General Manager - VP

The General Manager provides strategic, commercial, regulatory, and operational leadership for a groundwater banking asset. The role serves as the primary business representative for the water bank and manages relationships with public agencies, water contractors, customers, consultants, community stakeholders, and industry organizations.

During development, the General Manager will focus on stakeholder engagement, customer development, grant and agreement management, regulatory coordination, consultant oversight, and operational readiness. As the water bank becomes operational, the role will assume responsibility for storage and recovery activities, customer commitments, operating performance, compliance, maintenance coordination, and long-term asset management.

This is a hands-on role requiring the ability to manage executive-level relationships while directly advancing contracts, agency materials, consultant deliverables, budgets, and operational issues.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Water Bank Strategy and Business Plan
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to develop and execute annual and long-term business plans.
• Convert investment objectives, regulatory commitments, grant requirements, and customer needs into operating priorities, budgets, and milestones.
• Maintain an integrated plan covering development, customer agreements, agency approvals, grant obligations, and operational readiness.
• Identify business, regulatory, financial, and operational risks and recommend appropriate action to senior leadership.
Agency and Stakeholder Relations
• Serve as the primary relationship manager with water agencies, watermasters, joint powers authorities, environmental agencies, and other governmental stakeholders.
• Represent the water bank in agency meetings, public forums/hearings, technical working groups, industry associations, and community discussions.
• Leverage existing relationships and build new relationships with State Water Project contractors, municipalities, irrigation districts, groundwater organizations, landowners, and prospective customers.
• Monitor water policy, groundwater regulation, and agency actions affecting the asset.
Customer and Commercial Development
• Lead customer outreach and business development for water storage, recovery, transfer, and related services.
• Manage requests for proposals, bidding processes, letters of interest, storage agreements, and other customer arrangements.
• Partner with Investments, Legal, and Development to negotiate agreements consistent with project capacity, commercial objectives, and regulatory requirements.
• Support the development of pricing, service structures, operating terms, and allocation methodologies.
Grants and Regulatory Compliance
• Manage compliance with funding agreements, grant milestones, reporting requirements, public-benefit commitments, and documentation requests.
• Coordinate with Development, Finance, Accounting, and consultants to complete technical reports, reimbursement support, progress reports, and other grant deliverables.
• Track eligible expenditures, grant budgets, deadlines, contractual obligations, and funding risks.
• Support the negotiation and completion of funding, public-benefit, operating, and regulatory agreements.
Development and Operational Readiness
• Partner with Development on feasibility studies, groundwater modeling, environmental review, permitting, engineering, construction, commissioning, and transition planning.
• Represent customer and operational requirements in design and development decisions.
• Support evaluation of wells, pump stations, conveyance infrastructure, turnout capacity, water quality, monitoring requirements, and put-and-take scenarios.
• Develop a readiness plan covering staffing, procedures, agreements, maintenance, monitoring, emergency response, reporting, and customer coordination.
• Lead the transition from development into active water bank operations.
Water Bank Operations
• Direct storage, recharge, recovery, conveyance, and delivery activities once the water bank becomes operational.
• Coordinate operating plans with customers, partner agencies, watermasters, operators, and technical consultants.
• Monitor water balances, pumping performance, groundwater levels, water quality, system capacity, and customer commitments.
• Ensure compliance with storage agreements, operating rules, permits, monitoring plans, and reporting requirements.
• Establish operating procedures, controls, escalation protocols, and emergency-response plans.
• Coordinate inspections, preventive maintenance, repairs, testing, and capital-replacement planning.
Consultant and Agreement Management
• Develop scopes of work, support consultant selection, negotiate terms, and monitor performance against budgets, schedules, and deliverables.
• Hold consultants and contractors accountable for quality, timeliness, cost, and issue resolution.
Financial Management and Reporting
• Develop and manage operating budgets, long-term forecasts, and business-plan assumptions.
• Monitor expenditures, contract costs, funding availability, and budget-to-actual performance.
• Review invoices and consultant charges within delegated authority.
• Maintain reporting on agency approvals, customer activity, grant milestones, agreements, budgets, risks, and operational readiness.
• Prepare clear updates and recommendations for leadership, investors, agencies, and governing bodies.
This role requires approximately 25% travel to local sites and agency offices in addition to a minimum of quarterly travel to the LA corporate office.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Maintain a positive relationship with all corporate support departments.
• Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws.
• Exhibit passion and commitment to their own personal and professional development as well as that of their colleagues.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: (including certification, licenses, etc.)

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 7+ years of experience in CA water sector (e.g. agency, regulatory or water storage).
• Experience with grant management, preferably Prop 1, with an understanding of how to optimize reimbursements.
• Experience engaging with state, regional or local water regulatory agencies, or other utility agencies or control boards.

ABOUT YOU:

• Exhibit a creative and innovative approach to solving problems and resolving issues.  Proactively seek opportunities to improve operational and financial performance of the asset.
• Experience in a problem-solving role exclusive to the water industry.
• Experience with water project construction and/or operation.
• A true "self-starter". We are a small team and need someone to bring the full breadth of their skills, expertise, and intellect to work every day to help the business grow and improve, and not just be a person content to complete tasks and wait for direction.
• Ability to manage workload autonomously and effectively.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to apply commercial judgment. Inquisitive, detail-oriented, and self-motivated.
• Practices excellent time management with a strong ability to multitask.
• A team player who enjoys a friendly but professional team dynamic.

WHAT CIM OFFERS:

At CIM, we believe our success stems from our collective efforts, and we are committed to providing well-rounded support and resources for our employees. In addition to a competitive compensation plan, CIM offers a comprehensive benefits program for employees to thrive both inside and outside of work. Eligible employees can enjoy a wide range of benefits, including:

• A variety of Medical, dental, and vision benefit plans
• Health Savings Account with a generous employer contribution
• Company paid life and disability insurance
• 401(k) savings plan, with company match
• Comprehensive paid time off, including: vacation days, 10 designated holidays, sick time, and bereavement leave
• Up to 16 hours of volunteer time off
• Up to 16 weeks of Paid Parental Leave
• Ongoing professional development programs
• Wellness program, including monthly and quarterly prizes
• And more!

Actual base salary considers several factors including but not limited to geography, job-related knowledge, experience, and budget. The start of the salary range is typically associated with the minimum experience required. At CIM, base pay is one part of the total compensation package. For this role, bonus compensation may be a significant part of the total compensation. The anticipated base salary range for the position in Los Angeles is $200,000 - $250,000.