Counterpart International seeks a Water Governance and Natural Resource Officer to support its five-year USAID-funded program Climate Adaptation Activity (CAA) in the Dominican Republic. The CAA program seeks to build locally led, long-term resilience to climate change by promoting sustainable livelihoods and water security, which should result in significant environmental gains in the Dajabon watershed, beyond the province and into Haiti. By engaging communities, leveraging private funding and public resources, enabling data informed decision-making, and building diverse partnerships grounded in inclusion and market-based approaches, the Climate Adaptation Activity will accelerate sustainable social, economic, and environmental outcomes.

The Water Governance and Natural Resource Officer is responsible for co-leading water management, and water security-related activities in the project, with a focus on reforestation and support to watershed councils and communities. This encompasses managing projects and initiatives that promote sustainable water governance and support reforestation plans, and climate smart agriculture in the watershed. The Water Governance and Natural Resource Officer position will be based Dajabon and/or Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic. This position will report to the Technical Director.

Responsibilities

• Support the Technical Director in the day-to-day definition and execution of project activities; the development of plans, schedules, budgets, and deliverable; and management of grants.
• Responsible for the accuracy of project timelines, tasks, milestones, resource requirements, costs, risks, and execution for any assigned activities.
• Offer technical expertise, training, and capacity-building support watershed councils, communities, and other stakeholders on water security, reforestation techniques, climate smart agriculture practices and watershed management.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret data on water resources, reforestation efforts, watershed health, and ecosystem services.
• Prepare comprehensive reports, assessments, and evaluations to track project progress, outcomes, and impact indicators.
• Build and strengthen partnerships with national and municipal level government, civil society organizations, community-based organizations, and private sector entities.
• Coordinate and monitor activities led by project partners.
• Coordinate and liaise activities with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the National Water Resource Institute, and other relevant government agencies in the Dominican Republic.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to foster synergy, leverage resources, and promote collective action for water security and natural resource management in the Dajabon watershed along the Massacre river.
• Engage with local communities and watershed councils to promote participatory decision-making and community-led initiatives.
• Facilitate dialogue, awareness campaigns, and capacity-building activities to empower communities in sustainable resource stewardship and promote reforestation and climate resilient activities.
• Collaborate with the MEL Manager to track and evaluate activities against monitoring frameworks, indicators, and tools to assess project effectiveness, outcomes, and sustainability.
• Stay abreast of emerging research, innovations, and best practices in water security, reforestation, and watershed management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Environmental Science, Water Resources Management, Natural Resource Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 4 years of professional experience in natural resource management, environmental conservation, or climate resiliency programming.
• Demonstrated technical experience and professional interest in environmental governance and one or more of the following areas: water, water resource management, reforestation, and/or climate change.
• Deep understanding of the environmental technical and policy context in Dominican Republic.
• Proficiency in project management tools, data analysis software (e.g., GIS, statistical packages), and Microsoft Office suite.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and facilitation skills to engage diverse stakeholders and navigate complex policy environments.
• Ability to work with diverse populations.
• Knowledge of USAID donor compliance requirements, grant management principles, preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills and work ethic.
• Ability to work with multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Spanish, English proficiency preferred.