Water Resources Engineer – Housing Assistance Provided!

The District is seeking a talented, organized, and self-motivated Water Resources Engineer to fill a position in the Planning and Water Resources division of the District’s Engineering Department. This position will be responsible for a broad and varied range of projects, initiatives, and activities related to strategic, long-term water resources planning, management, and development.  

The core job duties for this position will include water supply planning, water rights protection and development, regional collaboration and negotiations, policy development and implementation, project management, and technical design and evaluation of water supply projects. This role will also be heavily involved in data management and creating Decision Support Systems (DSS) to envision the future for water in our community with respect for the natural environment.  

An ideal candidate for this role is just as comfortable collaborating with multiple different stakeholders as they are working independently on data management and projects.  A successful Water Resources Engineer must be able to apply technical, management, and leadership skills as a technical project lead, project manager, or subject matter expert depending on the circumstance. The position may also represent the District while working collaboratively with diverse groups of stakeholders internally and externally, on local and regional water supply and watershed management studies, water conservation studies, and planning efforts.  

Why work for us? The work you will do as a Water Resources Engineer will be critical to long term water supply and environmental planning for our community. And you will have the opportunity to work with a diverse group of planning and water management professionals to improve how we plan and manage our facilities and resources. Not to mention our excellent benefits, housing program and opportunities for training, certification, and development. 

WHAT YOU’LL DO: 

WATER RESOURCES: This role will be primarily responsible for water resource planning, modeling, analysis, and forecasting. Manages water resource projects, studies, and initiatives including scoping, planning, permitting, design, scheduling, budgeting, and consultant or contractor procurement and management. Coordination and preparation of strategic water resource and water rights planning studies as assigned. 
COLLABORATE: Management of outside consultants developing water resource planning models, and ongoing operation and maintenance of the models. Participates on assignments with local, regional, and statewide committees and work groups as a District representative. Coordinates activities with Water Counsel. 
DATA MANAGEMENT: Applies data analysis and management for informed decision making. Develops Decision Support Systems. Will build reporting resources and data management tools for decision making.  
EXPERTISE: Provides technical analysis and subject matter expertise on water rights cases and water rights issues. Provides engineering support for District projects or initiatives in the areas of water resources policy, hydrologic analyses, water supply development, water demand management, environmental permitting, water rights accounting, and drought planning. 
INFORM: Provides informational reports and updates to the Planning and Water Resources Manager, Director of Engineering and Water Resources, General Manager, Legal Counsel, and Board of Directors. 
EVERYTHING ELSE: Follows all District safety and security policies and wear Personal Protective Equipment as required by the job duties. Performs other duties as assigned. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

• The minimum degree requirement for this position is a Bachelor of Science in an engineering, science, or planning related discipline from an accredited institution.  
• A Master of Science Degree in engineering, water resources, natural resource management, watershed science, hydrology, civil engineering, or directly related field is highly desirable. For Senior Water Resources Engineer: A Master of Science Degree in engineering, water resources, natural resource management, watershed science, hydrology, civil engineering, or directly related field is required or equivalent in licensure, education, or experience. 
• Permitting experience (1041, federal permitting, etc.) highly desirable. 
  Specific coursework relating to water or utility policy, engineering economics, hydrologic and/or water system modeling, geographic information systems, groundwater or surface water hydrology, Colorado water rights law, or other related subject areas is also desirable.  
• Candidates should have a minimum two years of related working experience in a water resource related discipline. Ideal candidates will have four to eight years of direct experience with: water resource planning and analysis; Colorado water rights and/or prior appropriations based western water law; water rights administration and accounting; hydrologic modeling; development and negotiation of agreements; project management; and other relevant subject areas.  
• Experience working for utility, agricultural, or industrial water users with specific water resource experience in Colorado or the Rocky Mountain West is favorable.  
• An equivalent combination of education, training, and work experience that demonstrates required knowledge, skills, and abilities may also be considered for all education and experience requirements.  
• Experience working with and developing Decision Support Systems (DSS) required.  
• Data management experience required. 
• For Candidates with an engineering education or background and four years of experience under the direction of a Professional Engineer, registration as a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Colorado, or ability to obtain license within one year of hire, is strongly preferred.
• Candidates that do not possess the required experience to obtain a Professional Engineer license are expected to have EIT (Engineer-in-Training) certification.  
• For candidates with a science or planning related education or background, professional registration/licensure (e.g., Professional Hydrologist, Registered Environmental Manager, etc.) is highly preferred.  
• Must possess a valid Colorado Driver’s license within 30 days of full-time employment and be insurable under District standards.  
• Must obtain CPR/First Aid Certification within the first six months of employment. 
• For Candidates with an engineering education or background, registration as a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Colorado, or ability to obtain license within one year of hire, is required for higher level engineer roles. For candidates with a science or planning related education or background, professional registration/licensure (e.g., Professional Hydrologist, Registered Environmental Manager, etc.) is required for higher level engineer roles 
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills are essential. Must be able to work independently but communicate effectively when needed (status updates, progress reporting, and effective questioning). 
• Collaboration skills are essential. Candidate must have the ability to work closely with internal district departments, and external stakeholders including local, state, and federal government agencies; non-governmental organizations; contractors; engineers and other consultants.  
• The ideal candidate should have experience with database/spreadsheet applications, statistical programs, programming languages, water resource models, Geographical Information Systems, and word processing applications. 
• Must be able to report to the Vail Administration Building. This role will work a combination of work from home and on-site office work. 
• Must possess a valid Colorado Driver’s license within 30 days of full-time employment and be insurable under District standards.  
• Must obtain CPR/First Aid Certification within the first six months of employment. 
   

HIRING RANGE 

There are four levels of Water Resources Engineer with different titles and pay ranges depending on knowledge, certification, skills, and experience. Candidates will be evaluated, offered and hired into the position at a level commensurate with their qualifications, years of direct experience, professional certifications, past project experience, and education. Pay ranges for each level are as follows: 

• Water Resources Engineer I: $81,120.00 – $113,568.00 
• Water Resources Engineer II: $93,912.00 – $140,878.40 
• Water Resources Engineer III: $103,542.40 – $155,313.60
• Senior Water Resources Engineer: $108,721.60 – $163,072.00 

 
At ERWSD, we value life-work balance and are leaders in the industry with our holistic benefits package, which includes but is not limited to:  

• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage 
• Employee housing and monthly housing stipend program 
• Wellness program  
• Retirement savings plans (414h and 457) 
• 13.5 Paid Holidays 
• Paid Vacation, Sick and Comp Time 
• Relocation Assistance (if applicable) 
• $400 Annual Recreation Benefit 
• Tuition Reimbursement 
• Ski Pass, Electrical Vehicle, and Computer loan programs 

Click HERE to learn more from our full 2023 Benefits Guide. 

All applicants must apply online at www.erwsd.org to be considered. This position closes February 2, 2023.  All employees must be insurable under District standards, submit to a pre-employment drug screen and extensive background check. 

Please contact erwsdjobs@erwsd.org for a full job description or for any additional questions. 

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer 
We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, or any other status protected by law or regulation. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions are based on job-related factors.