ENGINEER, WATER RESOURCES

Job Description and Duties

State Water Project Aerial Tour 2021 -

Join a team of highly motivated professionals that are doing exciting work! We hope you’ll check out the Duties and Desirable Qualifications below and apply for this great career opportunity to join our State Water Project team and help deliver water to over 27 million Californians as well as contribute to protecting our environment and species conservation efforts.

Why Choose Us: 

We own and operate our own facilities, which is the largest water and power delivery system in the United States. And as owners and operators of our own infrastructure, we are empowered to make the right choices in design, detailing, and materials to ensure public safety and facility reliability. We are not driven by the cost-cutting measures or unrealistic expectations that you may find in the private sector. Instead, direct the operations and maintenance of the State Water Project to safely deliver and optimize the uses of available water with environmental sensitivity. 

At DWR you will have the support of knowledgeable and helpful colleagues, robust training programs, and professional organizational memberships for your professional growth. Our large organization provides an opportunity for a long and promising career full of growth and opportunity.

Duties: This role primarily supports planning and real-time operations of the State Water Project by monitoring, modeling, and analyzing flow and water quality conditions in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta and Feather River releases from Lake Oroville. Working under the Near-Term Modeling Unit Manager, the engineer applies and interprets numerical models, mainly DSM2 and its modules, to forecast hydrodynamics, simulate operational alternatives, evaluate regulatory compliance, and assess impacts on water quality and fisheries. Opportunities also exist to develop software tools and automated workflows to improve forecast accuracy and data processing, maintain and analyze hydrologic and water quality datasets, and collaborate with other Division groups on specialized studies using models such as CalSim and CE-Qual-W2. Strong analytical judgment, clear communication, and the ability to work cooperatively and reliably are essential, along with occasional travel and acting as Unit Manager when needed.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Special Requirements

Must be willing to work outside of normal business hours on occasion, travel, and stay overnight in various locations throughout the State of California. Travel throughout the State will be required. Field inspections may require travel to domestic and foreign locations via air travel or other means of transportation. Work may require traveling to meetings, conferences, or project sites by automobile on public roadways and/or uneven terrain to remote areas.

All employees are responsible for contributing to an inclusive, safe, and secure work environment that values diverse cultures, perspectives, and experiences, and is free from discrimination.

The Department of Water Resources is committed to its mission and employees, and we are grounded in our commitment to public safety. Regular, consistent, and predictable attendance is essential to the successful performance in this position.

Employees are required to successfully complete all safety training related to the functions of the job.

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:

The ideal candidate will have knowledge and/or experience in numerical and statistical modeling, programming languages (e.g., Python, R, VBA), data analysis and processing, the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta or similar waterway, reservoir modeling, water conveyance operations, and communicating technical and regulatory information.

Benefits

to read about the outstanding benefits offered to eligible employees.

Personal Leave Program 2025: Effective July 1, 2025, state employees are subject to temporary wage reductions in exchange for Personal Leave Program (PLP) accruals. The specific rate and hours earned were negotiated and agreed upon by each bargaining unit. The actual monetary impact of these temporary reductions can vary based on your bargaining unit and/or federal and state tax withholdings. For additional information please visit 

We are in the Arden-Arcade area and have plenty of free parking.

Special Instructions

To be considered, submit a completed State application (STD. 678) Cover Letter and Resume. Please reference SAP Position #50002608 and Job Control #525370 in the “examination(s) or job title(s) for which you are applying” section of your application.

Cover Letter

The Cover Letter should include a statement as to why you are interested in this position and highlight skills that are most applicable to the Duty Statement.

The following basis of eligibility will be considered: List eligibility, transfer, LEAP, reinstatement, and SROA/Surplus.

Note: Applicants who do not follow these instructions may be disqualified from the selection process. Resumes, cover letters, and/or other attachments will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application. The hiring unit will receive only the documents specified in the Required Application Package Documents section.

. This survey is for research purpose only and will not affect the application status.

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.
• Other - Cover Letter