ENGINEER, WATER RESOURCES

Job Description and Duties

State Water Project Aerial Tour 2021 -

Join a team of highly motivated professionals that are doing exciting work! We hope you’ll check out the Duties and Desirable Qualifications below and apply for this great career opportunity to join our State Water Project team and help deliver water to over 27 million Californians as well as contribute to protecting our environment and species conservation efforts.

Why Choose Us : We own and operate our own facilities, which is the largest water and power delivery system in the United States. As owners and operators of our own infrastructure, we are empowered to make the right choices in design, detailing, and materials to ensure public safety and facility reliability. We are not driven by the cost-cutting measures or unrealistic expectations that you may find in the private sector. Instead, direct the operations and maintenance of the State Water Project to safely deliver and optimize the uses of available water with environmental sensitivity.

At DWR you will have the support of knowledgeable and helpful colleagues, robust training programs, and professional organizational memberships for your professional growth. Our large organization provides an opportunity for a long and promising career full of growth and opportunity.

Are you interested in supporting California’s water management efforts through hands-on work with contracts, data, and collaboration? We are seeking a staff-level team member to help administer contracts and agreements that provide essential services to Non-State Water Project (non-SWP) partners. In this role, the incumbent will help facilitate services such as delivering water to water rights holders, conveying non-SWP water through State Water Project facilities, coordinating water quality monitoring activities, and supporting a variety of related operational needs.

This position offers the opportunity to engage in data analysis, contribute to engineering and technical studies, work closely with internal and external partners, and apply contract and policy knowledge to ensure accurate and consistent implementation of agreements. The ideal candidate will enjoy work that blends analytical tasks, coordination, fiscal activities such as invoicing, and the development of clear visual and presentation materials to communicate complex information. Through these efforts, the incumbent will play a valuable role in supporting reliable service delivery and strengthening partnerships across California’s water community.

Duties: Under the general direction of the Senior Engineer, Water Resources (WR) in the Settlement Contracts and Project Exchanges Unit (SCPEU), Water Rights Section, Division of Operations and Maintenance (O&M), the Engineer, WR performs various engineering studies and evaluations in support of the development, administration, and monitoring of agreements related to long-term water supply and water quality, water rights settlements, and the use of State Water Project (SWP) facilities. The incumbent conducts technical evaluations, analyzes hydrological data, and develops and maintains databases and other tools to track water deliveries and contractual compliance.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Special Requirements

Must be available to work outside normal business hours, including overnight travel. Travel throughout the state of California may be required. Employee is required to successfully complete all safety training related to the functions of the job.

All employees are responsible for contributing to an inclusive, safe, and secure work environment that values diverse cultures, perspectives, and experiences, and is free from discrimination.

The Department of Water Resources is committed to its mission and employees, and we are grounded in our commitment to public safety. Regular, consistent, and predictable attendance is essential to the successful performance in this position.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

It is desirable that the incumbent have experience and/or knowledge in interpreting contract and policy language, applying data analysis and data management tools, and understanding California water resources principles. Experience in conducting engineering studies or research, and preparing presentations or technical reports is highly desirable. The role also requires the ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external partners, as well as familiarity with engineering software and related technical applications.

Benefits

to read about the outstanding benefits offered to eligible employees.

We are located in downtown Sacramento right next to Light Rail for an easy commute – we will even reimburse you for a portion of your monthly public transit pass!

Personal Leave Program 2025: Effective July 1, 2025, state employees are subject to temporary wage reductions in exchange for Personal Leave Program (PLP) accruals. The specific rate and hours earned were negotiated and agreed upon by each bargaining unit. The actual monetary impact of these temporary reductions can vary based on your bargaining unit and/or federal and state tax withholdings. For additional information please visit

Special Instructions

To be considered, submit a completed State application (STD. 678), cover letter, resume and Supplemental Questionnaire. Please reference SAP Position #50000503 and Job Control #522951 in the “examination(s) or job title(s) for which you are applying” section of your application.

Cover Letter

The Cover Letter should include a statement as to why you are interested in this position and highlight skills that are most applicable to the Duty Statement.

Supplemental Questionnaire

Applicants must submit responses to the following Supplemental Questionnaire as part of their application package. Responses must be submitted in PDF format and must be no longer than two (2) pages in total. Please clearly number each response. Your answers will be used to assess your qualifications and alignment with the duties of this position.

1. Please describe your interest in this position. What aspects of the role, responsibilities, or mission of the unit motivate you to apply?
2. After reviewing the duty statement, explain how your academic or professional experience, knowledge, and skills specifically qualify you for this position. Please reference particular duties from the duty statement in your response.
3. Provide an example of a project or work assignment where you were responsible for interpreting, applying, or analyzing contractual language and/or policy language. Describe the purpose of the project, the specific language you worked with, your approach, and the outcome.
4. Describe one project in which you used tools such as Excel, Power BI, Visio, or a similar application to creatively manage, analyze, or visualize complex data from multiple or disparate sources. Include the problem you were addressing, the tools and methods you used, and the results.

The following basis of eligibility will be considered: List eligibility, transfer, LEAP, reinstatement, and SROA/Surplus.

Resumes, cover letters, and/or other attachments will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application. The hiring unit will receive only the documents specified in the Required Application Package Documents section.

. This survey is for research purpose only and will not affect the application status.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Other - Cover Letter
• Other - See Supplemental Questionnaire information under Special Instructions below.