Water Resource Control Engineer

Job Description and Duties

This is a re-advertisement, if you have already submitted an application no further action is required and your application is under review.

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

Are you looking to make a meaningful contribution towards the protection of California’s public trust resources? Do you like working with hydraulic models? Are you interested in exploring correlations between streamflow and ecology? If so, then this may be the position for you!

The State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Water Rights has an opening for two Water Resource Control Engineers in its Instream Flows Section. The positions are located at 1001 I Street, 14th Floor, Sacramento, right in the heart of downtown next to light rail stations and other public transportation.

Under direction of the Instream Flow Unit Supervisor, the Water Resource Control Engineer (WRCE) will support the Instream Flows Section (Section) in the Division of Water Rights by developing and implementing instream flow objectives for priority watersheds throughout California. The incumbent will review hydrologic and stream morphology studies, models, and data, collect and assess water rights data, develop flow criteria for consideration in the flow objective setting process, oversee grants and contracts, develop technical and plain project materials, and present to diverse audiences. The work of this Section will focus on high-priority instream flow efforts underway (e.g., Scott River, Shasta River, Ventura River) and expand to include additional efforts in other areas of the state. This work is of great importance to the State Water Board and is often controversial. The incumbent must be willing to travel occasionally for fieldwork and public engagement.

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 and might be expected to comply with after July 1, 2026.

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

The bulleted items listed are for minimum qualification purposes only. They are not to be included as part of the required application documents.

• RPA# 25-300-152 in the “Examination or Job Title(s)” section of the State application when submitting a hardcopy application.

The below are examples of items you may request as part of the application package:

• Photocopies of degree and official transcripts (if needed to establish eligibility).

Must have Water Resource Control Engineer 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:

We are looking for applicants that possess knowledge and/or experience in the following areas:

(1) Complex hydrologic models and tools.

(2) California water rights.

(3) Overseeing contracts and consultants.

(4) Hydrologic and geomorphic processes.

(5) California Environmental Quality Act.

(6) Preparing technical information for briefing executive management and presentations to the general public.

(7) Fisheries knowledge.

Additionally, applicants should possess:

-Good written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.

-Strong organizational skills and the ability to set priorities on assignments in order to meet deadlines.

-Ability to work effectively with all levels of staff, management, and the public.

-Demonstrate independence while handling multiple complex assignments.

-Ability to work with and respond appropriately to the public, agencies, and other entities on controversial and complex issues, as needed.

-Review technical information to inform instream flow and related requirements.

-Ability to conduct limited fieldwork and travel as needed.

-Ability to navigate within a stream channel to conduct measurements, habitat mapping, etc.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

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 (2) pages in length, using Arial 12-point font , and normal margins. The SOQ serves as documentation of each applicant’s ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. The responses will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each applicant.

1. Describe your technical background including the knowledge, abilities, experiences, and attributes that make you uniquely qualified for this position.
2. Explain a complex analysis or model evaluation you undertook where you had to communicate the results or outputs to a non-technical audience.
3. List any engineering analysis you’ve undertaken related to instream flows, groundwater, and or water resources; briefly describe the model or tools used and your role in the analysis.
4. Describe your experience preparing CEQA or environmental documents related to water resources.

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

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 optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Statement of Qualifications - Please see below for specific requirements.
  
  • For guidance on writing effective SOQs, visit: Work4CA: How to Write a Statement of Qualifications . 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.
• Other - Cover Letter is not required but may be included.