Associate Engineer (2 Positions and PE not required)

Salary: $151,049.60 - $193,377.60 Annually
Location : 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 02036-E
Division: Watersheds Stewardship and Planning
Unit: Community Projects Review
Opening Date: 11/04/2026
Closing Date: 11/19/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Description
While not required, if selected candidate has a P.E. license, a 2.5% differential would apply.

Overview:

The Community Projects Review unit receives, reviews, and responds to external land development and public works projects, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents, feasibility studies, and master plans to determine compliance with Valley Water's Water Resources Protection Ordinance and impacts to Valley Water interests, including water supplies and water utility, watershed and stream stewardship facilities. The Associate Engineer performs primary technical review, and leads agency wide review, of land development and infrastructure plans focusing on hydraulic, geotechnical, and geomorphological analysis, to evaluate impacts to Valley Water facilities and land rights; provides input on city and regional planning documents to protect Valley Water's water supply, flood protection, and stream stewardship interests; and provides technical assistance to cities and the county in reviewing hydraulic analyses and complying with National Flood Insurance Program requirements. This position coordinates with various Valley Water business units to develop solutions, negotiate agreements, issue permits, and support right of way transactions; assign tasks and projects to assistant engineers; and oversees work assigned to assistant engineers, and may directly supervise assistant engineers.

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Evaluate encroachment permit requests and prepare permits ensuring appropriate conditions, land rights, CEQA compliance, invoicing and insurance requirements are met in accordance with Valley Water's Water Resources Protection ordinance. Review land development proposals and external projects or planning documents impacting Valley Water facilities and provide technical assistance to cities and the county in reviewing hydraulic analysis and complying with NFIP requirements.
• Perform primary technical review of land development and infrastructure plans, environmental documents, feasibility studies, master plans of various complex land development projects with engineering aspects focusing on hydraulic principles and analyses and geotechnical and geomorphological knowledge to interpret, evaluate and analyze the impacts to Valley Water facilities and land rights.
• Act as Valley Water representative in various meetings with public in conjunction with assigned projects, assign tasks and projects to assistant engineers, and supervise and/or provide oversight of work assigned to assistant engineers.
• Respond to public record requests through internal system, Access Valley Water. Compose Board correspondence and respond to public inquiries related to flooding information, land rights, land use restrictions and use of Valley Water right of way.
• Negotiate, review and prepare licenses, cost-share agreements and land rights transfers for non-capital projects related to issuance of encroachment permits. Review and/or approve plat and legal descriptions, right of way agreements, deed language, and prepare CEO approval and/or Board agenda packages.

Ideal Candidate's Background Includes:

Applicants whose experience and background best match the ideal experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and education are considered ideal candidates for the position. To determine the top candidates, each applicant will be assessed based on the ideal candidate criteria as listed below.

Ideal Experience:

Four (4) years of professional engineering experience reviewing and setting conditions for approval of public works, utility, transit, or other land development projects.

Ideal Skills and Abilities:

• Plan, organize, schedule, assign, train, review, and evaluate the work of staff.
• Recommend and implement work plans and effectively manage engineering projects and project teams.
• Apply engineering principles, practices, concepts, and standards to engineering problems.
• Apply water resources principles, practices, concepts, and standards to water supply planning, operations, and management, groundwater monitoring, contamination, and protection, and water quality problems.
• Prepare, understand, and interpret construction plans, specifications, drawings, and other engineering documents.
• Independently conduct comprehensive engineering studies, investigations, and analyses.
• Perform engineering calculations and statistics.
• Prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence, and other written materials.
• Analyze, interpret, summarize, and present technical engineering information and data.
• Interpret, apply, explain, and ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local policies, procedures, laws, and regulations, and District engineering policies and procedures.
• Conduct engineering research projects, evaluate alternatives, make sound recommendations, and prepare effective technical reports.
• Use office equipment including computer equipment and specialized software applications programs.
• Organize and prioritize multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner; organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Make sound, independent decisions within established policy and procedural guidelines, and best engineering practices.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Ideal Knowledge:

• Principles and practices of employee supervision, including work planning, assignment, review and evaluation, and the training of staff in work procedures.
• Principles, practices, concepts, and standards of civil engineering as applied to assigned field/specialty of engineering, water resources management, natural resource management and planning, engineering, hydrogeology, geology, hydrology, hydraulics, and/or environmental sciences.
• Principles and techniques for providing customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and District staff.
• Principles and practices of numerical modeling and analysis, natural resource modeling, forecasting and risk analysis, and statistical analysis.
• Principles, practices, theories, and methods of water supply planning, operations, and management, groundwater monitoring, contamination, and protection, water quality, and long-term water supply modeling and analysis.
• Principles of advanced mathematics and its application to civil engineering work.
• Principles and practices of project budgeting, cost estimation, funding, project management, and contract administration.
• Practices of researching engineering and design issues, evaluating alternatives, making sound recommendations, and preparing and presenting effective and technical reports.
• Recent and on-going engineering related developments, including information technology, current literature, and sources of information related to the operations of assigned area of responsibility.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulatory codes, ordinances, and procedures relevant to assigned area of responsibility.
• Office practices, methods, and computer equipment and applications related to the work.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.
• Each employee shall possess a reasonable understanding of their roles and responsibilities as defined in the District's Injury and Illness Prevention Program.

Ideal Training and Education:

The following combination represents the minimum training and experience requirements for this classification:

Training

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in civil engineering or a field related to assigned functional area(s).

OR

Possession of a valid California Engineer-in-Training (EIT) Certificate with two (2) years of associated paraprofessional engineering experience.

Required License or Certificate
Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid California driver's license. Individuals who do not meet the driver's license requirement due to a disability will be considered for reasonable accommodation on a case-by-case basis.
To review the Classification Specification, please click

Community Projects Review Unit (Position Code 407 & 403)Valley Water Telework Program: Eligibility for telework will depend on the type of work performed, operational needs, and the ability for the employee to perform the essential functions of their job duties while teleworking. Employment with Valley Water requires employees to live within 150 miles of their primary physical work location located in San Jose, California by their start date.

This position is eligible for a hybrid telework schedule, typically working 40% remote and 60% onsite.

Selection Process
(1) The selection process may include one or more of the following: application review, application assessment, performance exercise, written exercise and/or interview.
(2) The Employment Application, Qualifying Information Questions and/or Supplemental Questions will be evaluated based on the ideal candidate criteria listed above. Resumes are highly recommended.

NOTE: Position and start date is subject to availability of funds. Valley Water retains the right to repost this position as deemed necessary.
Consideration may be given to existing applicant pools within the same classification.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District, now known as Valley Water, offers a comprehensive benefit package including, vacation, holidays, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, EAP, life and disability insurance. In addition, Valley Water participates in the California Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). To view a summary of benefits, click
01

I acknowledge that I have entered my Work Experience and Education on the employment application, and I am aware these are required fields. If they are not completed, the application is considered incomplete, and I will be disqualified as an applicant for the position.

• Yes
• No

02

Please answer the supplemental questions thoroughly, clearly, and concisely as the responses provided (along with the application) will be carefully reviewed to determine which candidates will move forward in the recruitment process. Responses that refer to attachments (e.g., "see resume") will not be considered. Each question must be answered in full to ensure a fair and complete evaluation. I have read this information and am aware of the importance of responses to the supplemental questions.

• Yes
• No

03

Did you graduate from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in civil engineering?

• Yes
• No
• No, but I have a valid California Engineer-in-Training (EIT) Certificate with two (2) years of associated paraprofessional engineering experience

04

Do you have four (4) years of professional engineering experience reviewing and setting conditions for approval of public works, utility, transit, or other land development projects?

• Yes
• No

05

Do you have possession of, or ability to obtain a valid California driver's license?

• Yes
• No

06

Please describe your experience (including the number of years) in reviewing and interpreting engineering drawings of land development projects, evaluating feasibility studies, and reviewing master plans of various complex regional projects to determine impacts on water resources or public infrastructure. Please include any applicable experience related to assessing impacts to floodplains, sources of water supply, pipeline infrastructure, watersheds, and/or groundwater.
07

Describe your experience in preparing and writing letters and technical reports, including written responses to public inquiries, preparation of Board correspondence, preparation of Board agend