Engineering Geologist

Job Description and Duties

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

Are you looking for an exciting and fulfilling career in geology/hydrogeology and agricultural engineering? If you enjoy a career helping others and working in an office and field environment, then this may be the position for you! Apply today and join our team. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board has an opening for an Engineering Geologist (EG) in the Confined Animals Unit. The position is located at 11020 Sun Center Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670, right off Highway 50, which is within a pleasant business park with walking paths, nearby restaurants, and shops.

Duties: Priority specific EG duties include the following:

• Perform technical assessments of engineering reports and review and evaluate water quality data from technical and monitoring reports for assigned facilities.
• Using engineering geologic judgment and technical data from observations, self-monitoring reports, and sampling, ascertain dischargers' compliance with basin plan, waste discharge requirements (WDRs), Regional and State Water Board policies and regulations.
• Review groundwater monitoring work plans and monitoring results of assigned cases to determine compliance with WDRs.
• Evaluate environmental and engineering data relating to the design and performance of assigned facilities.
• Evaluate sampling points and laboratory techniques.
• Perform engineering and geotechnical reviews on matters relating to liner and cover construction, soil characteristics, waste constituent loading, groundwater hydrogeology, and receiving water assimilative capacities of assigned cases.
• Using engineering geologic judgment, prepare all necessary documentation such as letters, memorandums, reports, and enforcement orders resulting from evaluation of an assigned technical report.

The applicants can review the Duty Statement attached for more details.

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.

Please let us know how you heard about this position by taking this brief survey: .

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 .

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

In order to be considered for this position, you must include the following:

• RPA# 26-150-008 in the “Examination or Job Title(s)” section of the State application when submitting a hardcopy application.
• Photocopies of degree and official transcripts (if needed to establish eligibility).

Must have Engineering Geologist li st, 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 specifications.

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:

• Possession of a Professional Geologist (PG) License.
• Field experience conducting investigations or construction oversight.
• Geology, hydrology, environmental, and chemistry training or experience.
• Experience interpreting water quality or environmental laws, rules, and regulations.
• Experience reading engineering design plans and specifications.
• Report writing experience.
• Knowledge or training in the use of geodatabases and/or Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Benefits

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 (SOQ)

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 12 point Arial font , and normal margins.

Indicate your total years of experience and provide examples when answering the following statements/questions:

1. Describe your understanding of well drilling (including hollow stem, rotary, ARCH drilling, etc.) and construction methods (including California Well Standards for construction of domestic and Municipal supply wells) and standards, construction quality assurance standards, basic geotechnical and soil classification methods.
2. Describe your understanding of environmental regulations such as the California Water Code or other large scale governmental environmental regulations.
3. Describe your experience and knowledge of surface and/or groundwater quality sampling, data analysis (including Piper, Stiff diagrams, and statistical methods), maximum contaminant levels, and laboratory analytical methods.
4. Describe your experience writing technical reports and reviewing engineering plans and designs.
5. Describe your knowledge of agricultural practices (including irrigation, fertigation, agricultural chemistry application practices, crop types, and crop distribution) in Central Valley.

Note: Resumes, letters, and other materials will not be evaluated or considered as a response to the SOQ.

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

For guidance on writing effective SOQs, visit: . 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.

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 required and must be included.
• Statement of Qualifications - Please see below for specific requirements.
• Other - Cover Letter is required and must be included.