ENGINEER, WATER RESOURCES
Full-time
Sacramento County, CA, USA
USD 6,488-12,152 / month
Job Posting: Engineer WR
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: 10/30/2026
Job Description and Duties
The Reservoir Coordinated Operations Unit (RCOU) is looking for an innovative and passionate Engineer, Water Resources (WR) who is looking for the opportunity to contribute to their technical and engineering skills towards one of the Department of Water Resources (DWR) most impactful programs. The Engineer, WR on our team work in the exciting and ever-changing environment of real-time forecasting and reservoir coordination and modeling. Under the supervision of the RCOU manager, typical work duties include:
- As a part of the State-federal forecasting team, monitor storms and issue river and reservoir inflow forecasts, which impact communities statewide.
- Develop and run hydrologic and reservoir operations models, which aid water supply and flood management decisions by reservoir managers.
- Collaborate and coordinate with federal, State, and local partners in developing and implementing engineering solutions for reservoir operations.
- Support and advance the Forecast-Coordinated Operations and the Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations programs.
- Create new and enhance existing hydrology and reservoir operations decision support systems, tools, and dashboards.
- Train and learn about the latest advancements in forecast research and reservoir operations and apply this knowledge to the work in RCOU.
Through these duties, this position is critical to DWR’s mission to sustainably manage the water resources of California by supporting the decision making of water managers, flood emergency responders and reservoir operators.
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 Operations, Hydrology and Flood Operations Branch, Operations Support Section, Reservoir Coordinated Operations Unit; 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
Possession of a valid California Driver’s License.
Pre-employment eligibility may require successfully passing a security check and meeting applicable access requirements, as outlined in U.S. Department of Commerce Departmental Administrative Order (DAO) 207-12, NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 207-12, and NWS Foreign National Access and Technology Transfer Directive (NWSI) 60-704, including any applicable requirements related to access by foreign nationals. Continued access to NWS networks and databases may also require periodic reverification and compliance with applicable security and access requirements.
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: 10/30/2026Who 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.
- Other - Cover Letter
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: We are seeking highly motivated candidates with strong verbal, documentation, technical writing, and technical presentation skills. Additionally, the candidate should possess similar experience with respect to multi-agency coordination. Candidate should be knowledgeable in reservoir operations, reservoir operations modeling and HEC-ResSim modeling software. Candidates should be knowledgeable in the principles of hydrology and hydrologic principles and those principles as it relates to California. They should also have knowledge and experience of hydrologic modeling to include real-time modeling and forecasting. This includes knowledge of probability and statistics and the application of probability and statistics to forecasting. The candidate should also have experience with the HEC-DSSVue software, knowledge of programming languages such as JAVA, Python, MATLAB, R. In addition, the candidate should also have experience in with the Microsoft Office suite of applications.
Benefits
Click here 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 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, cover letter, resume, and Statement of Qualifications. Please reference SAP Position #50105704 and Job Control #532363 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 (one page maximum) that addresses the candidate’s experience, training, and education as it relates to the specific duties of the position.
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: ENGINEER, WATER RESOURCES
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.
