Project Manager, Northwest New Mexico (INTERNAL CANDIDATES ONLY)

** Internal position only. This position is available to candidates currently employed at DigDeep only. **

Position: Project Manager, Northwest New Mexico

Location: Thoreau, NM

Employment Type: Full-time, Salaried, Exempt

Compensation Range: $75,000-$105,000/year DOE

Reports To: Deputy Director, Navajo Water Project; Director, Navajo Water Project
Manages: Field Supervisor, Water & Solar Technicians, Project Assistant
Education/Experience Preferences: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience preferred
Supported by: Program team; Operations team, Development team
Start Date: ASAP, open until filled

We Are DigDeep

The DigDeep Right to Water Project is a WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) organization committed to closing the water access gap for the 2 million + people in the U.S. who still don’t have a tap or a toilet at home.

DigDeep believes access to clean water is a human right. We run several nationally recognized programs that empower communities to build their own water and sanitation systems. We won the 2018 US Water Prize for our Navajo Water Project, which has brought clean, running water to hundreds of Native families across New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. DigDeep launched the Appalachia Water Project in 2020, in McDowell County, WV. It has since brought clean, sustainable running water to hundreds of families in Southern West Virginia through public - private partnerships with the McDowell County PSD and East Logan PSD in Wyoming County. In addition to clean running water, the project is installing septic systems and connecting households to centralized sewer. The AWP is now expanding into neighboring states of Kentucky and Virginia to continue its quest for clean water for every Appalachian family. Our water projects expanded in 2022 when we launched our Colonias Water Project. This project works to bring clean, running water to the residents living in communities along the Texas-Mexico border. The Texas colonias are largely unincorporated, low-income communities that fall just outside city limits and often lack basic infrastructure. Our work began in Cochran colonia near El Paso. DigDeep partnered with residents, housing nonprofits, and county officials to innovate a new model for public-private-partnership that brings these basic services to families for the first time. Now we're getting the water flowing in 5 more communities.

The Opportunity

DigDeep is looking for a creative, motivated, collaborative, and highly organized person to join our Navajo Water Project program team as the Northwest New Mexico Project Manager (PM). Reporting to the Deputy Director and Director of the Navajo Water Project, the PM is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Navajo Water Project on the Northwestern Navajo Nation, contributing to DigDeep’s work throughout other parts of the Navajo Nation when required. This includes ensuring timely and high-quality delivery of program activities, budgeting, staffing, collaborating, and coordinating with the Navajo Nation government and water providers, external partners, and community members, while setting clear expectations, tracking progress against commitments, and proactively communicating status updates with HQ. This job is full-time and based in Thoreau, NM. It involves frequent travel to program sites in Thoreau, NM, and the surrounding areas, as well as to DigDeep HQ and other project sites across the US.

Key Responsibilities

This is what you’ll do once you join the team

Strategy

• Collaborate with the Deputy Director and Director to execute DigDeep's work on the Northwestern Navajo Nation and the surrounding areas to serve people with excellence and efficiency.
• Collaborate with the Deputy Director and Director to set new targets and timelines and identify and maintain partnerships with local governments, water providers, regulators, nonprofits, businesses, and community members.
• Identify Navajo communities in the Eastern Agency needing WASH assistance; develop strategies for serving these communities based on their unique needs and resources.

Implementation

• You will plan and implement WASH programs that meet the challenges faced by communities on the Northwestern Navajo Nation.
• Manage contractors and collaborate with the Program team as they design and implement new water projects from start to finish, developing clear work plans, monitoring milestones to ensure objectives are met in a safe, timely, and complete manner.
• Conduct site visits; collect intake data and assessments from site visits, prepare Cooperative Partnership Agreements; obtain client consent prior to initiating work. Upon completion of work, collect all appropriate information and gather media for storytelling.
• Ensure team is entering DigDeep client survey intake information into our data management system, mWater, accurately and in a timely manner, and that the information is updated and maintained as needed.
• Plan and direct field work according to plan laid out by the Deputy Director in order to meet all objectives, budgets, and timelines, adjusting proactively as challenges arise.
• As needed, plan and guide donors, press, and media visits to the field; and oversee volunteer work.
• Ensure program compliance with relevant laws as well as all workplace and employee policies.
• Routinely visit all project sites on the Northwestern Navajo Nation, and occasionally other projects on the Navajo Nation.

Finance & Development

• Assist the Deputy Director and Director in developing the annual program budget for the region and update the project’s budget on a quarterly basis.
• Monitor and track expenditures throughout the year to ensure compliance and alignment with budget.
• Collaborate with the development team to maximize all revenue and storytelling opportunities, especially those related to major donor cultivation and annual campaigns.
• Assist clients with DigDeep’s bill pay program, including collecting appropriate information and coordinating with local utilities.

Build Partnerships

• As needed, plan and implement outreach activities to develop visibility of the organization within the local community; represent the organization at local meetings.
• Consult closely and regularly with relevant agencies (ex. IHS, BIA, EPA, etc.); establish and maintain positive political relationships within the community and partner organizations.
• Foster an environment that promotes trust and cooperation among staff, community members, elected leaders, partner organizations, and the public.
• Provide clear, concise reports on plans, processes, and outcomes to executive staff; represent DigDeep at relevant conferences and events.

Safety

• Understanding and appreciation of occupational safety and health principles, regularly fostering and contributing to a safe working environment.
• Complete assigned health and safety trainings, including, but not limited to: OSHA 30, reasonable suspicion, etc., before beginning field work required, and as assigned (including review sessions) throughout employment.
• Ensure employees have completed their assigned health and safety trainings, including, but not limited to: OSHA 10, OSHA 30, reasonable suspicion, etc.

People Management

• Perform supervisory duties for the team as appropriate, including, but not limited to: interviewing applicants for employment; supporting and following up on performance improvement and management issues; resolving discipline problems and recommending termination as necessary; developing higher levels of expertise in staff by encouraging further education and providing learning opportunities.
• Lead and facilitate regular staff meetings, both virtually and in-person as appropriate; provide clear goals, deadlines, and performance feedback; ensure schedules and priorities are understood by all team members; provide strong day-to-day leadership that bridges multiple communication contexts to ensure all team members and clients are heard and understood.
• Uphold the unique culture of DigDeep by implementing values-aligned operations and management strategies for all work on the Navajo Nation.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. As the organization continues to evolve, duties or tasks may change without impacting the overall job description.

Competencies

• Change Management: Task/strategy orientation. Seeks out opportunities for task /team/ functional area growth and innovation. Anticipates obstacles from both team members and active projects, beginning to forecast and prepare contingencies. Collaboratively establish structures and processes to plan and manage the orderly implementation of change. Collaborate on the project goal and provide guidance on how to get there, especially under novel circumstances. Effectively navigates uncertainties and incomplete information with a problem-solving mindset to identify appropriate strategies, creatively apply solutions, and uses a community-driven, sustainable approach. Champions new policies/ procedures/ strategies. Are a focal point for driving adoption within functional area.
• Professional Communication: Professional presence, strong written and verbal communications skills, has the ability to appropriately represent both oneself and the company in external facing situations, able to adapt and react appropriately to novel circumstances. Tailors communications and presentations to effectively reach the desired audience and with maximum impact, both internal and external to the organization. Debates opinions, effectively clarifies ambiguities and judgments. Handles conflict empathetically. Converses with, writes reports for, and creates/delivers presentations to all levels of colleagues and peer groups in ways that support understanding, problem solving and planning. Explains the context of multiple...

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