Research & Planning Coordinator, Stream Management Program

City of New York•Town of Middletown, NY

11d•$98,159 - $128,995•Hybrid

About The Position

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is seeking a City Research Scientist III to serve as the Research & Planning Coordinator for the Stream Management Program (SMP) within the Watershed Agriculture, Forestry and Streams (WAFS) division. This role involves planning and coordinating applied research and monitoring, supporting interagency collaboration, managing technical projects and contracts, facilitating communication among stakeholders, and integrating technical findings into DEP's planning and implementation efforts. The SMP focuses on protecting and restoring stream system stability and ecological integrity through long-term stewardship, developing strategies to reduce flood and erosion hazards, protect infrastructure and water quality, and improve aquatic and riparian habitats.

Requirements

A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
Three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization (if appointed to Assignment Level II and above with a Master's degree).
A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization (if appointed to Assignment Level II and above with a Doctorate degree).
Education and/or experience which is equivalent to the above requirements.
At least two years of experience in responsible full-time research in the appropriate field of specialization (if appointed to Assignment Level II and above, with a Master's degree).
Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required.

Nice To Haves

Ability to work independently under general direction while exercising sound professional judgment and maintaining effective coordination with supervisors and partner organizations.
Knowledge of watershed science, stream management principles, flood risk reduction, climate resilience, environmental planning, ecological restoration, and related natural resource management concepts.
Familiarity with environmental monitoring and analytical tools, including ESRI ArcGIS (or equivalent GIS software) and with GPS equipment, field monitoring tools, and standard environmental field equipment used in support of watershed and stream management activities.
Familiarity with scientific, environmental monitoring, hydraulic/hydrologic, statistical, and data visualization software.
Experience conducting field work in a variety of terrain and weather conditions, and with remote sensing technologies, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), topographic survey equipment, cameras, LiDAR, and other field data collection technologies is preferred.
Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to establish project goals and objectives; develop and manage schedules, budgets, and deliverables; track project progress; and coordinate multiple priorities and stakeholders simultaneously, utilizing data management and project management systems.
Ability to develop and maintain collaborative working relationships and facilitate interagency coordination, technical working groups, stakeholder meetings, and partner engagement efforts.
Utilization of Microsoft Office applications, to accomplish daily tasks, including the development of documents and presentations.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex scientific, technical, and policy information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Ability to coordinate multidisciplinary scientific, technical, and policy-related initiatives involving internal DEP programs, consultants, contractors, governmental agencies, academic institutions, and external partners.
Ability to review, interpret, summarize, and apply scientific, technical, monitoring, and geospatial data to support watershed management, stream management, flood mitigation, climate resilience, and environmental planning initiatives.
Ability to supervise, coordinate, and support the work of interns, seasonal staff, consultants, contractors, and technical partners, as needed.

Responsibilities

Coordinate and manage scientific research, assessment, monitoring, and technical support initiatives that advance Stream Management Program (SMP) priorities and watershed management objectives within DEP’s West of Hudson watershed.
Develop, implement, and periodically update SMP research, monitoring, and technical support work plans in coordination with DEP staff, partner agencies, consultants, academic institutions, and other stakeholders.
Plan, coordinate, and track technical and scientific projects, including establishing project schedules, milestones, budgets, deliverables, reporting requirements, and management tracking systems.
Coordinate activities among DEP programs, consultants, contractors, partner organizations, academic researchers, and governmental agencies to support timely completion of project objectives and implementation priorities.
Review technical reports, consultant deliverables, project schedules, monitoring summaries, invoices, and related documentation to ensure compliance with project objectives, quality assurance standards, contractual requirements, and project schedules.
Assist with procurement, administration, and management of contracts, task orders, cooperative agreements, and technical service agreements, including monitoring budgets, processing payments, and tracking project expenditures and deliverables.
Serve as liaison between the SMP and internal and external partners by facilitating technical working groups, stakeholder coordination, trainings, workshops, and interagency collaboration related to stream management, watershed resilience, flood mitigation, and environmental planning initiatives.
Prepare management reports, technical memoranda, presentations, briefing materials, and summary documents, and communicate scientific and technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Support stream assessment, monitoring, post-flood evaluations, field investigations, and scientific data collection efforts, as needed, to support SMP objectives and program implementation.
Provide technical support and recommendations to DEP leadership, SMP partners, and stakeholders regarding watershed management, stream restoration, climate resilience, flood hazard mitigation, environmental planning, and related scientific or technical initiatives, and perform related work as assigned.