Environmental Director

The Milwaukee Harbor District is seeking an Environmental Director to lead environmental initiatives and public space projects. This role involves managing urban ecological restoration, securing and managing grants, and navigating complex systems in an industrial waterfront environment. The director will collaborate with various partners to ensure project completion and support the district's environmental priorities. Candidates should have experience in grant management and urban ecological restoration.
Milwaukee Harbor District leads the revitalization of the Harbor District by connecting people to place, supporting a healthy business community, and improving the quality of our natural environment. We imagine a lively waterfront community where diverse businesses, residents, and ecosystems thrive together. Milwaukee Harbor District, with its nine miles of waterfront along the Kinnickinnic River, Inner Harbor, and Lake Michigan, is rich in history and full of potential for environmental progress, advocacy, and engagement.

Environmental Director

The Environmental Director is the Harbor District’s lead visionary, problem-solver, and partner in executing environmental initiatives and public space projects. This individual transforms big ideas and grant commitments into tangible projects. They handle complex public funding, are comfortable working in urban and industrial environments, and know how to guide projects through systems without losing momentum.

If you like plans that sit on shelves, this isn’t for you. If you enjoy working on things like installing fish habitats on steel dock walls, restoring riverbanks, and bringing structure to ambitious projects in the environmental and public space fields, keep reading.

Why This Role Matters

The Harbor District operates at the intersection of environmental repair, economic activity, and public access. This role is central to proving that scalable environmental work can happen in places that still make things, move goods, and support jobs.

You will leave behind physical improvements that people can point to years from now and say, “That happened because someone pushed it across the finish line.”

What You’ll Do

Get Projects Done
• Identify, manage, and lead urban ecological restoration and public space projects from idea to construction to close-out in collaboration with funders, consultants, and partners
• Manage multiple projects at once, often with overlapping funders, timelines, and partners
• Keep work moving through permits, reviews, and agency processes
• Show up on site and get your hands dirty, this is not a desk-only role

Manage Grants Like a Pro
• Identify, write, and manage federal, state, and local grants
• Track budgets, timelines, deliverables, and compliance requirements
• Coordinate with funders, consultants, contractors, and partners

Navigate Complex Systems
• Collaborate with government partners, contractors, funders, and community partners
• Champion environmental goals within the realities of a working waterfront and industrial neighborhood

Support Big-Picture Strategy
• Help shape the Harbor District’s environmental priorities and project pipeline based on the Water and Land Use Plan and other strategic priorities
• Identify funding opportunities that match real capacity and needs

Represent the Harbor District
• Serve as a credible, trusted Harbor District point of contact with agencies, partners, and stakeholders by utilizing clear and accurate communication, remaining transparent, and being forthcoming about Harbor District projects and initiatives.

What We’re Looking For

Experience
• Proven experience managing and executing federal, state, and local grants
• Background in urban ecological restoration, water quality, habitat restoration, green infrastructure, or similar work
• Experience working in complex, multi-partner environments, ideally in cities or industrial areas
• 15 years of professional experience with demonstrated accountability and decision-making growth

Skills
• Strong project management skills, you know how to build a workplan and follow it
• Clear decision-maker who knows when to escalate and when to solve
• Clear, direct communicator in writing and in person
• Interest or experience in helping managing urban public spaces like Harbor View Plaza or Harbor View Riverwalk
• Spanish or Hmong language skills are beneficial but not required.

Mindset
• You are ready to pitch in for events/projects that advance the organization’s work like Harbor Fest
• Respect for people and place, you understand the value of working waterfronts, industry, environment, and neighborhoods co-existing
• You want to get “ship” done, not just talk about it
• You are persistent yet respected and trusted
• You can make judgment calls when the path forward is not perfect
• You care about environmental outcomes, but you also understand budgets, timelines, and tradeoffs
• You’re comfortable working occasional evenings or weekends.

Starting salary is up to $80,000, depending on experience. Position reports to the CEO.

Benefits

Three weeks of paid vacation time, increasing with tenure plus sick time; ten paid holidays; Harbor District closes between Christmas and New Year’s; employer contribution to health insurance; professional development funds; employer contribution to retirement fund; monthly cell phone allocation.

The Harbor District supports a flexible hybrid work environment founded on trust, accountability, and community connection. Team members are expected to choose at least three regular in-office days each week. In-person participation is expected for team gatherings, partner meetings, and community events, particularly in a role like this that centers on relationship-building and direct engagement with our neighbors and stakeholders. We believe showing up, especially in the community, is essential to building trust and advancing our mission.

Management reserves the right to change job responsibilities, duties, and hours to meet the needs of the organization.

Harbor District is committed to building a diverse, inclusive team that reflects the communities we serve. We value diversity of thought, culture, and background as essential to the strength of our organization and our impact. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, disability (mental or physical), medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We actively recruit, support, and retain talented individuals from diverse, historically underrepresented backgrounds.

To apply for this position, email your resume and letter of interest to info@harbordistrict.org. Please title the email “Environmental Director.” The position will remain open until the right candidate is found.