Project Manager/Scientist

San Francisco Estuary Institute
San Francisco Estuary Institute

Operations

San Francisco, CA, USA

USD 114k-137k / year

Posted on Jul 15, 2026

Project Manager/Scientist

  • Location: Richmond, California

  • Program: Clean Water

  • Type: Full-time

  • Experience Level: Mid-Level or Senior

  • Position Type: Permanent

  • Salary: $114,000 to $137,000 depending on experience

Position Description

  • Posted: July 14, 2026

  • First review of applications: July 29, 2026

  • Application closing date: August 7, 2026 or when we 75 applications are received, whichever occurs first

The San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) is seeking a Project Manager/Scientist (PM/S) to assist in management of the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP). The RMP (www.sfei.org/rmp) is a $9 million/yr world-class monitoring program that has been providing the information that is most urgently needed for managing water quality in the Bay since 1993. The PM/S would join an interdisciplinary team to support projects investigating the sources, fate, transport, and impacts of contaminants in San Francisco Bay and its surrounding watersheds. The PM/S will also support other SFEI Clean Water Program efforts to address pivotal pollution issues with regional, state, and national implications.

The PM/S will contribute to both overall RMP management (50%) and technical work on science projects (50%) aligned with expertise. Program management includes a diverse set of activities, including: stakeholder engagement, program development, contributing to multi-year science planning, strategic planning, budget development, staff supervision, and management of a large number of complex multi-stakeholder projects. This is a full-time, Bay Area-based, hybrid office position for a candidate with a Master’s or PhD degree and scientific and project management experience in water quality issues, particularly environmental chemistry.

  • Project leadership in managing staff workflows, making connections between projects, and providing guidance and review of studies to assure they meet study and program goals for projects at a high level of technical proficiency.

  • Oversee and manage projects to ensure, on time and on budget completion of complex projects. Ensures that project design and implementation meet scientific standards. Work with other team members to ensure that shared staff are available for participation on projects. Work with external collaborators who contribute technically to projects.

  • Supervise staff and/or manage work of staff in their technical work, career growth, and professional development.

  • Technical leadership of program elements aligned with expertise.

  • Technical oversight and review of RMP reports and proposals.

  • Field work on occasion

If you are excited about this role, but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may still be a good candidate for this role, or one of our other roles.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

  • Master’s degree in environmental science or pertinent scientific field and a minimum of 9 years of relevant work experience or

  • PhD in environmental science or pertinent scientific field and a minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience

  • A team player who inspires staff and is enthusiastic about the RMP’s goal of providing science to inform management decisions.

  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.

  • High level of proficiency with project management tools, ensuring projects are using robust tracking tools and that project information is communicated to project staff at regular intervals.

  • Work experience in relevant program management areas, e.g., stakeholder governance and communication; building and maintaining scientific collaborations; developing and implementing strategic programmatic goals; leading scientific teams on complex environmental projects.

  • Work experience in relevant environmental science areas (e.g., environmental monitoring for contaminants, study design, conceptual and mechanistic models and environmental statistics).

  • Experience designing and executing scientific studies; data analysis and synthesis; writing technical reports and/or journal articles to communicate findings.

  • Experience managing projects and delivering high-quality products on time and within budget, including through technical oversight and review of work products.

  • Ability to work on multiple projects concurrently, sometimes with short deadlines.

Desired Additional Skills and Experience

  • Knowledge of QA/QC standards for field sampling and laboratory procedures.

  • Ability to contribute to, or lead, aspects of field work that may periodically involve working unusual hours (e.g., late nights, early mornings, and weekends) and carrying 40 pound field equipment for short durations. Fully remote work will not be possible.

  • Experience with the collection, processing, and analysis of environmental samples (e.g., water, stormwater, sediment, fish and other wildlife tissues) for chemical contaminants.

Salary & Benefits highlights

  • This will be a Project Manager/Scientist position. The anticipated salary range for full time employment is $114,000 to $137,000 for this position (Please note that this is a Bay Area position. Fully remote work is not possible). Salary ranges take into account many factors for making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, education, internal salary structure, and organizational needs. We expect to offer starting salaries at or near the lower end of the salary range

  • Matching contributions to retirement plan (immediate vesting) (403B)

  • Medical Insurance: health, vision, dental with employer and employee contributions

  • 12 paid holidays

  • Vacation days starting at 3 weeks accrual/year

  • Hybrid workplace

About the Clean Water Program

SFEI’s Clean Water Program is one of the nation’s premier water quality science programs. It anticipates and meets the water quality data needs of policymakers, resource managers, and the public. SFEI and the Clean Water Program were established in 1993 to develop and manage the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP), which was created by the Regional Water Quality Control Board to ensure water quality management decisions and investments are guided by sound science. The RMP is a unique collaborative of regulators, dischargers, industry representatives, non-governmental organizations, and scientists. SFEI continues to serve as the manager and scientific lead of the RMP, which seeks to identify and conduct the studies needed to help managers and policymakers stay ahead of emerging threats. RMP studies have informed and continue to impact policymaking, chemical bans, cleanup plans, and science and management strategies at the local, state, and federal levels.

About SFEI

San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which has a 25-year track record of providing robust and innovative science to decision-makers, policy-makers, practitioners, and community members to measurably improve the health and resiliency of Bay-Delta ecosystems. As a boundary organization, SFEI operates at the interface between science and policy, recognized nationally for our ability to build consensus to support effective environmental decision-making and policy. Our mission is to deliver visionary science that empowers people to revitalize nature in our communities.

SFEI employs an interdisciplinary staff of more than 90. Our operations and IT staff are the backbone of our organization and keep everything running smoothly. SFEI has three major programs: Clean Water, Environmental Informatics, and Resilient Landscapes. Our program staff represent numerous scientific and technological fields, including chemistry, modeling, ecology, wildlife biology, landscape planning, historical ecology, geomorphology, geospatial analysis, and web development.

For more information on our mission, values, programs, and staff, visit the San Francisco Estuary Institute website.

Employment Considerations

The San Francisco Estuary Institute is committed to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, family or parental status, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Accommodations Statement

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request an accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our website or application portal as a result of your disability. To request an accommodation, contact us at 510-746-7355 or admin@sfei.org.

Other Key Information

Please note that SFEI cannot sponsor an employment visa (e.g., H-1B) to fill this position.

In the spirit of a fair hiring process, no phone calls or emails please.

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