Senior Groundwater Hydrologist/Project Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Larry Walker Associates (LWA) is seeking a Senior Groundwater Hydrologist/Project Manager to support and lead groundwater projects throughout California. This role is ideal for an experienced hydrogeologist with strong technical expertise, proven leadership skills, and the ability to effectively engage with clients, stakeholders, and regulators. The successful candidate will lead multidisciplinary teams, manage complex projects, and contribute to the continued growth of LWA’s groundwater practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as Project Manager or Technical Lead on groundwater projects, including management of scope, schedule, and budget
• Lead and perform groundwater modeling, conceptual model development, scenario evaluation, technical evaluations, and data analysis
• Evaluate groundwater conditions, water budgets, and water quality
• Communicate with clients, public agencies, stakeholders, and regulators
• Contribute to business development, including proposal preparation, client relationship management, and identification of new project opportunities
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior and mid-level staff

Required Qualifications

• Degree in Geology, Hydrologic Sciences, Civil/Environmental Engineering, or a related field; Master's or PhD strongly preferred
• 10 years of professional experience in hydrogeology or groundwater-related consulting
• Experience with California water issues, including SGMA or similar regulatory frameworks
• Demonstrated experience managing projects and leading technical teams
• Strong technical background in modeling, scripting, and data analysis (e.g., Python or R), and GIS
• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel as needed

Highly Desirable Skills and Qualifications

• Established client relationships or demonstrated ability to win work
• Experience working with municipalities, water districts, agricultural stakeholders, and GSAs
• Professional registration (e.g., PG, CHG, PE) in California is highly desired
• Experience with California regulatory programs such as SGMA, WDRs, ILRP, CV-SALTS
• Familiarity with California water data systems (DWR, GAMA, CIMIS, OpenET, DDW, CEDEN)
• Excellent work ethic, self-directed, and highly motivated

What We Offer

• LWA’s total compensation package includes a competitive salary, an annual bonus program, a fully funded profit-sharing retirement program, a full range of health benefit offerings (including medical, dental, vision, life, and long-time disability insurance), flexible paid vacation time, paid sick leave, 10 paid holidays a year, and an annual training budget which includes conference attendance and support to obtain professional licensure.
• Our company is organized into self-directed teams that provide opportunities for employees to take responsibility for their own career path, work on diverse and interesting projects, and assume leadership roles from day one. Technical staff are directly involved in project leadership, client engagement, and strategic decision-making.
• LWA is committed to our values of passion for excellence, caring, building meaningful relationships, forward thinking, and serving the public good, and our successful employees embody the behaviors that support those values. We are known for taking great care of our clients and employees alike.

Estimated Annualized Compensation Including Bonuses

$135,000 to $192,000 depending on experience and skillset.

About Larry Walker Associates 

Larry Walker Associates (LWA) is a small, family-owned environmental engineering and consulting firm based in Davis, California with regional offices in Berkeley, San Diego, Santa Monica, Ventura, Yreka, and Seattle. Our Groundwater team currently supports GSP implementation in 15 basins across California and has led the development of 5 GSPs, with expertise ranging from numerical modeling and groundwater recharge to basin-scale water quality planning under CV-SALTS. LWA is a Certified Evergreen company and was recognized by the Tugboat Institute as one of the 2025 Best Evergreen Companies for our commitment to long-term purpose, a people-first culture, and sustainable growth. LWA is privately held, built to last, and focused on serving the public good, including its employees, clients, and communities. As an Evergreen business, LWA is committed to upholding the Evergreen 7Ps principles: Purpose, Perseverance, People First, Private, Profit, Paced Growth, and Pragmatic Innovation.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Larry Walker Associates is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants are considered for all positions based on experience and education, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, medical condition, physical or mental disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, reproductive health decision-making, genetic information/characteristics, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy governs all aspects of employment including recruiting, hiring, job assignment, promotion, compensation, training, access to benefits, discipline, and termination.