Resilience & Adaptation Coordinator

The Hudson Valley Regional Council (HVRC) is seeking applicants for a full-time Resilience & Adaptation Coordinator. HVRC is an organization of county governments comprising Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties. It is one of over 650 such councils in the United States. HVRC helps municipalities access and understand information and grants from the state and federal level, and provides technical assistance on environmental and sustainability programs, economic development, materials management, and water resources. Our programmatic areas are funded by the US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (US EDA), US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) and its Hudson River Estuary Program (HREP), and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). HVRC’s work is also funded in part by the county governments of the Mid-Hudson Region.

The successful applicant will carry out tasks related to the NYS DEC Climate Leadership Coordinator Services Program for the seven-county Mid-Hudson Region.

The Resilience & Adaptation Coordinator will be primarily responsible for delivering technical assistance and guidance to local governments seeking support for climate vulnerability assessments and climate adaptation planning efforts. The role will also include supporting municipalities in achieving Climate Smart Communities Certification, including climate action plans. The role may also involve technical assistance on mitigation efforts and assistance to other programmatic focus areas of HVRC’s Clean Energy and Sustainability portfolio.

Duties include:

·      Support local governments in conducting climate vulnerability assessments, developing climate adaptation plans, and evaluating policies for climate resilience. Work closely with partners to conduct analyses and draft plans and strategies.

·      Assist local governments in relevant research related to planning, land use, and emergency preparedness.

·      Assist local governments in developing strategic public outreach and engagement campaigns involving key municipal stakeholders and community residents.

·      Connect local governments with relevant resilience-related programs, funding, and grant opportunities.

·      Conduct local presentations and on-site and/or virtual trainings/workshops to local officials and community stakeholders on program-specific topics. Design and implement stakeholder/public engagement tools and events.

·      Assist local governments with understanding and completing actions toward New York State’s Climate Smart Communities Certification Program, including supporting completion of climate action plans.

·      Maintain regular records of community progress and project completion, partnerships, meetings, referrals, and other activities through all necessary reporting platforms.

·      Lead work planning and supervision of Resilience & Adaptation Intern.

·       Prepare updates for HVRC’s Board of Directors on climate adaptation and resilience work.

·      Other duties as assigned.

Minimum qualifications are a master’s degree in urban planning, environmental science, geography, or a related field, and one year’s experience in sustainability, adaptation, or urban planning; or a bachelor’s degree in urban planning, environmental science, geography or a related field, and three years’ relevant experience. Must be knowledgeable about climate adaptation planning, NY State local government operations; familiarity with NYS DEC and NYSERDA programs is a plus. Must be solution-oriented, collaborative, passionate, able to work independently within programmatic structures, and motivated to make new contacts and engage communities. Must have strong public speaking and writing skills as well as experience with outreach and engagement to a variety of stakeholders, including clarity of presentation and facility with gauging audiences. Must possess proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams; Access a plus); facility with GIS, CRM, and social media welcomed. Professional working proficiency in Spanish is a plus.

The starting salary range for this full-time exempt position is $55,000-$65,000 and will be commensurate with experience. Benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance; 14 paid holidays; and PTO, including sick, personal, and vacation. HVRC staff must reside in the seven-county Mid-Hudson Region of New York. This position is structured as a hybrid schedule, with in-office days at the Newburgh office. The ability to meet work-related travel needs is required, with travel reimbursed at the federal reimbursement level. Position currently reports to the Deputy Executive Director of HVRC.

HVRC complies with all applicable state and federal laws. HVRC employs, retains, promotes, and otherwise treats all employees and job applicants on the basis of merit, qualifications, and competence. HVRC does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, genetic predisposition, marital status, military status, sexual orientation, disability, or status as a victim of domestic violence, or any other protected characteristics.

HVRC provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities, as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state and local laws. Applicants or employees who need reasonable accommodation to perform the essential functions of their job should notify HVRC as soon as the need arises. HVRC will engage in an interactive process with each individual to identify job‑related needs and will provide reasonable accommodation unless doing so would cause undue hardship.

Please email your cover letter, résumé, and position-related writing sample to the attention of Deputy Executive Director Amanda Peçanha Hickey at ahickey@hudsonvalleyrc.org by 4:00pm on August 7, 2026.