Job Description

Job Description and Duties

Please note, the Water Boards do not participate in E-Verify.

Do you have experience with enforcement of environmental laws and regulations? Are you interested in working independently and collaboratively with an interdisciplinary interagency team? If so, this may be the position for you! Apply today and join our team.

The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board's Agricultural and Enforcement Division has an opening for an Environmental Scientist working in our Enforcement Unit. The position will be in either of two North Coast Regional offices:

1. Santa Rosa (Sonoma County) main office location: 5550 Skylane Boulevard, Suite A, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, in the Airport Business Park next to the Sonoma County Airport, the Sonoma Marin Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Train, and other public transportation,

OR

1. Eureka (Humboldt County) Northern Field Office location: 930 6th Street, Eureka, CA 95501, in Downtown Eureka.

Duties: The Environmental Scientist will fill a role in the Enforcement Unit within the Agricultural and Enforcement Division, working as part of an interdisciplinary team coordinating with the Regional Water Board, regulated entities, non-governmental organizations, and the public. The duties of this position include leading and assisting in the development of enforcement cases referred from regulatory units across the office, applying the State Water Resources Control Board's Enforcement Policy penalty methodology, and coordinating with management and legal staff to develop enforcement orders and support settlement negotiations; reviewing and investigating complaints of threatened or existing nonpoint source pollution, conducting field inspections and jurisdictional determinations, and developing notices of violation and progressive enforcement actions; performing environmental analyses and compliance reviews of regulated facilities, including review of self-monitoring reports and coordination with caseworkers to recommend or assess penalties; reviewing proposed projects affecting waters of the state for compliance with the Basin Plan, Porter-Cologne, the Clean Water Act, and CEQA, including preparing 401 water quality certifications and waste discharge requirements; and participating on technical and interagency committees, preparing presentation materials, and representing Regional Water Board policies at public hearings and meetings.

Additional information:

Candidates must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class.

If the position requires driving, you must possess a current and valid driver’s license. Please Do Not include full Social Security Number, method of eligibility, and LEAP information in your application package.

Please let us know how you heard about this position by taking this brief survey: .

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Additional Documents

Special Requirements

In order to be considered for this position, you must include the following:

• RPA# 26-110-009 in the “Examination or Job Title(s)” section of the State application when submitting a hardcopy application.

• Photocopies of degree and official transcripts (if needed to establish eligibility)

Must have Environmental Scientist list, tra nsfer, or reinstatement eligibility and be reachable on the certification list. Here is the link to the exam:  

An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States that does meet accreditation standards must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due during final minimum qualification evaluation of candidate(s). A link of accepted evaluation agencies can be found here: .

Electronic submittal of applications and attachments through jobs.ca.gov is preferred. Emailed or faxed applications will not be accepted. You are required to complete employment history on the application form (STD. 678), including work experience, dates, hours worked, contact names and phone numbers of supervisors on the state application. Applicants who fail to submit a completed STD. 678 may be disqualified.

In the hiring interview, the panel will consider education, experience, personal development, personal traits and fitness for the job. In appraising experience, more weight may be given to the breadth of pertinent experience and evidence of the candidate's ability to accept and fulfill increasing responsibilities than to the length of his/her experience. For additional information, you may refer to the class specification.

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: 10/28/2026

Who May Apply

Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates 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

Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:

Address for Mailing Application Packages

You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:

State Water Resources Control Board

Attn: Human Resources Branch - Danielle Klemencic

1001 I Street, 18th Floor

Sacramento , CA 95814

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

State Water Resources Control Board

Human Resources Branch - Danielle Klemencic

1001 I Street, 18th Floor

Sacramento , CA 95814

08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

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 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 - Please see below for specific requirements
• Other - Cover Letter is required and must be included

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

Benefits

Water Board employees may be eligible for 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 negotiated between the State of California and employee organizations that define wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment. and

Contact Information

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.

Department Website:

Human Resources Contact:
Danielle Klemencic
(916) 319-8293
danielle.klemencic@waterboards.ca.gov

Hiring Unit Contact:
Jeremiah Puget
(707) 576-2835
jeremiah.puget@waterboards.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:
Shyla Hoffman
(916) 341-5881
shyla.hoffman@waterboards.ca.gov

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Statement of Qualifications

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) must be submitted along with the State Application and serves as documentation of candidate’s ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. It should be typed, no more than (two) 2 pages in length, using size 12 Arial Font, and normal margins.

Indicate your total years of experience when answering the following statements/questions, and provide examples:

• Describe your understanding of the importance of environmental enforcement for the protection of water quality and its role within the greater context of environmental regulation.
• Describe your experience developing environmental enforcement cases, and documenting areas of inadequacy at regulated facilities.
• Describe your experience in evaluating land disturbing activities, industrial facilities or environmental data, and assessing potential and/or actual impacts to the environment, water quality, and streams and wetlands.
• Describe your experience working within a multi-disciplinary inter-agency/departmental team.

Applications received without the SOQ addressed as stated may not be considered.

For guidance on writing effective SOQs, visit:  . Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be useful in the development of written responses; however, it is important to use these tools responsibly and ethically. Failure to comply may result in disqualification.

Note: Resumes, letters, and other materials will not be evaluated or considered as a response to the SOQ.

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time, Part time, Work experience placement, Work at office

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