SENIOR ENGINEER WATER RESOURCES
Sacramento County, CA, USA
USD 11,437-14,315 / month
Job Posting: Senior Engr WR
Department of Water Resources
SENIOR ENGINEER WATER RESOURCES
$11,437.00 - $14,315.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.
Final Filing Date: 7/29/2026
Job Description and Duties
This is an opportunity to join a dynamic multi-disciplinary team and implement integrated flood and ecosystem improvement projects. Are you interested in gaining unique collaboration and partnership building experience working with federal, State, and local agencies on high profile flood risk reduction projects in the Central Valley? Are you looking to apply your knowledge in levee design and construction, civil design, geotechnical, hydraulics, and/or structural engineering to ensure the State’s partnering agencies understand State priorities and programs? If so, this Senior Engineer, Water Resources (WR) (Specialist) position is a great opportunity.
Under the direction of the Supervising Engineer, WR, the Senior Engineer, WR (Specialist) will plan, lead, coordinate, and organize resources to review designs for large flood risk reduction projects for compliance with State engineering criteria and policies. The incumbent will provide specialized engineering reviews, contract management, and technical support to federally led U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Projects and Studies, and Urban Flood Risk Reduction projects led by local area flood control agencies.
This position will matrix manage staff from other Department of Water Resources units and consultant resources to ensure priority programs have adequate specialized technical expertise to review project activities. They will coordinate with other department staff, other agency staff and senior management, and consultants to review and provide recommendations for approval of design plans, specifications, and basis of design reports. The incumbent will also support project managers to ensure that technical resource needs are identified and planned for.
You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.
Minimum Requirements
You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.Additional Documents
Position Details
Department Information
Division of Flood Planning and Improvements, Flood Projects Branch, Project Support Section; Sacramento
Department of Water Resources (DWR) was established in 1956 by the California State Legislature. We manage California’s water resources, systems, and infrastructure, including the State Water Project, in a responsible sustainable way.
At DWR, we are embedding climate change response into every project we undertake. We have set standards to help evaluate how each project incorporates climate resilience principles and ensure consistency across the Department. Our mission is to sustainably manage the water resources of California, in cooperation with other agencies, to benefit the state’s people and protect, restore, and enhance the natural and human environments.
DWR also strives to create a trusting and welcoming workplace where employees embrace diverse viewpoints and treat each other with civility and respect. An important component of DWR’s equal employment opportunity program centers around justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Department Website: https://water.ca.gov/
Free virtual career consultation services including one-on-one DWR career consultations, application/resume review, tips for applying, and mock interviews, provided by DWR’s Recruitment and Workforce Planning section can now be scheduled via https://water.ca.gov/About/Careers.
Application Instructions
Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.
Final Filing Date: 7/29/2026Who May Apply
Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).
How To Apply
Address for Mailing Application Packages
You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:
Address for Drop-Off Application Packages
You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:
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 www.CalCareers.ca.gov. 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
- Statement of Qualifications - See Special Instructions for additional details.
Desirable Qualifications
Strong knowledge and background in California hydrology and flood management systems including reservoirs, levees, channels, weirs, bypasses, and experience in implementation of large multi-year multi-agency infrastructure improvement projects is desirable. Additionally, experience with project management and project closeout is highly desirable. Candidates with strong leadership, partnership-building, interpersonal skills, and negotiation skills are preferred.
The incumbent must exercise competent independent judgment, be adaptable and flexible, take effective action, establish and maintain cooperative relations with colleagues and other agencies.
- Planning, organizing, directing and coordinating complex multi-year large-scale projects/programs.
- Technical Experience in Design and Engineering Analysis (civil, geotechnical, H&H, or structural)
- Experience with water resources and/or flood management projects including planning, studies, design, and construction implementation.
- USACE Study and Project Implementation Experience
- Experience managing workloads, developing resource agreements and/or consultant task orders
- Project management experience (PMP, Scheduling, Cost Estimating, Resource Planning)
- Experience providing leadership and/or management briefings for issue resolution.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams
- Partnering experience with Flood Control Agencies, CVFPB, and/or USACE
- Project financial oversight; budget estimating; consultant contract or task order management, invoicing/payments
- Coordination with external and internal stakeholders
- Emergency Response Experience
Benefits
Click here to read about the outstanding benefits offered to eligible employees. This position includes free parking and great potential for career growth.
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 Human Resources Manual - CalHR.
Contact Information
The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position or application process.
Timothy McDaniel
(916) 281-5693
timothy.mcdaniel@water.ca.gov
Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.
EEO Contact:Office of Civil Rights
(916) 653-6952
civilrights@water.ca.gov
Special Instructions
To be considered, submit a completed State application (STD. 678), resume, cover letter, and statement of qualifications. Please reference SAP Position #50029161 and Job Control #522818 in the “examination(s) or job title(s) for which you are applying” section of your application.
Statement of Qualifications: A separate typed document in 12-point Arial font (no more than two pages) that highlights any project management experience including types of projects, your role, tracking deliverables, management of deadlines, and interactions with stakeholders/clients.
The following basis of eligibility will be considered: List eligibility, transfer, LEAP, reinstatement, and SROA/Surplus.
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.
Click here to complete DWR’s Recruitment Survey. This survey is for research purpose only and will not affect the application status.
Examination/Assessment
For more information about the State hiring process, click here. To learn more about how to get a State job, click here.
List eligibility can be established by taking and passing the examination/assessment.
Click the examination(s)/assessment(s) information link:
Equal Opportunity Employer
The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.
It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.
