Cultural Resources Specialist

Job Description and Duties

Please note, the Water Boards do not participate in E-Verify.

Under close supervision of the Senior Environmental Scientist, the incumbent serves as one of the Division's Cultural Resources Specialists (CRS). The CRS reviews historic property identification reports submitted by applicants and works with applicants to correct deficiencies, drafts consultation letters to the State Historic Preservation Officer, tribes and other consulting parties for Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) compliance and to tribes for California Environmental Protection Act (CEQA) compliance. The CRS provides professional guidance to applicants/consultants to assure compliance with laws and regulations regarding cultural resources (Section 106, the Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act, and CEQA) for a variety of wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects. May conduct pre-field research such as creating geographic information system maps, orders record searches from the California Historical Resources Information System, requests Sacred lands File Searches from the Native American Heritage Commission and conducts Native American tribal consultation. Evaluates potential historical resources/historic properties for listing on the California Register of Historical Resources and National Register of Historic Places and assesses impact/effect on those properties. Write quality cultural resources technical documents to support CEQA and Section 106 findings. The incumbent may also perform limited archaeological fieldwork and write cultural resources technical reports and draft monitoring and discovery plans. The incumbent is responsible for reviewing and writing sections of environmental documents prepared for CEQA compliance, and drafting mitigation measures to reduce impacts on historical, archaeological, and tribal cultural resources when the State Water Board is CEQA lead agency. Briefs the State Water Board staff and management and attends meetings related to environmental project review for an array of drinking water and water quality projects.

May travel to project sites and meetings, perform field visits to confirm project compliance with environmental conditions, as necessary.

Additional information:

Candidates must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class.

If the position requires driving, you must possess a current and valid driver’s license. Please Do Not include full Social Security Number, method of eligibility, and LEAP information in your application package.

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You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Positions at the Water Boards may be eligible for telework with in-person attendance based on the operational needs of the position .

In accordance with the Statewide Telework Policy and GC 14200, the successful candidate must reside in California upon appointment. Proof of residency may be required.

Salary Information - CalHR salary rules allow appointment at the entrance rate (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 2, § 599.673) of a classification. For classes with alternate ranges, placement is based on education/experience. E mployees appointed to the Attorney or Water Resource Control Engineer classification will receive Recruitment Higher Above Minimum (HAM) rate in accordance with the approved

In addition, note: Effective July 1, 2025, the State of California implemented the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) which reduces an employee’s monthly salary in exchange for leave credits. Employees appointed to this classification will have their monthly salary reduced and will accrue hours of PLP 2025 on the first day of each pay period in accordance with the applicable The salary range(s) included on this job posting do not reflect the reduction in pay.

Special Requirements

In order to be considered for this position, you must include the following:

• RPA# 26-550-048 in the “Examination or Job Title(s)” section of the State application when submitting a hardcopy application.

Must have Environmental Scientist list , transfer, or reinstatement eligibility and be reachable on the certification list. Here is the link to the exam: .

An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States that does meet accreditation standards must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due during final minimum qualification evaluation of candidate(s). A link of accepted evaluation agencies can be found here: .

Electronic submittal of applications and attachments through jobs.ca.gov is preferred. Emailed or faxed applications will not be accepted. You are required to complete employment history on the application form (STD. 678), including work experience, dates, hours worked, contact names and phone numbers of supervisors on the state application. Applicants who fail to submit a completed STD. 678 may be disqualified.

In the hiring interview, the panel will consider education, experience, personal development, personal traits and fitness for the job. In appraising experience, more weight may be given to the breadth of pertinent experience and evidence of the candidate's ability to accept and fulfill increasing responsibilities than to the length of his/her experience. For additional information, you may refer to the class specification.

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:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Works well with a team and independently

Benefits

Water Board employees may be eligible for benefits. Health benefits and leave programs are available for most permanent, full-time employees, and some permanent, part-time employees. Benefit eligibility may depend on length of service and may be subject to collective bargaining agreements negotiated between the State of California and employee organizations that define wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment. and

Statement of Qualifications

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) must be submitted along with the State Application and serves as documentation of candidate’s ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. It should be typed, no more than two pages in length, using Arial 12 point font, and normal margins.

Provide specific examples from your personal experience describing your training, and skills relating to each item.

1. Ability to meet some or all of the qualifications under the "Secretary of Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation" (36 CFR part 61) in prehistoric or historic archaeology. Include relevant knowledge, experience, research, and any gaps if applicable.
2. Experience with historic and/or precolonial archaeological methods and data interpretation.
3. Experience with background research and fieldwork for cultural resources, as well as preparing cultural resources reports.
4. Ability and experience evaluating archaeological sites and/or built environment resources using National and California Register criteria and assessing project impacts using the criteria of adverse effects.
5. Experience with state and federal statutes and regulations that pertain to cultural resources.

Applications received without the SOQ addressed as stated will not be considered.

For guidance on writing effective SOQs, visit: . Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be useful in the development of written responses; however, it is important to use these tools responsibly and ethically. Failure to comply may result in disqualification.

Note: Resumes, letters, and other materials will not be evaluated or considered as a response to the SOQ.

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.
• Statement of Qualifications - Please see below for specific requirements
• Other - Cover Letter is required and must be included