Location: Remote (US-Based), United States
The Pacific Institute is a global water think tank that combines science-based thought leadership with active outreach and engagement to influence local, national, and international efforts in water sustainability and resilience. Since 1987 it has worked with groups ranging from major corporations to frontline communities, engaging more than 270 partners including NGOs, utilities, policymakers and businesses.
The Institute is seeking a strategic Senior Program Manager within its Water Efficiency and Reuse focus area. The role leads high-impact, multi-year projects directly and oversees a portfolio of related efforts, guiding and supporting teams who lead other projects within the portfolio. It balances hands-on project execution with portfolio-level leadership, ensuring alignment, quality and impact across multiple workstreams. The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise in water efficiency and reuse analysis and policy, combined with a strong understanding of how these strategies are implemented by utilities, communities, agencies and large water users including data centres and other large industries.
Responsibilities: span program and project management (leading complex multi-year initiatives, developing and monitoring budgets, translating strategy into project plans, milestones and deliverables, preparing high-quality reports, briefs and presentations); research and analysis (identifying innovative approaches and emerging opportunities, leading collection and synthesis of quantitative and qualitative data, designing research methodologies, literature reviews, landscape scans and stakeholder interviews, implementing QA/QC protocols, translating findings into actionable recommendations); outreach and engagement (building relationships with partners and stakeholders, publishing and presenting results, representing the organisation at conferences and public forums); fundraising and funder relations (securing sustainable program funding, leading competitive proposals and grant applications to foundations, corporations and government sources, managing funder relationships and reporting); and team leadership (hiring, training and mentoring team members, providing strategic guidance and oversight to project leads, modelling inclusive leadership).
Required: minimum 12 years of relevant professional experience advancing water efficiency, reuse or closely related areas, or an advanced degree in environmental or sustainability sciences, civil or environmental engineering, water resources, environmental economics, hydrology or a closely related field with at least 10 years of equivalent experience. Extensive expertise in water efficiency and reuse with specialised knowledge in water-energy interdependencies or applied water economics; working knowledge of water and wastewater utility operations; proven ability to lead complex multi-stakeholder projects and manage a portfolio; proven success securing funding; team leadership experience; advanced analytical skills; proficiency with data analysis and visualisation tools (Excel, R, Python, Power BI, Tableau); excellent writing and presentation skills. Preferred: existing relationships with philanthropic, corporate or government funders in water, climate or sustainability; direct experience with water or wastewater utilities and nonprofits; familiarity with US water policy landscapes; water-energy nexus experience; experience working with frontline or historically underrepresented communities.
Job type: Full-time, 35 hours per week, exempt. Reports to the Chief Research and Program Officer. Salary range $93,000 - $105,000 per year, plus paid vacation, health and dental benefits and an Institute-matched retirement plan. Some business travel may be required, including overnight stays. Start date available immediately. The Pacific Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Closing date: 2026-09-04
HOW TO APPLY:
Apply online via the Pacific Institute application portal. Please submit: a cover letter of no more than two pages (covering your interest in the work of the Pacific Institute and specific fit for this position, a summary of your qualifications, and a statement on how your addition to the team would contribute to the Institute's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts); your CV/Resume (candidates are encouraged to remove their school name); and a writing sample of up to five pages, excluding figures and tables, where you are the first or sole author, published or externally released (e.g. peer-reviewed article, white paper, report, briefing, or op-ed). No immigration or relocation assistance is available for this position. No phone calls, please. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Recruitment process: application review, phone screen with the HR Manager, group interview with the Hiring Manager and Team, second group interview, references, offer.