ENGINEER, WATER RESOURCES
Sacramento County, CA, USA
USD 6,488-12,152 / month
Job Posting: Engineer, Water Resources
Department of Water Resources
ENGINEER, WATER RESOURCES
$6,488.00 - $12,152.00 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: 8/18/2026
Job Description and Duties
Build the Contracts That Build California
At DWR, engineers don’t just design projects, we ensure they are clearly defined, biddable, and ready for construction.
Join a team responsible for developing construction contract documents for critical infrastructure, including:
- Dams and spillways
- Flood control systems
- Pumping plants and pipelines
- State Water Project facilities
This position focuses on ensuring that plans and specifications meet the requirements of the California State Contract Act and supports the project through the bidding and award process, up to issuance of the Notice to Begin Work.
This is a unique engineering role focused on contract development and procurement, where you will:
- Shape how projects are defined before construction begins.
- Apply your technical engineering knowledge and judgment beyond calculations to ensure plans and specifications are accurate, constructible, and biddable.
- Bridge the gap between design and construction, helping turn concepts into clear, buildable contract documents.
- Help ensure fair, competitive, and compliant bidding.
- Work on high-visibility, multi-million dollar public works projects.
- Gain specialized experience in specifications, contracting, and risk management.
Under general direction of the Senior Engineer, Water Resources, the incumbent prepares detailed contract specifications; provides technical review of preliminary plans and specifications; and develops responses to engineering questions received from potential bidders related to drawings and specifications on construction contracts for public works projects.
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 Engineering, Planning, Management, and Delivery, Public Works Contracting Branch, Traditional Delivery 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.
Special Requirements
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- Appointment to Range D requires a valid Professional Engineering License (Civil) issued by the California Board of Registration for Professional Engineers. For all other ranges, a PE license is not required.
- May be required to travel on public roadways including traveling to remote areas. Travel on short notice and overnight lodging will be required on some trips.
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: 8/18/2026Who 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.
- Statement of Qualifications - See Special Instructions for additional details.
Desirable Qualifications
Our ideal candidate will have:
- Knowledge of construction industry standards of practice.
- Experience preparing or working from engineering plans, drawings, and specifications.
- Knowledge of the California Public Contract Code.
- Knowledge of current engineering standards and their applications, and engineering software tools
- Soft skills including resourcefulness, initiative, multi-tasking, and communication.
- Motivation and commitment to providing interpersonal customer service and team participation.
Benefits
Click here to read about the outstanding benefits offered to eligible employees. We’re also located right next to Light Rail for an easy commute – we’ll even reimburse you for a portion of your monthly public transit pass!
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.
Sofia Khan
(916) 764-9689
sofia.khan@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
Submit a completed Standard State Application (Std. 678), resume, and SOQ, to the address shown. A notation or reference to other materials such as a resume or the application, will not be considered. Please reference the SAP Position 50015815 and Job Control 524235 on your application, resume, and SOQ. Failure to provide requested documents and information may result in automatic disqualification from the hiring process.
The hiring unit will receive only the documents specified in the Required Application Package Documents section.
The SOQ serves as documentation of each applicant’s ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. Each question must be numbered and addressed in the same order as the questions below. The SOQ must be typed, no more than two pages in length, and 12-point Arial font.
- Design Experience
- Describe your experience preparing, reviewing, or working with engineering drawings and specifications.
- Include your role, the types of documents you worked with, and how you ensured accuracy, clarity, or coordination.
- Construction Experience
- Describe your knowledge and hands-on experience in construction, including your involvement in phases such as bidding, inspections, request for information (RFI), and closeout.
- Provide specific examples of your responsibilities.
- Contracting and California Public Contract Code (or similar regulations)
- Describe your knowledge and experience with the construction contracting process, including your involvement in phases such as advertisement, bidder inquiries, addenda, bid evaluation, or award.
- Describe your knowledge and experience with the California Public Contract Code or similar contracting/procurement regulations.
- If you do not have direct experience, describe how you have applied policies, standards, or regulatory requirements in your work.
Applications received without the SOQ will not be considered. Resumes, letters, and other materials will not be considered in the place of the SOQ.
The following basis of eligibility will be considered: List eligibility, transfer, LEAP, reinstatement, SROA/Surplus, and training and development assignment.
You are not required to be on an eligibility list at the time you apply for this position. Simply submit your application today using the provided instructions. List eligibility will eventually be required, however, prior to hiring.
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.
