Blue Water Baltimore is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to restore the quality of Baltimore's rivers, streams, and Harbor to foster a healthy environment, a strong economy, and thriving communities. The water quality of Baltimore’s waterways has long been impacted by polluted stormwater runoff, trash, sewage, and toxic chemicals. Poor water quality harms the environment, threatens residents’ health, and endangers the vitality of the local economy. In 2010, five local grassroots environmental organizations joined forces as Blue Water Baltimore to collectively address water quality issues in Baltimore. Over its history, Blue Water Baltimore has built an engaged base of more than 20,000 supporters. Now one of the largest environmental groups in Maryland, Blue Water Baltimore informs, engages, and empowers people in Baltimore City and the surrounding region, working together toward a future where its streams, rivers, and Harbor are healthy, thriving ecosystems accessible and safe for residents, visitors, and commerce. To achieve these goals, Blue Water Baltimore monitors Baltimore area waterways for pollution, integrates arts and education into community greening and stormwater management projects, and works with an array of partners including schools, congregations, and hospitals to effect change on the ground. In addition to restoration activities, we also inform and mobilize residents in advocacy efforts for stronger clean water policies and programs, both locally and statewide. Blue Water Baltimore unites residents and public and private partners to accomplish more by working together than any one group could do alone for Baltimore’s water quality.

Our team is small, close-knit, and committed to the wellbeing and happiness of one another. Our workplace is flexible, casual, and fun. As an organization and individually, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment. Read more at www.BlueWaterBaltimore.org. 

Position Summary

The Senior Operations Director is a key leadership position of Blue Water Baltimore (BWB). This is a senior level position that in close coordination and with approval of the Executive Director will develop and manage the execution of operations, including plans and strategies as well as establish and compile evaluation metrics to ensure BWB meets the organizational goals and objectives of its strategic planning efforts. This position will also manage, organize, lead, and support staff and volunteers in executing BWB’s community engagement and community events to accomplish our strategic plan and yearly goals. This position ensures that BWB staff and volunteers have the training and support needed to sustain strong community-based partnerships, build equity-focused programming into its work, and communicate effectively and proactively to ensure the public's trust. This position is also responsible for managing staff and volunteers in the development of plans, strategies, and the implementation of BWB’s diversity, equity, anti-racist, inclusion, and justice strategies and programs.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Management and Leadership

• People Management:
  • Accomplish department objectives by managing staff; planning and evaluating department activities.
  • Maintain staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees.
  • Develop professional growth opportunities and assists employees in planning to continue achieving their goals.
  • Accomplish staff results by communicating job expectations, planning, monitoring, and appraising job results.
  • Coach, counsel, and discipline employees when needed.
• Establish performance metrics in collaboration with the Executive Director and ensure the metrics are properly tracked to support and conduct the following organizational and program assessments:
  • Assess programming and infrastructure to recommend where resources (e.g., funds, talent, partnerships) are needed to close gaps across BWB’s program areas to maximize BWB’s overall effectiveness.
  • Assess and advise the leadership team in reviewing programmatic goals and ensuring program leaders and staff are tracking and focusing on their identified outcomes and measures of BWB’s Strategic Plan.
  • Analyze programs to evaluate the performance of the organization and its staff in meeting objectives, determine areas of potential cost reduction, and identify opportunities to strengthen cross-program planning and implementation.
• Ensure programmatic goals are achieved through follow up, coordination, and troubleshooting as needed.
• Foster inclusive planning processes and facilitate effective communications across all teams and programs.
• Ensure that BWB staff and volunteers have the training and support needed to sustain strong community-based partnerships, build equity-focused programming into BWB’s work, and communicate effectively and proactively to ensure the public's trust.
• Collaborate with communications, engagement, education, and database teams to support the needs of all program areas and directly manage and supervise staff leads in these areas.
• Assume responsibilities of the Executive Director in the Executive Director’s absence in consultation with the Chair of BWB’s Board of Directors.

Strategic Planning

• Support the Executive Director in providing strategic direction on programs and initiatives.
• Create and manage budgets for all departments, in conjunction with Executive Director and departmental directors and managers.
• Manage and establish metrics to assess and evaluate operations for programs and projects that enhance BWB’s capacity to mobilize staff and volunteers to advocate and communicate with stakeholders on priority issues related to programs and projects.
• Develop and execute strategies to meet ongoing annual operating plans, and assist with developing organizational and program goals, objectives, and strategies.
• Coordinate planning by managers and provide guidance for major program/project activities that require cross-program collaboration.
• Identify and help managers procure external resources, partners, and experts who can inform and support planning and work for BWB’s programs.

Community Engagement

• Develop and ensure organization-wide understanding of BWB’s community engagement vision, values, and strategy.
• Support the creation of annual and project-based organizational community engagement plans to understand community priorities and integrate them into programmatic work plans.
• Develop and manage community feedback mechanisms. 

Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

• Lead staff and volunteers in the development of plans, strategies, and implementation of BWB’s diversity, equity, anti-racist, inclusion, and justice strategies and programs.
• Determine how justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion can be effectively and authentically incorporated into the organization’s operations, programs, and culture.
• Work with staff, board members, and an experienced consultant to develop a shared vocabulary and understanding of these concepts across the organization through training and other relevant tactics.
• Provide justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion analysis of external programmatic work and align them toward equity and inclusion.

Minimum Qualifications

• At least 5 years management experience preferably at a nonprofit of similar size.
• Experience in creating a strategic plan and evaluating its implementation.
• Experience in assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of programs. 
• Experience in creating, planning and maintaining multiple departmental budgets.
• DEI (JEDI) certification preferred.
• Understanding of environmental justice and commitment to promoting environmental justice in the Baltimore Metropolitan area.

Desired Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental policy or science and experience working in environmental restoration, environmental advocacy, or a related field. Master’s level of education preferred but not essential.
• Demonstrated experience in successful community engagement especially with majority Black communities ideally in the Baltimore Metropolitan area.
• PMP is a plus.

Race Equity Commitment

• Demonstrated commitment to racial equity, dismantling white supremacy, and incorporating a structural power analysis into work.
• Knowledge and understanding of how power is manifested in matters of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstances.

Functional Experience 

• Ability to inspire and motivate teams to work with a clear direction and purpose.
• Proven ability to build and nurture a calm and positive working environment, especially in high intensity situations.
• Ability to listen and appreciate different perspectives and adjust approach as needed to support colleagues and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage simultaneous projects and adapt strategy to changing demands.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills: effective communications, listening, writing, and conflict resolution skills are required.
• Ability to solve problems creatively, think strategically and conceptually to identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement productive solutions.

Salary Range: $87-92k Annually

A Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.