the toughest challenges facing California’s land, air, and water––and to collaboratively steward the resources all Californians depend on in ways that are equitable, practical, and enduring. For over three decades, Sustainable Conservation has driven shared solutions to meet the water needs of California’s environment, people, and economy – with particular focus on advancing sustainable groundwater management and accelerating the stewardship of ecosystems, working lands, and waterways.

Over the past few years, Sustainable Conservation has connected its programs around conserving California’s water resources through groundwater recharge, aquatic habitat restoration, water quality management, and soil health. This holistic approach to conserving the state’s most consequential resource has allowed Sustainable Conservation to listen, collaborate, and test solutions on the ground so they can scale effectively, equitably, and sustainably.

Since 1993, Sustainable Conservation has found success in building uncommon coalitions across sectors, interests, and geographies to develop scalable, science-based strategies that establish truly lasting solutions. The programmatic focus on removing barriers to adoption and driving systemic change ensures long-term positive impacts. By working at the watershed scale, this approach enables solutions to take root and grow across California’s most vital and vulnerable landscapes. Please visit www.suscon.org to learn more about our work.

Position Summary:

Sustainable Conservation’s priorities include improving water supply reliability for farming, farm-adjacent communities, and ecosystems in California’s Central Valley. One of our areas of focus involves promoting and scaling multi-benefit stewardship of water, through groundwater recharge and demand management, to achieve groundwater sustainability, drinking water protection, and ecosystem benefits.

We are seeking a Project Director with experience in California water and/or agriculture to ensure that our Water for the Future Program strategies are compatible with real-world management decisions. The ideal candidate will understand water management at an irrigation district, water agency, flood control, and/or Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) scale. The ideal candidate will also have experience working with agricultural producers.

The Project Director will be an essential member of Sustainable Conservation’s multi-disciplinary Water Team and will provide perspectives about the priorities and constraints of water managers while taking into consideration agronomic, environmental, and community priorities. Main responsibilities of the Project Director include:

building external partnerships to pilot and scale sustainable multi-benefit water management strategies;
collaborating with team members in the development of decision support tools and guidance materials for water managers and agencies;
managing at least two projects and related contracts;
working on scoping and applying for funding for potential projects.

This position will report to the Senior Director for the Water for the Future Program and expand the Water Team’s ability to collaborate on and develop multi-benefit water management programs to advance viable solutions to California’s complex water challenges.

Location: This position can be based out of one of our offices, located in San Francisco, Sacramento, or Modesto. Our teams work in a hybrid work environment with the option to work remotely a few days a week. Periodic travel throughout the state will be required.

Primary Responsibilities

Subject Matter Expertise

Contribute to strategic planning, particularly to pilot, develop, and scale multi-benefit water management projects and programs.
Develop technical guidance and materials in support of multi-benefit water management programs.
Proactively identify water management challenges and opportunities that could affect program strategies and activities.

Project Management & Teamwork

Scope, direct, and manage projects through collaborative relationships with other team members (peers rather than direct reports). Prepare progress and final reports, recommendations, and other materials to meet deliverables.
Provide guidance, support, and feedback to colleagues in a timely manner.
Partner with staff and external partners to plan and execute workshops, field days, presentations, and outreach events.

Communication & Partnership-Building

Build relationships and partnerships with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs), irrigation and water districts, agricultural industry associations, local community groups, environmental justice and conservation NGOs, government agencies, corporations, and technical consultants.
Represent the Water for the Future program to external audiences and communicate lessons learned about establishing and implementing water management programs.

Experience and Skills Required

Technical Training

BA/BS degree in Natural Resource Management, Soil Science, Hydrology, Agronomy or related field with at least 8 years field experience; or an equivalent combination of education and field experience.
Expertise in California water management, particularly as it pertains to irrigated agriculture.
Experience with the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), such as working with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies on the development or implementation of Groundwater Sustainability Plans.
Ability to read, understand, and discuss complex scientific research.

Partnership-Building

Experience building working relationships with water agencies, technical consultants, agricultural industry groups, government agencies, farmers, NGOs, communities, and other stakeholders.

Project Management

Experience managing multiple projects and timelines, working both independently and as part of a team.
Experience negotiating contracts, scopes of work, budgets with funders and contractors/consultants.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications required, experience working with SharePoint, Office365 a plus

Communication

Excellent communication (written and oral) and interpersonal skills needed for engaging with internal staff and external partners/stakeholders.

Culture & Values

Commitment to principles of diversity, equity and inclusion; desire to work with communities and conservationists.
Commitment to organizational values: Collaboration, Respect, Results, Honesty, Learning, and Well-Being.

Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel

Also Desirable:

Knowledge and experience implementing innovative water conservation or groundwater recharge practices.
Multi-lingual/multi-cultural skills and/or training.
Proficiency in ArcGIS or QGIS.

Compensation: The compensation for this position will be in the range of $108,230- $119,230 annually. The exact pay offered will be determined by factors including but not limited to education, experience, the external labor market, and internal equity.

COVID-19 Note: Sustainable Conservation is a 100% COVID-19 vaccination workplace. Proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (including booster) is required before the first day of employment. Job applicants with religious and disability-related objections will be extended reasonable accommodations.

What we offer: A competitive compensation package based on experience, fully paid health insurance benefits, generous match on 401k, FSA, EAP, vacation, floating days, sick leave, plus the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day as holiday leave. Our greatest benefit is our culture. Our staff is collaborative, dedicated, and caring. We believe in articulating and practicing our values (Collaboration, Respect, Results, Honesty, Learning, Well-Being) at work and have a strong commitment to bringing a DEI lens to our work and workplace culture. We encourage, prioritize, and support professional development and career growth within the organization.

At Sustainable Conservation we value culture and diversity, and as an equal opportunity employer we encourage qualified individuals from all backgrounds to apply to our job openings. We understand that candidates may not possess every skill or qualification listed in the job description. If you are passionate about this role and believe you have the potential to succeed, we encourage you to apply and highlight your transferable skills and relevant experience.

Project Manager (Soil Health and Water)

Position Description

Modesto/San Francisco/Sacramento area

Experience Level: 3+ Years of very strong project management experience

Job Type: Exempt, full time with benefits

To Apply: Please send your cover letter and resume to JOBS@suscon.org and include “Project Manager (Soil Health and Water)” in the subject line.

Position Summary:

Sustainable Conservation has an exciting opportunity that will play a key role in helping expand a new program and work with a multi-disciplinary team to build on their success to date. Our newest program “Solutions in our Soil” works collaboratively to advance soil practices that improve water management, supply, and quality in California’s Central Coast and San Joaquin Valley. We seek an experienced Project Manager to provide critical project management support to our Soils team by ensuring seamless project operations every day. Under the guidance of the Senior Director of Circular Economies and in collaboration with program team members, the Project Manager will be an integral part of the Soils team. This role will be responsible for overall project management within the team by working collaboratively to integrate team input and track key decisions and actions needed to complete projects. The Project Manager will also be a key contributor to projects, leveraging their writing, facilitation, and collaborative skillsets. The Project Manager must be able to communicate effectively and maintain relationships with a broad array of audiences, both internal and external. Following timelines and paying great attention to detail to meet deliverables is essential. Equally important, the Project Manager should be able to draw connections between water policy, on-farm practices, and research to effectively support multi- and transdisciplinary collaborations with experts across various sectors.

Location: This position will be based at our Modesto office ideally, but we are open to working from our San Francisco or Sacramento offices. Our teams work in a hybrid work environment with an option to work remotely a few days a week. Periodic travel throughout the state will be required.

Primary Responsibilities

Initiate, plan, and complete projects to meet deadlines and create high-quality effective work products which may include research, content creation, and/or facilitation for specific projects
Collaborate with internal project team to strategize, develop, monitor and lead work plans, and proactively follow-up on to-dos
Develop and manage projects with external partners: build scope and methodology based on input from internal and external teams, develop and monitor external work plan and follow up with responsible parties as needed
Plan, schedule, coordinate, manage logistics for the program – including meetings (internal and external), events, and any other pertinent activities hosted by the team and/or in collaboration with external partners
Independently schedule meetings, draft agendas, take meeting notes, identify and communicate action items, and incorporate action items into work plans
Proficiently summarize and synthesize written and verbal information gathered during meetings and presentations into scopes of work, overviews, reports, etc.
Liaise with partner organizations, collaborators, and growers, building and strengthening relationships, gathering information, and representing Sustainable Conservation and its work
Build relationships with project team by maintaining credibility, trust, communicating actively and effectively, and producing results
Any other projects/duties as assigned

Experience and Skills Required

3+ Years of very strong project management experience required
Very strong project and time management skills, including demonstrated ability to prioritize tasks to meet deliverables and established timelines.
Very strong organization and planning skills as demonstrated by the ability to track and document conversations, concepts, action items
Exceptional communication (verbal, written, and presentation skills) and listening skills with emphasis on synthesizing information for diverse audiences
Strong interpersonal skills including ability to follow-up appropriately – manage up, out, and down
Proven ability to multitask and balance the management of multiple projects simultaneously
Strong problem-solving and independent thinking skills
Ability to learn new concepts quickly and to draw connections between water policy, on-farm practices, and research
Ability to work both collaboratively and independently and in cross functional team settings
Commitment to principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion; desire to work in collaboration with a broad range of partners
Keen interest in nature-based solutions and climate-resilient agriculture, and knowledge and/or motivation to learn about California agriculture, soil, and water.
Excellent computer skills, including knowledge of MS applications such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
Valid CA Driver’s License and a willingness to travel as required

Also Desirable:

Experience using project management tools and/or training or certification in project management
Understanding of soil health, regenerative agriculture, agroecology, agronomics, and/or agricultural management.
- Multi-lingual/multi-cultural skills and/or training
Event planning and logistics experience
Business or policy background a plus

Compensation: The compensation for this position will be in the range of $89,430 – $98,577 annually. The exact pay offered will be determined by factors including but not limited to education, experience, the external labor market, and internal equity.

At Sustainable Conservation we value culture and diversity, and as an equal opportunity employer we encourage qualified individuals from all backgrounds to apply to our job openings.

In compliance with Transparency in Coverage (TiC) rules, we are sharing the following documents:

Sustainable Conservation (a leading non-profit in its field) advances the collaborative stewardship of California’s land, air, and water for the benefit of nature and people. Every day, we bring together businesses, landowners, and government in some of the most productive yet economically disadvantaged parts of California, to steward the resources on which we all depend in ways that are just and make economic sense.