Director, Science and Water Quality Management

~ A breakthrough in water resources management occurred in 1961 when President Kennedy and the governors of Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York for the first time signed concurrent compact legislation into law creating a regional body with the force of law to oversee a unified approach to managing a river system without regard to political boundaries. ~

The members of this regional body - the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) - include the four basin state governors and the Division Engineer, North Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who serves as the federal representative.

When the DRBC was created, some 43 state agencies, 14 interstate agencies, and 19 federal agencies exercised a multiplicity of splintered powers and duties within the watershed, which stretches 330 miles from the Delaware River's headwaters near Hancock, N. Y., to the mouth of the Delaware Bay.

The Compact's signing marked the first time since the nation's birth that the federal government and a group of states joined together as equal partners in a river basin planning, development, and regulatory agency.

Position Overview

The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), a federal-interstate water resource management agency, currently has one employment opportunity for a Director, Science and Water Quality Management.

Responsibilities

• The Director of Science & Water Quality Management plans, organizes, directs, and supervises the work of professional, temporary, and administrative staff in the Science & Water Quality Management Branch engaged in the scientific study and management of water resource issues in the Delaware River Basin.
• The scientific areas of study include the development and implementation of hydrodynamic and water quality models of the free-flowing and tidal portions of the Delaware River Basin; physical, chemical, biological, and hydrological monitoring programs; development and updating of water quality standards of the Commission principally for the main stem of the Delaware River; and data management and assessment.
• Water resource management activities include: support to the Commission’s Water Resource Management Branch in the development of requirements for NPDES permits issued by states or dockets issued by the Commission; development and implementation of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for conventional and toxic pollutants for the interstate waters of the Basin; coordination with advisory committees of the Commission including those covering Water Quality, Toxics, and Monitoring; and support to agencies of signatory states and important stakeholders in the Basin, including the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.
• The Branch includes the Water Quality Assessment and Water Resource Modeling sections.
• The Water Quality Assessment Section is engaged in conducting monitoring programs focused on the mainstem Delaware River including the planning, implementation, and review and analysis of the resulting data; the preparation of water quality assessments; establishing and updating the water quality standards of the Commission; and scientific studies of emerging contaminants.
• The Water Resources Modeling Section is engaged in the development and calibration of hydrodynamic and water quality models of surface waters in the Basin, including the Delaware River and Bay and associated tributaries; the evaluation of the mixing characteristics of discharges from NPDES facilities for compliance with DRBC regulations; modeling evaluations of discharges to the Commission designated Special Protection Waters to ensure no measurable change to existing water quality at designated locations; conducting monitoring studies to provide data for model calibration; the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads for conventional and toxic pollutants; providing support to the Project Review Section in preparing Commission dockets; and reviewing NPDES permits developed by states in accordance with Administrative Agreements.
• The Director supervises the section managers, plans, and directs the annual and long range goals related to implementation of the Commission’s Comprehensive Plan and ensures coordination with other Commission branches in these activities and Commission objectives.
• The Director reports directly to the Executive Director for the overall activities and accomplishments of the Branch, and the Director has the flexibility to define and develop the technical scope of the Branch’s activities within established policy and budget limitations.
• The Director serves on the Senior Leadership Team at the DRBC and participates with the Executive Director and other Branches in the development and implementation of the Commission’s strategic plan.
• The Director represents the Commission on technical and coordinating committees such as the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Delaware Estuary Program and participates in public information programs, including presentation of technical reports at Commission meetings.
• This position also is the liaison with officials of equivalent position in signatory states and the federal government.
• Responsibilities also include ensuring that scientific and technical studies and recommendations are consistent with the Commission’s water code and water quality regulations; assisting legal counsel in developing resolutions and regulations and preparing and presenting testimony at administrative hearings, when required; and providing counsel to the Executive Director on current and emerging scientific issues. 

Qualifications

• A minimum of a Master’s Degree in Ecology, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, or Environmental Engineering; a Ph.D. in one the these disciplines is preferred.
• 10 or more years of experience in the water resource field, including a firm understanding of ecological principles, water quality monitoring, water quality standards, hydrodynamic and water quality modeling, statistics, data assessment, and procurement practices.
• Graduate work beyond a Master’s Degree may be substituted for required experience up to 2 years on a year for year basis.
• The individual should demonstrate strong leadership capabilities, an ability in managing and completing complex projects, and a proficiency in oral presentations and writing ability.
• The individual must be authorized to work lawfully in the United States.

To Apply

Please click "Apply" below to upload your resume and salary history to Elba L. Deck, Director, Finance and Administration.

Submissions for the Director, Science and Water Quality Management position must be received by 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 20, 2017.

~ EOE ~