Salary: See Position Description
Location : 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 01996-U
Division: Office of District Counsel
Opening Date: 06/29/2026
Closing Date: 8/9/2026 5:00 PM Pacific

Description
District Counsel

Annual Salary: $353,745.60 - $449,176.00 DOE/DOQ

PLUS an Excellent Benefits Package!
The district counsel is Valley Water's chief legal officer and oversees approximately 11 employees within the District Counsel's Office and associated Risk Management functions.

QUALIFICATIONS
A minimum of eight years of recent experience actively practicing law in California is required. Of these, at least five years of progressively responsible experience in public agency/municipal law is required, including two years supervising management, professional, or paraprofessional staff. Executive management experience, including advising elected officials and working in a political environment, departmental budgeting, and litigation valuation, are all preferred. Knowledge of law and principles related to flood protection, water resource management, modern water law, and state and local water history is desirable. Candidates must be active and in good standing with the State Bar of California.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The next district counsel is a confident, highly competent, qualified, and experienced local government attorney with high integrity, unassailable character, unquestionable ethics, and sound legal judgment. Although the position reports to the board of directors, a strong, collaborative working relationship with the CEO and the Clerk of the Board, the chief operating officers, and all business units, is essential. The preferred candidate listens actively and is positive and approachable.

The preferred candidate has a strong foundation in as many of the following practice areas as possible: the Brown Act, major capital projects and related construction contracting, constitutional law (e.g., due process, first amendment, etc.), contracts, departmental budgeting, the District Act, eminent domain, elections, employment law, environmental law, ethics (including conflicts of interest, confidentiality, privilege, etc.), finance, labor relations (including collective bargaining), negotiations, Open Meeting Act, procurement, Public Records Act, real estate transactions, risk management (risk mitigation, litigation avoidance), and state-level water issues. Experience with federal, state, and local agencies and their related regulatory environments is also preferred. The next District Counsel must possess the judgment, experience, and leadership necessary to protect Valley Water's legal interests and effectively manage complex legal risks.

The ideal candidate is a clear and concise writer and speaker (no "legalese"), who can communicate complex legal topics succinctly and simply to anyone, regardless of their experience level or sophistication. The successful candidate must be diplomatic and politically astute, but apolitical, with strong situational awareness. The next district counsel must also be able to stand their ground and manage the expectations and pressure inherent in this role.

The ideal candidate will have the strength, experience, and skill to advise the strong-minded members of the board of directors effectively, speaking truth to power with respect and tact, maintaining a productive, collaborative relationship with all directors. The preferred candidate is committed to providing the board with legal options consistent with their policy priorities, explaining their lawful choices and the attendant risks. The board wants an attorney with a solutions-oriented mindset, a creative problem-solver, whose default answer is not "no."

The successful candidate is intelligent, both intellectually and emotionally, with grit, thick skin, common sense, and good judgment. The preferred candidate is comfortable in a multicultural environment, values diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is able to provide evidence of these traits in their professional history.

The ideal candidate is highly skilled at building and maintaining effective relationships with federal, state, regional, municipal, and local agencies, and with Silicon Valley's major stakeholders. The next district counsel is comfortable operating in complex legal and regulatory environments (Congressional offices, CEQA, FERC, NEPA, permitting, etc.) and managing contract legal counsel with an appropriate level of involvement.

Finally, the district counsel is an effective leader, who understands the executive-level nature of the position and has the legal department management experience to run the office effectively, including an appropriate level of delegation. The ideal candidate is deeply committed to the highest levels of customer service and enthusiastic about building and maintaining an efficient, responsive team, developing all attorneys and staff to their greatest potential.

View the full recruitment brochure here

HOW TO APPLY:
To be considered for this excellent professional opportunity, please email only your cover letter and resume to
, naming your files Last.First.CL and Last.First.Resume. Receipt of your submittal will be acknowledged within two business days. All applicants will be updated on their status following the Recommendation of Candidates.

If you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, or this opportunity, please feel free to call Andrew Gorgey directly at (970) 987-1238. For more information, visit the Columbia ltd website:
Salary information is open within the range indicated on the posting and will be competitive and commensurate with experience. We also offer an excellent benefits package including paid vacation, holidays, sick, personal and executive leave, medical, dental, disability and life insurance, a deferred compensation plan and a CalPERS retirement plan.Defined Benefit Retirement Plan California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) 2.5% at 55(Tier 1), 2% at 60 (Tier 2_or 2% @ 62 (Tier 3) depending on CalPERS membership status at the time of hire.

• Tier I Hired prior to 3/19/2012- 2.5% at 55 retirement plan with final compensation of highest 12 consecutive months. The current required employee contribution is 8%.
• Tier 2 Hired on or after 3/19/2012- 2.0% at 60 retirement plan with final compensation of highest 36 consecutive months. The current required employee contribution is 0%. Valley Water pays the employee contribution (Employer Paid Member Contributions - EPMC) of 7%.
• Tier 3 Hired on or after 1/1/2013- 2.0% at 62 retirement plan with final compensation of highest 36 consecutive months. Employees are required to pay 50% of the total normal cost as determined by the annual CalPERS valuation which is subject to change each fiscal year. The current required employee contribution is 7.25%.

Retirement Health Benefits

• Medical coverage is provided for retired employees with 15 years of continuous service with Valley Water or a combination of prior public agency service (meaning the State of California or any political subdivision thereof, including any city, county, or special district) with a minimum of 5 consecutive years of Valley Water Service.
• Medical, Dental and Vision coverage is provided for retired employees and one eligible dependent with 20 or more years of continuous service with Valley Water or a combination of prior public agency service with a minimum of 5 consecutive years of Valley Water Service.
• Medical premium cost sharing is required with the same contribution percentage as active employees and based on the medical premium amount applicable to active employees or retirees, whichever is less. Effective April 1, 2024, retirees will pay 0% of the cost of the premium. Valley Water will pay 100% of the cost of the premium.

Insurance

• Medical, Dental, Vision Care and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefits are provided by Valley Water with no monthly premium cost to the employee! Medical, Dental, Vision Care, and EAP benefits are provided to all regular employees and their eligible dependents including domestic partners.

Holiday Pay

• Valley Water provides 14 designated paid holidays per calendar year.

Paid Time Off

• Vacation - newly hired employees receive 224 hours (28 days per year) of prorated vacation based on the date of hire. The prorated amount is vested immediately for the remainder of the fiscal year. Beginning each fiscal year, Unclassified employees receive 224 hours (28 days per year) of vacation which is vested immediately for the entire fiscal year and may be accumulated up to 4 times entitlement.
• Sick Leave - accrued at the rate of 1 day per month (96 hours per year) with unlimited accumulation.
• Executive Leave - 24 hours executive leave provided upon hire.
• Personal Leave - 32 hours of prorated personal leave provided upon hire.
• Bereavement Leave - 3 days of bereavement leave. Additional time may be charged to sick leave and limited to a total of 10 consecutive calendar days.
• Parental Leave- Employees may use sick leave (in addition to current vacation, comp time, and/or personal leave) for all qualifying parental leave. Employees can use this sick leave for bonding (or for the placement of a child with an employee for adoption or foster care).

Disability Insurance

• Valley Water provides Short-Term Disability (STD) equal to 66 2/3% of salary to a maximum weekly benefit of $3,462 with a 14-day waiting period. STD may transition into Long Term Disability (LTD) after 180 days of disability and then provide 66 2/3% of salary to a maximum monthly benefit of $15,000.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Valley Water provides an EAP to employees and their eligible dependents that is staffed by licensed credentialed counselors and provides information, referral and short-term counseling for personal issues affecting work or personal life.

Flexible Spending Account Plans

• Valley Water provides employees the option to participate in a Health Care Spending Account with a maximum contribution up to $3,200 for eligible medical, dental, vision and prescription expenses.
• Valley Water provides employees the option to participate in a Dependent Adult or Child Daycare Account with a maximum contribution up to $5,000 per family or $2,500 if married and filing separately.

Telework

• This position is based in Valley Water's San Jose office. Telework 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. Valley Water employees may be allowed to telework (work from home) up to 40 percent of the time in a two-week pay period, subject to manager approval.

Life Insurance

• Valley Water provides life insurance benefits equal to employee's annual salary up to a maximum benefit of $100,000 with a five-year phase out in declining increments of $10,000 per year starting with $50,000 coverage upon retirement.

Deferred Compensation

• Deferred compensation plans are available at the employee's option, with up to $8,000 in annual matching contributions each calendar year from Valley Water. The match will be deposited into the 401(a) plan.

Wellness

• ValleyWaterWell - Valley Water Wellness program. We offer company-wide challenges, lunchtime seminars, health cooking demos, health stations, and more!
• Origin Financial Wellness - Valley Water provided financial Wellness tool. Free 1:1 meetings with certified financial planners, free app access with visibility to financial transactions, free basic will preparation and more!
• ClassPass - Fitness & wellness at your fingertips. 11 Valley Water provided credits per month.
• Virgin Pulse - Valley Water Wellness Platform. Participate in wellness challenges, competitions, and more. Earn up to $220/annually!
• LifeBalance - Discounts at thousands of businesses nationwide, including health clubs, fitness studios, online retailers, movie theaters, hotels, and more!

Tuition Assistance Program

• Unclassified employees with six (6) or more months of continuous service, up to 100% reimbursement of tuition costs upon satisfactory completion of an approved course to a maximum of $3,500 per fiscal year.

At Will

• It is the policy of Valley Water that unclassified employees are employed at the will of the CEO/Appointing Authority.