ENGINEER, WATER RESOURCES

Job Description and Duties

State Water Project Aerial Tour 2021 -

Duties: The Delta Scheduling Unit is seeking an innovative and highly motivated engineer capable of managing technical analysis, organizational coordination, and inter-agency collaboration in support of the day-to-day operations of the State Water Project. In this role, the Water Resources Engineer will have the opportunity to develop and implement physical based, mathematical based, empirical, and machine-learning-based water quantity and water quality forecasting models. If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding opportunity to apply advanced analytical tools while contributing to critical water operations, this position may be an excellent fit for you.

As a Water Resources Engineer, you will be responsible for maintaining and updating data related to State Water Project export operations, including hydrologic, water quality, and fishery information used to support real-time Delta compliance for water rights, endangered species protections, and other regulatory requirements. In this role, you will maintain and enhance database systems that support the effective management and dissemination of operational products, utilizing programming and data management tools such as Microsoft Visual Basic Applications (VBA), Python, R, SQL, HTML, and JavaScript. You will also engage in planning, scheduling, and coordinating activities associated with the State Water Project Clifton Court Forebay allotment and Intake Gate Priority schedules. Additionally, you will work closely with the unit manager to prepare and deliver day-to-day operational and delta hydrology briefings to federal and state regulatory agencies. This position offers a unique opportunity to combine your passion, engineering ingenuity, and analytical skills in a dynamic and rewarding career supporting the continued operation and management of the State Water Project.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Special Requirements

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.

Must be willing to sometimes work outside of normal business hours, travel, and stay overnight in various locations throughout the State of California.

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.

Employees are required to successfully complete all safety training related to the functions of the job.

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:

Our ideal candidate will have knowledge and/or experience of California’s complex water management infrastructures in and around Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The incumbent should have ample experience on physical, empirical, mathematical and machine learning based hydrological and hydraulics models for predicting spatial and temporal variations of hydrologic, hydraulics, water quantity, and water quality. The incumbent should have broader understanding of Coordinated Operation Agreement, Decision 1641, Incidental Take Permit, Endangered Species Act, Water Rights, Biological Opinions etc. In addition, the incumbent to possess knowledge and/or experience in technical engineering documentation; environmental and regulatory requirements; coordination and presentations; environmental processes, including CEQA; the State Water Project; California Water Rights and Water Code; database development and GIS applications; engineering modeling assumptions and results; and tool development and data processing.

Benefits

to read about the outstanding benefits offered to eligible employees .

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

This position is in the Arden Arcade area with plenty of free parking.

Special Instructions

To be considered, submit a completed State application (STD. 678), cover letter, resume, and Statement of Qualifications. Please reference SAP Position #50001792 and Job Control # 511959 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.

Statement of Qualifications

This is a (2-page maximum) separate typed document entitled Statement of Qualifications in Arial 12-point font that addresses the candidate’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience as it relates to the job description

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

Note: Applicants who do not follow these instructions may be disqualified from the selection process. Resumes, cover letters, and/or other attachments will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application.

. 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
• Statement of Qualifications - See Special Instructions for additional details.