Director, Water Policy

About the role

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy seeks to improve quality of life through the effective use, taxation, and stewardship of land. A nonprofit, private operating foundation whose origins date to 1946, the Lincoln Institute researches and recommends creative, nonpartisan approaches to land as a solution to economic, social, and environmental challenges. Through education, training, publications, and events, we integrate theory and practice to inform public policy decisions worldwide. We organize our work around three impact areas: land and water; land and fiscal systems; and land and communities. We envision a world where cities and regions prosper and benefit from coordinated land use planning and public finance; where communities thrive from efficient and equitable allocation of limited land resources; and where stewardship of land and water resources ensures a livable future. We work globally, with locations in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Washington, DC; Phoenix, Arizona; and Beijing, China.

Responsibilities

• Produce: Design, oversee, and conduct research and analysis on water and land policy integration to advance the programs of the Land and Water Impact Area.
• Identify and help define the key conceptual frameworks and knowledge base that guides the Institute’s work on land and water systems and policy
• Understand and map the policy systems relevant to the land and water impact area, and map the requisite strategies to advance the Institute’s mission
• Prioritize and plan policy and research activities relating to water and land management, urban water management, agricultural water management, land conservation, biodiversity, and nature-based solutions.
• Partner with the leaders on program implementation, land conservation, and others in aligning and prioritizing research needs.
• Plan timely and relevant research needs and execute research/analysis of those needs.
• Work with the Center for Geospatial Solutions to implement research and products focusing on the use of geospatial data, as related to land conservation and water policies.
• Prioritize and implement strategy for timely and relevant policy analysis and research for the impact area.
• Produce slide decks and other presentations associated with research outcomes for use across the Lincoln Institute.
• Serve and nurture others to be subject matter experts of areas of interest within the land and water impact area.
• Build and sustain partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies, utilities, and peer organizations working on water policy and resource stewardship.
• Lead and facilitate workshops, convenings, and cohort-based learning programs (such as the Lincoln Vibrant Communities Cohort) that bring together practitioners to address shared water policy challenges.
• Monitor emerging pressures and relevant policy discussions on water systems and land management on private and public lands; position the Lincoln Institute as a trusted, nonpartisan source of guidance.
• Represent the Lincoln Institute in public forums, media, and professional networks, including through published commentary, testimony, and speaking engagements.
• Collaborate with colleagues across impact areas to ensure water policy work is integrated into the Institute's broader body of work.
• Supervise and mentor program