Senior Manager, Colorado River Basin

World Resources Institute

Senior Manager for the Colorado River Basin engaging partners on nature-based solutions and project development. Overseeing utility engagement and management of conservation finance efforts for the Upper Colorado River Basin.

Posted 4/25/2026full-timeRemote • Colorado, Utah • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $116,000 - $146,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead water and energy utility engagement to align risk reduction and infrastructure protection with forest and NBS project benefits
Lead corporate engagement connecting volumetric and water quality benefits delivered by projects with corporate watershed and replenishment targets
Work with land managers and conservation partners to understand and advance enabling conditions to move projects towards implementation
Oversee business case development to promote a compelling rationale for beneficiary contributions
Support the structuring and negotiation of funding agreements, repayment mechanisms, and performance-based contracts
Develop strategies to move pilot projects to scale
Manage the portfolio with Blue Forest and other important partners
Develop and deliver workplans for individual projects and the portfolio, including Ensure deliverables are of high quality and on track and adaptively manage
Track progress and co-lead internal and external reporting
Support the Director and senior leadership with proposal development and fundraising strategy implementation to support both project implementation and organizational budgets for the WRI-Blue Forest partnership
Produce external-facing materials (project and fundraising decks, project and portfolio summaries)
Represent WRI in meetings, workshops, and external convenings

Requirements

What you’ll need

Master's degree in forestry, hydrology, environmental science or management, business, economics, management, or related field
10+ years of relevant experience in NBS, forestry, climate resilience, water, or sustainable finance
Background in utility and beneficiary engagement related to conservation, water, and/or disaster risk reduction
Experience or familiarity with the CO River Basin and ideally key stakeholders
Experience managing projects and portfolios
Willingness to travel approximately 25% of the time including trips across the Upper Colorado River Basin and Washington, D.C.
Demonstrated fundraising success
Experience helping develop project implementation budgeting
Strong communication skills both orally and in writing
Calm in fast-moving environments
Creative, collaborative, and solutions-oriented
Comfortable working in a remote-setting in close collaboration with the broader team and partners.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities
A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours
Generous leave days that increase with tenure
If based in the US: Medical Coverage, Dental Coverage, Vision Coverage, retirement plan access and employer contribution.

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Hard Skills & Tools

project managementfundraisingbudgetingrisk reductioninfrastructure protectionwater qualityclimate resiliencesustainable financebusiness case developmentperformance-based contracts

Soft Skills

strong communicationcalm in fast-moving environmentscreativecollaborativesolutions-orientedadaptabilityleadershiporganizational skillsinterpersonal skillsnegotiation

Certifications

Master's degree in forestryMaster's degree in hydrologyMaster's degree in environmental scienceMaster's degree in managementMaster's degree in businessMaster's degree in economics