Associate Civil Engineer

Associate Civil Engineer Opportunity

$9,000 Hiring Incentive — Join the El Dorado Irrigation District!

The El Dorado Irrigation District is excited to offer up to a $9,000 Hiring Incentive to the successful candidate hired as an Associate Civil Engineer, paid in three installments:

• $3,000 paid at hire — receive your first installment on day one!
• $3,000 paid at 12 months of District employment
• $3,000 paid at 24 months of District employment

The Hiring Incentive is available to newly hired employees under the District's Temporary Recruitment Incentive Program, effective August 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027. A lesser hiring incentive is also available to newly hired Associate Engineers. Incentive payments are subject to standard payroll taxes and may be taken as a live check, direct deposit, and/or a contribution to a 457 plan.

Apply Early — Don't Miss Out!

This recruitment is open until filled, and applications will be reviewed as they are received. The first review of candidates will take place on September 18, 2026, with a second review on October 9, 2026, or until a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received — whichever occurs sooner. Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply early for first consideration.

This recruitment may also be used to establish an eligibility list for future vacancies.

Live, Work and Play in El Dorado County

The El Dorado Irrigation District (District/EID) is located on the western slope of the iconic Sierra Nevada, just west of world renowned Lake Tahoe. A scenic drive along Highway 50, heading east from the Sacramento County line toward Lake Tahoe, carries you through the heart of the District's 220-square-mile service area and showcases the extraordinary natural diversity that defines this region.

El Dorado County offers an unmatched quality of life for those who love the outdoors and small-town charm alike. This is the epicenter of California's Gold Rush country, home to the celebrated Apple Hill™ — a scenic patchwork of orchards, farms, breweries and wineries known for u-pick apples, fresh cider, donuts, and a flourishing wine and craft beer scene. For outdoor enthusiasts, our county offers a wide range of year-round recreational opportunities. It is dotted with sparkling alpine lakes and reservoirs — from Jenkinson Lake at Sly Park to Silver Lake — offering boating, kayaking, fishing, and swimming against a backdrop of granite peaks and pine forests.

Higher into the Sierra, countless smaller alpine lakes and wilderness areas offer quiet, secluded escapes for hiking, backpacking, and fishing far from the crowds. The American River carves through the foothills below, drawing whitewater rafters and kayakers each spring and summer, while the El Dorado Trail winds through historic rail corridors for hikers and cyclists closer to town. And when winter arrives, Lake Tahoe's renowned resorts are just up the road, offering world-class skiing and snowboarding.

Few places offer such easy access to this much natural variety — mountains, lakes, rivers, and snow — all within a short drive of home. Whether it's the crisp mountain air, a weekend among the orchards and vineyards, or a day spent on one of the region's many alpine lakes, El Dorado County offers a high quality of life — all while being part of an organization dedicated to serving our remarkable community.

About El Dorado Irrigation District

We can trace our history back to the first hand-dug ditches that transported water to prospectors in the mid-1800s, but the District was not formally organized until 1925 under the Irrigation District Act. We still hold water rights that date back to the Gold Rush days, and we continue to work on securing and maintaining a reliable water supply. Through negotiations with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and an Act of Congress, the District acquired Jenkinson Lake at Sly Park Recreation Area in late 2003, providing yet another critical local water supply.

The District is governed by a five-member Board of Directors, which oversees District operations. Each member is elected from a different geographic division, and each serves a four-year term. There are no term limits for Board members. The Board typically meets twice a month during regularly scheduled, noticed public meetings and may hold a number of noticed special meetings as required.

Examples of Essential Duties

The Position

If you want a career where every week looks different, this is it. As an engineer with El Dorado Irrigation District, you won't be stuck behind a desk running the same calculations on the same type of project year after year; you'll move across an unusually broad range of infrastructure that most engineers never get to touch within a single job. One project might have you designing upgrades to a water treatment plant; the next, managing construction on a wastewater collection system; the next, working on our 21-megawatt hydroelectric power system, complete with dams, reservoirs, and miles of flumes and canals. Add in recycled water distribution, capital improvement planning, and even our public recreation facilities at Sly Park and Silver Lake, and you start to see why engineers here describe their work as anything but routine. You'll get real ownership, too. From day one, you're managing projects, coordinating with contractors and consultants, reviewing plans, solving problems in the field, and presenting your work directly to the Board of Directors. Based out of our Placerville headquarters, you'll help shape infrastructure across a 220-square-mile service area, watching projects go from a first sketch to something the community relies on every day. If you're the kind of engineer who gets energized by variety, wants hands-on experience across multiple disciplines, and is looking to build, not just hold a career, this is where that happens.

For more information, please review the complete class spec.

Qualifications

The Ideal Candidate

We're hiring across a career path, not just a single role, so wherever you're starting from, there's a place for you: Associate Engineer / Associate Civil Engineer: You've got a degree in engineering (or a related field) and you're ready to run with full ownership of projects, not just support someone else's. You're comfortable managing your own workload with minimal oversight, confident bringing a project from concept through construction, and energized by solving new problems as they come up. Registered as a Professional Engineer in California? Even better, you'll be trusted to independently review, approve, and stamp plans. Whatever level you're coming in at, we're looking for people who thrive on variety, take initiative, and want a career that keeps challenging them. Public infrastructure experience, especially with a water or wastewater agency, is a strong plus, and a California PE license is valued at every level above entry. If you're ready to take ownership of work that actually matters to the community you live in, this is your opportunity.

Special Qualifications

A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in engineering or a closely related field: Associate Engineer: Either of the following qualifies: (1) two years of responsible engineering experience similar to Assistant Engineer with the District, along with possession of a valid Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate, or (2) four years of applicable engineering experience similar to Assistant Engineer with the District, with no EIT certificate required. Associate Civil Engineer: Same experience requirement as Associate Engineer, above. Plus, registration as a Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering in the State of California is required for Associate Civil Engineer.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package to full-time employees, including health care, dental, vision, pension, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, holidays, vacation, and retiree health insurance benefits (subject to vesting schedule).

Health Insurance Benefits (Active Employees) – CalPERS plans, including PPOs and HMOs available

• Employer pays entire monthly premiums for employee or up to $2,758.51 for a family plan (100/85 split)

Health Insurance Benefits (Retiree) – CalPERS plans, including PPOs, HMO, and Senior plans available (subject to vesting schedule).

• Employer pays entire monthly premiums for employee-only coverage, or up to $2,758.51 for a family plan (100/85 split)

Dental Insurance (Delta Dental PPO Network)

• Employee only: No cost
• Employee + 1 Dependent – $2.85 biweekly
• Employee + 2 or more Dependents – $8.