Groundwater Program Analyst

Environmental Science Associates (ESA) is a 100% employee‑owned environmental consulting firm. We plan, design, permit, mitigate, and restore projects across communities, infrastructure systems, open spaces, and wildlands. We are 50 years strong with 21 offices in California, the Pacific Northwest, and the southeastern United States. ESA seeks an early‑career Groundwater Program Analyst with 2‑7 years of experience or a Master’s degree in groundwater management or a related water‑resources field to join our Technology Services team. The position is based near Sacramento or other ESA California hubs and supports a hybrid work arrangement. Travel to client locations across California may be required up to a few times per month. Who You Are You are an early‑career water‑resources professional with a solid foundation in groundwater management and California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). You understand concepts such as groundwater allocations, demand management, sustainable yield, and reporting and compliance. You are curious about how policy decisions become the rules that agencies and growers operate under. You are comfortable working with data, proficient in spreadsheets, and have experience with data QA/QC and systems thinking. You have experience with geospatial tools such as QGIS or ArcGIS and parcel or other spatial data. Familiarity with SQL or scripting languages such as Python is a plus. You are tech‑savvy and eager to learn new tools and platforms quickly. You are a natural communicator and relationship builder. You can explain technical concepts about water resources clearly to non‑technical audiences—growers, agency staff, advisory committees, and boards—and you are comfortable facilitating meetings, workshops, and trainings for diverse audiences. You proactively identify issues, contribute constructively to problem‑solving, and advocate for client needs within an interdisciplinary project team. You hold a master’s or bachelor’s degree in a water‑resources related field and can pass a federal and/or state background check for project‑based assignments. Coursework or a certification in GIS is a plus. What You Will Do For ESA Configure groundwater management programs within GAP under direction—establishing geographies, zones and management areas, water accounts, and water measurement types such as evapotranspiration, precipitation, and metered extraction. Assemble, integrate, and perform QA/QC on the data behind groundwater accounting, including third‑party meter and telemetry data, OpenET evapotranspiration data, self‑reported extraction, allocation records, and parcel spatial data. Prepare and process parcel and spatial data for parcel‑level accounting using GIS tools. Help translate allocation rules, carryover and transfer provisions, true‑up procedures, and other demand management policies into platform configuration and accounting logic, and document the assumptions used. Build and validate dashboards and reports that give agencies and growers a clear view of usage, allocations, deadlines, and compliance status. Support development of data management strategies, including analyzing current data workflows, inventorying data sources and systems, and synthesizing pain points and dependencies. Prepare workshop materials, training guides, and platform demonstrations, and help facilitate stakeholder workshops, Technical Advisory Committee and Board meetings, grower training sessions, and the GAP user community. Draft sections of proposals, scopes of work, findings memos, and technical documentation that are clear, concise, and well‑supported. Grow, over time, toward independent ownership of program configuration and client and stakeholder support. What’s Special About Our Groundwater Accounting Platform Team Our team builds and operates the Groundwater Accounting Platform (GAP)—an open‑source system that helps Groundwater Sustainability Agencies and their growers track allocations, verify pumping, manage demand, and administer their programs transparently and defensibly. We sit at the intersection of policy, data, and people, translating complex sustainability rules into systems that growers and agencies can understand, trust, and operate. We also serve a nationwide community of practice across groundwater management agencies, state funders, the consultant community, and NGO partners, sharing what works and continually improving the platform. What’s Special About ESA Joining ESA means becoming part of a close‑knit team of environmental professionals who contribute to outstanding projects, improve stewardship, and advance a more sustainable and resilient future for our communities and wild places. Benefits Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance (paid at 70% for you and your family), annual allocations of company share through our ESOP, a 401(k) plan with company match, paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays, and tuition reimbursement, professional development bonuses, and attendance at conferences. Pay Range

$86,000—$105,000 USD

Equal Opportunity Employer ESA is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. (EOE M/V/F/D) #J-18808-Ljbffr Environmental Science Associates