OpenET - Program Manager, Stakeholder & Project Delivery

This is a remote position.

Who We Are

Sustainable water management is one of the most challenging issues of our time, especially in the arid western U.S. Adequate water supplies are crucial to maintaining the health of communities, rivers, and wildlife, and nothing is more important to agriculture’s ability to produce food for the world’s growing population. Maximizing the benefits of our water supplies requires careful measurement of their availability and use. For irrigated agriculture, satellite-based estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) provide a measure of the water used to grow food — the biggest share of water consumption in most arid environments around the world. However, access to ET data has been limited and expensive, keeping it out of the hands of most water users and decision-makers.

OpenET provides open, easily accessible satellite-based ET data for improved water management. The OpenET collaborative includes leading national and international experts in remote sensing of ET, cloud computing, and water policy, partnered with nationally recognized web development teams and leaders in the western agriculture and water management communities.

To learn more, visit: https://etdata.org/

What We're Looking For

You're a calm force in chaos, a builder who sees ambiguity as an opportunity, and a trusted operator who gets things done. You thrive in fast-moving, science-driven environments where no two weeks look the same. You can keep a dozen moving parts in motion—grants, partners, science, stakeholders—and do it with clarity, precision, and diplomacy.

You believe environmental data should serve people. You see the power in working with universities, government agencies, and communities to create impact. You can translate science into execution, strategy into deliverables, and tension into alignment.

You’re not looking for a plug-and-play job. You’re looking to build something that matters—and be at the operational center of a mission with national relevance.

What You’ll Do

• Act as the CEO’s operational right hand in executing OpenET’s most critical projects, contracts, and grant-funded programs
• Lead or support project implementation as the point of contact across internal teams and Consortium Partners (academic, nonprofit, and government)
• Track timelines, budgets, and deliverables with discipline and accountability
• Represent OpenET at conferences, webinars, and partner meetings with clarity and professionalism
• Translate complex technical and scientific information for diverse audiences, from policymakers to practitioners
• Collaborate with partners to develop and submit compelling grant and contract proposals
• Capture lessons learned from projects and help translate them into future strategies
• Participate in governance activities, including Program & Technology Committee
• Build systems and communication flows that keep everyone aligned without adding unnecessary layers
  
  

Requirements

What You’ll Bring

• 5 years of program, contract, or grant management experience, ideally with multi-stakeholder partners or in a consortium environment
• Technical literacy in water resources, hydrology, environmental or agricultural science, or a closely related field
• Strong understanding of how to work with or within government, academic, or nonprofit ecosystems
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and writing skills, and adept at applying these in a remote-work setting
• Comfort working with ambiguity, shifting priorities, and startup-style, operations
• A master’s or PhD in Hydrology, Agricultural or Water Resource Engineering, Geography, Agricultural Economics, or a related field (or equivalent applied experience)
• High standards for professionalism, follow-through, and ethical representation of science-driven work
• Bonus: experience with satellite-based evapotranspiration, water accounting tools, or environmental data policy
  
  

What Success Looks Like

3 Months In

• You’re fully onboarded and reducing the operational burden on the CEO
• You’ve built rapport with internal and external stakeholders
• You’re managing at least one active grant or contract with confidence
  
  

6 Months In

• You’re independently managing multiple projects and overseeing partner deliverables
• You’re translating OpenET’s science into programs and outreach
• You’re contributing to proposals, strategy, and external representation
  
  

12 Months In

• You’re fully autonomous in your role, leading complex projects from kickoff to closeout
• You're a trusted presence across OpenET's ecosystem, known for reliability and clarity
• You’re helping to evolve and scale OpenET's operations for the next phase of growth
  
  

Benefits

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary Range: $90,000 to $115,000*
• The top of the salary range is reserved for highly qualified candidates with extensive experience in a similar role.
• Location: Remote (U.S.-based)
• Travel: Moderate travel required for in-person meetings and conferences
• Benefits: Competitive health benefits, paid vacation and sick leave, 401k with an up to 5% employer match contribution
  
  

Equal Opportunity Employer

OpenET is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected status. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and organizational need.