What are the responsibilities and job description for the Hydrologist (Water Availability Analyst) position at Water Resources Department?
Initial Posting Date:
01/15/2025
Application Deadline:
02/12/2025
Agency:
Water Resources Department
Salary Range:
$5,325 - $8,148
Position Type:
Employee
Position Title:
Hydrologist (Water Availability Analyst)
Job Description:
Working Title: Hydrologist (Water Availability Analyst)
Classification: Natural Resource Specialist 3
Position Type: Full-time, permanent
Representation: SEIU
FLSA Status: Exempt, Eligible for straight time with manager approval.
Monthly Compensation: The monthly salary range before PERS* will be $5,325-$8,148 | after PERS* will be $5,695-$8,713. This is salary range 27.
Work Location: North Mall Office Building, 725 Summer St. NE Suite A, Salem Oregon 97301.
Hybrid/Remote Work: Hybrid Eligible.
About the
Oregon Water Resources Department
The Oregon Water Resources Department is committed to creating a workplace culture that understands and appreciates differences among people and is welcoming and inclusive to all. By fostering fairness and equity in its work culture, the Department strives to improve services for all Oregonians. We acknowledge that not all people have experienced equitable opportunities or fair treatment. We are committed to increasing our awareness and understanding of historic injustices and building a foundation for meaningful change. We value a wide range of professional and lived experiences, and people of underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Our Vision
The vision of the Oregon Water Resources Department is to assure sufficient and sustainable water supplies are available to meet current and future needs.
Core Values
Integrity – We are accountable for all that we do. We act with honesty and promote transparency.
Service – We are dedicated to providing outstanding service and treating everyone equitably in our management and stewardship of state resources.
Technical Excellence – We base our resource decisions on law, science, and expertise.
Teamwork – We are united in our mission, relying on one another and working together with the communities we serve.
Forward-Looking – We seek innovative and practical solutions to the water challenges of today and tomorrow.
2019-2024 Strategic Plan
The Oregon Water Resources Department’s strategic priorities for 2019-2024 are to:
Modernize our management of Oregon’s surface water and groundwater resources to meet instream and out-of-stream uses
Work to secure Oregon’s instream and out-of-stream water future in the face of increasing water scarcity
Foster a forward-looking team dedicated to serving Oregonians with integrity and excellence
About our Section
The Surface Water Hydrology (SWH) Section provides technical expertise regarding surface water, consumptive use, and water diversion data, including the analyses and interpretation of these data, within the Department and for the public. The SWH Section participates in programmatic and special interest matters involving water supply conditions, such as the collection and evaluation of surface water data, basin studies investigating surface water-groundwater relationships, and the evaluation of drought conditions. Through coordination with others in the agency, SWH provides data and analyses critical for responsible water management.
About our Team
The Surface Water Availability team provides essential analysis for Oregonians – the modeling and quantification of surface water supplies and the determination of water remaining for allocation. As a hydrologist in our Surface Water Allocation program, you will:
- Maintain OWRD’s Water Availability Reporting System – Ensure internal and external users have access to accurate accounting of surface water availability
- Develop Technical Tools - Develop functions and tools in programming environments and perform advanced hydrologic modelling, statistical analysis, and data visualization
- Update Water Availability Data - Review the existing statewide water availability model, scope improvements to, and lead projects focused on updating components of the model
- Perform Hydrologic Analyses - Perform hydrologic analyses to support agency staff and studies, stakeholders, and legal cases
- Technical Assistance - Provide technical assistance to internal and external stakeholders regarding hydrologic consultation by reviewing technical proposals, reports, and grant applications
About the Position
This position's primary purpose is to support OWRD’s update of the surface water availability model and databases, through development of tools and data sets using their modeling, GIS and programming skills through supporting the development and maintenance of the Water Availability Program. The Water Availability Program is part of the agency's mission to address Oregon’s water supply needs. The program provides an assessment of surface water availability using hydrologic modeling, namely through the Water Availability Reporting System (WARS) tool and analysis in order to support all water allocation decisions, including evaluation of instream water rights and some groundwater rights. The program is essential to the review of water rights applications and to the basin planning process.
In this position, you will work with a team to ensure OWRD uses accurate, up-to-date data and tools to support surface water allocation decisions and planning. These data and analyses are fundamental to understanding the diverse water supply challenges of Oregon. They also provide the basis for identifying water supply solutions that OWRD and the public can pursue. You will be a member of the Technical Services Division, reporting to the
Assistant Manager
of the Surface Water Section, and working on projects such as an update to the Water Availability model managed by the Program Coordinator
.Some functions of this role will look like:
Maintain the statewide water availability model to ensure internal and external users have access to accurate accounting of surface water availability (Program Operation- WARS model maintenance)
- Develop functions and tools in programming environments to interact with internal databases and external data repositories and perform advanced hydrologic modelling, data visualization, and statistical analysis (Program Operation - Improvements)
- Review statewide water availability model, scope improvements to, and lead projects focused on updating components of the model (Project Management/Research)
- Perform hydrologic analyses and summarize results with written and visual information to support agency staff and studies, stakeholders, and legal cases (Analyses/Evaluation)
- Provide technical assistance to internal and external stakeholders regarding hydrologic consultation by reviewing technical proposals, reports, and grant applications (Technical Assistance)
Minimum required qualifications:
- Three years of experience working with hydrologic models, at least one of which was at a technical or professional level performing activities in natural resources such as researching and analyzing data, conducting investigations, applying pertinent laws and regulations, or coordinating and monitoring project activities; AND
- A Bachelor’s degree in Water Resources, Geology, Engineering, Environmental Science, or similar field, OR three additional years of related (pertinent) experience.
- Note: A Master's degree in a natural resource area will substitute for up to one year of the required experience. A Doctorate degree in a natural resource area will substitute for up to two years of the required experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- Technical computing skills – You have experience leveraging Python, SQL, ArcGIS, or similar GIS and programming tools to develop repeatable workflows and perform hydrologic and statistical analyses, as well as to design, maintain, and query databases.
- Organization and analysis skills – You have experience utilizing programming languages to design and maintain well-structured files and databases, and technical writing skills to create clearly-written documentation, to ensure efficient and reproducible workflows.
- Hydrologic data and techniques – You have a comprehensive understanding of the hydrological cycle, a solid knowledge of various sources and types of hydrologic data, and hands-on experience with fundamental tools commonly used in hydrologic analysis.
- Project management skills – You have experience managing individual and team projects from scope development to planning and execution.
- Self-starter and team player – You possess the ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative team to move projects forward.
How to apply
- Provide a brief (no more than 1 page) cover letter indicating why you are interested and a good candidate for the position.
- Provide a brief (no more than 2 page) resume indicating your experience pertinent to the required qualifications and desired attributes in this announcement.
What’s in it for you?
In addition to offering a culture of care and inclusivity and working among a highly skilled team to dive into meaningful work, we also offer a
competitive benefits package
that includes:- Exceptionalmedical, vision and dentalplans with employees paying 1 to 5% of the total premium.
- Leave accrual starting at 8 hours of sick and 8 hours of vacation leave per month, with your vacation leave accruals increasing every 5 years.
- Access to an additional four days of discretionary leave - 3 days of personal business leave and one day of Governor’s Leave each year.
- Eleven paid holidays per year.
- Membership in thePublic Employees Retirement System (PERS)including a pension and employer contributions to the Individual Account Program.
- Optional benefits (such as term life insurance, long-term and short-term disability, long-term care, health and dependent care flexible spending accounts, enrollment in theOregon Savings Growth Plan, a deferred compensation program with a wide variety of investment options).
- The opportunity to receive loan forgiveness under thePublic Service Loan Forgiveness Program(must qualify).
Important Information
PERS Salary Information
NON-PERS ELIGIBLE (Includes most new hires to state government. Employees typically gain PERS eligibility after six months of state service. PERS ELIGIBLE (Typically current or former employees of Oregon state or local government, public schools, universities, etc.) The salary listed will state base monthly salary, which is BEFORE PERS.
Accommodations
If you need assistance to participate in the application process, including an accommodation request under the American with Disabilities Act, we invite you to contact the recruiter for accommodation requests under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), application questions or job-specific questions please contact our HR team at
wrd_dl_hr@water.oregon.gov
.
Future Vacancies
This applicant pool may be used to fill additional vacancies as they occur over the next three (3) months.
Work Authorization
The Oregon Water Resources Department does not offer visa sponsorships. Within three days of hire, all applicants will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States.
Veterans
If you are an eligible veteran and you meet the qualifications, veterans’ preference points will be added to your score. For more information on veterans’ preference points visit
www.oregonjobs.org
and select Veterans resources under Resources. Please do not attach veteran documentation to your initial application, after you have applied you will be sent a task in your Workday account to provide your veteran documentation at that time.
Application Review Process
In addition to your related work experience and education, we will use both the minimum and desired qualifications above to determine whom to interview. Please make sure all your relevant qualifications are clearly demonstrated in your application materials. Your application materials may be evaluated on spelling, grammar, punctuation, attention to detail, and presentation.
The Oregon Water Resources Department is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer Committed to Workforce Diversity.
Salary : $5,695 - $8,713