The Lower Big Blue Natural Resources District (NRD) located in Beatrice, Nebraska, is hiring a full-time, three year term position Water Resources Protection Coordinator.

General Responsibilities
The Water Resources Protection Coordinator will work out of the NRD office and under the general supervision of the NRD Manager in conducting activities related to various groundwater and watershed projects within the district. This position will conduct outreach and provide technical and program assistance primarily within Source Water Protection (SWP) Areas, Phase II-III Groundwater Quality and Quantity Management Areas (GWMAs and GWQMAs) and National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) Areas in the Lower Big Blue NRD. 

Outreach will focus on landowners and producers in priority Public Water Supply (PWS) wellhead areas, and in the Turkey Creek NWQI area (i.e. one-on-one meetings). Coordinator will encourage producers to sign up for conservation practices to address identified impairments to surface water and groundwater resources. Technical assistance will include designing conservation practices, developing program contracts, and facilitating the design and/or certification of applied practices.  Excellent people skills will be essential to the success of this position. This individual must be knowledgeable of current NRD, NRCS, FSA and other partnering agency programs.  In addition, an understanding of NRD programs and field experience will be beneficial. Certain duties may be assigned at the discretion of the Supervisors.

Specific Responsibilities

Source Water Protection (includes Phase II-III GWMAs & GWQMAs)

• Focus outreach efforts on Public Water Supply (PWS) wellhead areas with elevated nitrate levels
• Obtain training from Area NRCS Office
• Conduct effective outreach for landowners and producers in the water protection areas to encourage them to use conservation practices to reduce nitrate leaching
• Personally contact producers, complete land resource inventories and identify conservation practices for which to encourage implementation
• Work closely with NRCS Field Office staff to obligate Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contracts annually using SWP funding
• Work closely with NRCS Field Office staff and producers to promote, plan, develop and obligate program contracts
• Work with program contract holders to implement their contracts, design conservation practices, and help to facilitate the certification of practices for payment
• Conduct workshops, field days or other public events to raise the visibility of this effort
• Collaborate with partners who have other programs and resources available for source water protection (i.e. Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, UNL Extension, community leaders, agribusinesses, etc.)
• Assist with District Education Programs
• Other duties as assigned

Turkey Creek NWQI Area

• Focus on areas within the watershed contributing to atrazine, nitrates and E. coli loading of Turkey Creek
• Obtain training from Area NRCS Office
• Conduct effective outreach for landowners and producers in the watershed to encourage them to use conservation practices to reduce atrazine, nitrates, and E. coli runoff
• Personally contact every landowner/operator in Turkey Creek watershed and other identified priority areas for groundwater and surface water quality and quantity management practices (i.e. nutrient and pesticide management, buffer strips, irrigation water management, cover crops, livestock-specific practices)
• Work closely with NRCS Field Office staff to obligate EQIP contracts annually using Turkey Creek NWQI funding
• Work closely with NRCS Field Office staff and producers to promote, plan, develop and obligate program contracts
• Work with program contract holders to implement their contracts, design conservation practices, and to help facilitate the certification of practices for payment
• Conduct workshops/ field days or other public events to raise the awareness of the concerns and effort in the Turkey Creek watershed
• Assist with District Education Programs
• Other duties as assigned

General Qualifications
There is no minimum educational requirement for this position, but a Bachelor of Science Degree or a degree from an accredited college with an agriculture, natural resources or water resources major, or a graduate of a technical school in said fields with two years of experience is preferred. Other degrees will be considered if significant experience in natural resources management can be demonstrated. Experience with NRD and NRCS programs and the ability to meet and work with people to accomplish goals will be important in this position.  A farm or ranch background would be beneficial. Computer skills and a knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and ArcGIS are essential.  

Apply
Applications will be accepted through April 9, 2026, with a tentative start date of May 4, 2026. If interested, please submit a letter of interest and resume to the attention of Lower Big Blue NRD General Manager J. Scott Sobotka at sobotka [at] lbbnrd.net or by mail to:
Lower Big Blue NRD
PO Box 826
Beatrice, NE 68310

For further information, please contact the Lower Big Blue NRD at 402.228-3402.