ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST
Operations
Yolo County, CA, USA
USD 4,418-9,321 / month
Job Posting: Water Quality Scientist
Department of Water Resources
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST
$4,418.00 - $9,321.00 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 Continuous Environmental Monitoring (CEM) unit maintains a network of water quality stations throughout the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This position offers an exciting opportunity to join our interdisciplinary team of environmental scientists, engineers, technicians, and other specialists while contributing to a dynamic field program and supporting high-quality science focused on the restoration, conservation, and management of the San Francisco Estuary.
This position plays an integral role in supporting program operations through the collection, analysis, management, and reporting of environmental data to ensure regulatory compliance with Water Right Decision 1641. Responsibilities include operating and maintaining water quality monitoring equipment and station infrastructure, collecting and processing environmental samples, evaluating data quality, and managing long-term environmental data sets. The incumbent will also contribute to technical reports and presentations and participate in special studies addressing emerging water quality issues in the Bay-Delta. This position also provides opportunities to work collaboratively with scientists and other specialists within and outside of DWR to help inform the management and protection of the San Francisco Estuary. You will find additional information about the position in the Duty Statement.
As a permanent-intermittent position, the incumbent may not exceed working 1,500 hours in a calendar year. Permanent-intermittent (PI) employees are eligible to receive benefits after meeting the required work hour criteria and do receive holiday pay on a pro-rated basis.
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 Integrated Science and Engineering
Ecosystem Monitoring, Research, and Reporting Branch
Environmental Monitoring & System Sciences Section
Continuous Environmental Monitoring Unit
West 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
Candidates must possess:
- A valid driver’s license
- Normal (or correctable to normal) visual and hearing acuity to safely process hand and verbal signals used to operate hydraulic equipment onboard sampling vessels
Candidates must be able to:
- Be available to conduct fieldwork outside of normal business hours including early mornings, late nights, and weekends
- Obtain a California boater card
- Work aboard boats for extended periods without incapacitation due to seasickness
- Swim at least 50 yards unaided
- Promptly don personal flotation gear without help
- Stay afloat for five minutes while wearing a personal flotation device
- Move and transport loads of up to 25 lbs.
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.
- Other - Cover Letter
Desirable Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have experience conducting scientific fieldwork, including working on boats and in rugged, remote, or otherwise challenging conditions. Experience collecting and processing water quality, biological, or other environmental samples, as well as preparing, operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting field instrumentation and equipment, is desirable. Experience following established standard operating procedures (SOPs) and safety protocols is also desirable.
Candidates should also have experience working with environmental monitoring equipment, such as water quality instrumentation and data loggers, including calibrating, programming, or configuring equipment for data collection and telemetry. Experience developing, reviewing, or updating SOPs, Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs), or other technical documentation; working in a laboratory setting; procuring scientific equipment and supplies; and performing minor repairs or maintenance on equipment and infrastructure is desirable. Experience analyzing and managing scientific or environmental data, familiarity with scientific software and data management systems, and performing quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures is desirable. The ability to communicate scientific information through technical reports, presentations, or other written and verbal products is also valued. Candidates should also demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively with others, provide technical leadership, and participate in special studies, interagency projects, or team-based efforts.
Benefits
DWR employees are eligible for a number of 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, which are contracts negotiated between the State of California and employee organizations that define employees' wages, hours, and conditions of employment.
Some added benefits DWR offers eligible employees at this location include:
Flexible Work Hours
Free Parking
Telework Opportunities
Health, Dental & Vision Benefits
Paid Sick & Vacation
Retirement
Basic Group Term Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
11 Paid Holidays
401(k) & 457 plans
Student Loan Forgiveness
Long Term Care
Group Legal Services
We are located in West Sacramento, right off Highway 50, close to shopping, grocery stores, and restaurants. Our site offers electric vehicle charging and is within walking distance of a coffee shop and juice bar.
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.
Gareth Johnson
(916) 882-0989
DISE_HR@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), Cover Letter, and Resume. Please reference SAP Position #50105958 and Job Control #535285 in the “examination(s) or job title(s) for which you are applying” section of your application.
The following basis of eligibility will be considered: List eligibility, transfer, LEAP, reinstatement, and SROA/Surplus.
The hiring unit will receive only the documents specified in the Required Application Package Documents section. Resumes, cover letters, and/or other attachments will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application. Incomplete application packages will not be considered.
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: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST
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.
