Consultancy

Watershed Restoration and Hydrological Design

POSITION SUMMARY The Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Watershed Restoration and Hydrological Design provides technical leadership in the assessment, design and implementation of nature-based restoration projects, with emphasis on watershed and sub-watershed management, hydrological functionality, climate resilience and forest carbon outcomes.

The SME leads the technical analysis required to identify priority restoration areas, characterize hydrological degradation, design soil and water conservation interventions, estimate infiltration and water regulation potential, and incorporate climate change modelling into project planning and long-term performance assessment.

A central function of the role is to translate hydrological, ecological and climatic diagnostics into technically sound restoration strategies. This includes runoff management and infiltration enhancement measures, together with technical guidance on reforestation, assisted natural regeneration, enrichment planting and erosion control. The SME ensures that project activities are spatially coherent, hydrologically justified and climate-informed, and that they meet the requirements of standards.

The position also contributes complementary expertise in geospatial analysis, remote sensing and GIS to support land cover assessment, degradation analysis, watershed prioritization, due diligence, baseline development, monitoring design, mapping and verification documentation. Working within multidisciplinary teams, the SME delivers hydrological assessments, restoration designs, maps and spatial analyses that strengthen project documentation, implementation planning and MRV processes.

SKILLS

Hydrological and Restoration Design

- Watershed and sub-watershed delineation, morphometric characterization and hydrological network analysis.
- Design and dimensioning of soil and water conservation works, including check dams, terraces, half-moons, stone barriers, contour and keyline layouts.
- Application of rainfall-runoff, infiltration and erosion estimation methods (e.g. Curve Number, USLE/RUSLE or equivalent).
- ARR and landscape restoration design at parcel, sub-watershed and landscape scale.

Geospatial and Remote Sensing

- Proficiency in GIS platforms (ArcGIS, QGIS) and cloud-based remote sensing environments (Google Earth Engine, Sentinel Hub).
- Terrain and hydrological modelling from DEMs, including flow accumulation, watershed delineation and slope analysis.
- Land cover classification,



change detection and accuracy assessment of spatial products.
- Cartographic production for technical annexes, project documentation and verification materials.

Analytical and Technical

- Handling and analysis of climate datasets, including downscaled scenarios and climate risk indicators.
- Scripting for spatial and hydrological analysis (Python, R or JavaScript in Earth Engine) is an asset.
- Quality assurance and quality control of spatial and hydrological datasets.

Professional

- Technical writing in English and Spanish for project documentation, standards submissions and verification processes.
- Effective communication of technical findings to non-specialist audiences, including communities and investors.
- Capacity to manage multiple concurrent technical workflows and deliver under defined timelines.
- Rigour, accuracy and traceability in data handling and documentation.

KNOWLEDGE

- Applied watershed hydrology, including infiltration processes, runoff generation, groundwater recharge and hydrological connectivity at landscape scale.
- Restoration ecology and silvicultural practices relevant to carbon projects, assisted natural regeneration, enrichment planting and erosion control.
- Soil science fundamentals relevant to erosion, water retention capacity and conservation practice selection.
- Carbon accounting frameworks for ARR and forest restoration under voluntary market standards (CAR, Verra/VCS, and related REDD+ and restoration methodologies).
- Water benefit and watershed restoration methodologies, including their eligibility criteria, data requirements and monitoring implications.
- Geospatial components of forest carbon methodologies, including degradation assessment, land use change analysis and activity area delineation.
- Climate change modelling and scenario analysis applied to restoration permanence, species suitability and hydrological performance.
- Spatial uncertainty analysis and QA/QC procedures applicable to geospatial and hydrological products.
- Land tenure frameworks in Mexico and Latin America, including ejido and comunidad structures, and their implications for project boundary definition.





ATTITUDES

- Professional integrity and a firm commitment to technical and environmental quality, including transparency about methodological limitations and uncertainty.
- Problem-solving orientation and adaptability across diverse ecological, social and operational contexts.
- Field-oriented disposition, with willingness to travel to project sites and validate desk-based analysis against field conditions.
- Collaborative mindset and readiness to contribute to internal capacity-building and knowledge transfer.
- Respect for Indigenous peoples, ejidos and local landholders in the collection, interpretation and use of spatial and hydrological data.
- Commitment to continuous learning in hydrological modelling, restoration science and geospatial technologies.
- Attention to detail combined with the judgement to distinguish material technical issues from secondary ones.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

- Master's degree in Hydrology, Watershed Management, Environmental or related discipline. A Bachelor's degree combined with demonstrably equivalent applied experience will also be considered.

Experience

- A minimum of 5 years of experience in watershed restoration, hydrological assessment, soil and water conservation design and climate change modelling.
- Demonstrated involvement in at least 1 restoration, ARR, forest carbon or watershed management project (taken from diagnostic through to design and implementation.
- Experience preparing technical documentation for voluntary carbon market standards or for equivalent regulatory or certification processes.
- Field experience in rural or forested landscapes, including data collection and interaction with local implementation teams.

Desirable

- Experience with community-based forest management and participatory mapping in Latin America, particularly with ejidos and agrarian communities in Mexico.
- Familiarity with the Mexico Forest Protocol (CAR) and its technical requirements.
- Exposure to Restoration Bank models or emerging water-related environmental markets.
- Professional working proficiency in both Spanish and English (spoken and written).

Deliverables and reporting cadence: Technical deliverables on a per-project basis, with defined scope, format and timeline.

Periodic progress reporting on assigned analyses, designs and documentation.

Participation in technical review sessions and portfolio-level planning meetings as required.

Apply by August 21, 2026

📌 Consultancy on Watershed Restoration and Hydrological Design (Ciudad de México)
🏢 Canopia Carbon
📍 Ciudad de México