Salary : $154,710.40 - $188,032.00 Annually
Location : District Center; 1331 Concord Avenue, Concord, CA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 735 - MS - 2026
Department: Public Affairs
Opening Date: 09/03/2026
Closing Date: 9/24/2026 5:00 PM Pacific

GENERAL JOB FUNCTION
The Opportunity

CCWD is seeking a Senior Public Information Specialist (Project) to join our Public Affairs team and help shape how our community understands and values the water that keeps it thriving.

You'll plan, develop, and implement strategic communications, community outreach, public engagement, and education programs that put CCWD's services, projects, initiatives and people in the spotlight. You will also guide a team, providing clear direction, constructive feedback, and daily support to help staff succeed and grow. We're looking for a natural project manager with extensive communications experience, a customer-first mindset, and the people skills to lead with confidence. You'll join a creative Public Affairs team that uses a variety of outreach strategies to engage with customers, community leaders and employees. If you love turning complex topics into stories that build public trust, this is your opportunity to make an impact.

This is a full-time, project-based role with benefits; employment in this position is contingent upon the continuation of the Canal Replacement Program. See the for more details.
Why You'll Enjoy This Role
Make a Real Difference

• Provide an essential service that communities depend on to thrive.
• Know that your daily work directly benefits customers across our community.
• Help ensure reliable water for the region, now and into the future.

Varied, Meaningful Work

• Collaborate closely with a wide array of subject matter experts across CCWD.
• Work with technical staff, the management team, Board members, community stakeholders, and customers.
• Play a key role in helping customers and communities understand CCWD's services, projects, and the challenges of operating a large urban water system.

Join a Dynamic & Collaborative Team

• Work alongside a passionate team with varied backgrounds and skill sets.
• Help strengthen trust and confidence in CCWD by fostering both internal and external communications and relationships.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
Key Responsibilities

• Plans, coordinates, and implements strategic communications, community outreach, public engagement, and education programs, events, and activities aligned with CCWD's mission.
• Develops communications plans and manages the preparation, writing, and distribution of internal and external communications and publications.
• Supervises staff, including assigning and reviewing work, providing training and policy guidance, evaluating performance, and making recommendations on selection, promotion, and discipline.
• Builds and maintains relationships with media, customers, community groups, business leaders, partner agencies, and government representatives.
• Represents CCWD at community meetings and events, delivering presentations and information on CCWD's services, programs, and projects.
• Assesses community benefits and impacts of CCWD's construction and capital improvement projects and develops engagement strategies to address community concerns.
• Manages contracted services for assigned functions, including developing RFPs, evaluating proposals, and overseeing contractor performance.
• Participates in budget preparation, resource planning, and process improvements for assigned operations.

For a full description of examples of duties, please refer to the job descriptions by visiting the following:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

Training: Equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in journalism, public relations, marketing, public policy or a related field.

Experience: Five (5) years of increasingly responsible professional public information or community relations experience, including two (2) years of project lead or supervisory experience.
Licenses and Certifications: Possession of a valid California driver's license to be maintained throughout employment

For a full description of required knowledge, skills, and abilities, please refer to the job descriptions by visiting the following link:

Possession of the minimum qualifications does not guarantee an invitation to the next step in the selection process. All candidate materials will be carefully evaluated and only those considered best qualified will be invited to the next step in the selection process.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS Employees work in an office environment with moderate noise levels, controlled temperature conditions, and no direct exposure to hazardous physical substances. Employees may also work at CCWD facilities, construction or project sites, and community events with exposure to outdoor weather conditions, traffic, uneven surfaces, dust, or noise

WORKING CONDITIONS
Employees may be required to work various shifts and outside of normal shift hours on evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.

Applicants requesting reasonable accommodation during any phase of the recruitment process should contact Human Resources at 925-688-8002.
In addition to a competitive salary, the Contra Costa Water District offers an excellent benefits package!
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Local 21 non-temporary positions benefits include:

Health & Insurance Benefits

• Employer-paid medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Employer-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Voluntary participation in Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) for dependent care and healthcare reimbursements
• Employer-paid Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering counseling and referral services for employees and eligible dependents
• Health Insurance Credit for eligible dependents who have other medical benefit coverage

Retirement & Financial Benefits

• Flexible Benefit of $150 per month, equating to $1,800 annually
• Voluntary participation in the 401(a) and 457(b) deferred compensation plans, with up to a 4% employer match
• 1% employer contribution to a 401(a) deferred compensation plan for employees with 10 or more years of CCWD service (no employee contribution required)
• Participation in Social Security and Medicare
• Defined benefit retirement plan with reciprocity through California Public Employees' Retirement System and CalPERS reciprocal agencies
  • Reciprocal agency service does not count toward the 5-year or 10-year vesting requirement for fully paid retiree medical
  • Employees with classic reciprocity are eligible for a 2.35% at 55 retirement formula
  • New hires not eligible for classic reciprocity are covered under the 2% at 62 PEPRA defined benefit formula
• Employer-paid retiree health insurance for retirees and eligible dependents
  • Local 21 employees currently contribute 2.3% of base pay on a pre-tax basis for this benefit
  • Employees hired on or after January 1, 2016, are subject to a 10-year District service vesting requirement to qualify for fully paid retiree medical upon direct retirement from CCWD
  • The CCWD contracts with California Public Employees' Retirement System for medical benefits

Paid Leave & Work-Life Balance

• 12 paid holidays annually
• 56 hours of paid administrative leave per year in lieu of compensatory time off for FLSA-exempt classifications
  • FLSA non-exempt classifications, such as Management Assistant positions, do not receive administrative leave
• 40 hours of vacation credit upon hire
• Vacation accrual of 10 days during the first year, increasing to 15 days per year beginning in year two, with additional accrual increases thereafter
• 96 hours of sick leave accrued annually
• Part-time benefits are prorated in accordance with the applicable Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Wellness, Development & Additional Perks

• Comprehensive Wellness Program, including a monthly $50 wellness stipend
• Educational Assistance Program providing up to $3,000 per fiscal year, per employee
• Free admission to Los Vaqueros Reservoir, offering recreation areas, fishing, boating, and hiking trails
• And more

For additional information and the full details, eligibility, and provisions regarding the CCWD's applicable benefits package, please visit:
01

This position requires at least five (5) years of increasingly responsible professional public information or community relations experience, including two (2) years of project lead or supervisory experience. Do you meet this requirement?

• Yes
• No

02

Describe a specific outreach or public education campaign you led from start to finish. Include: the specific objective, intended audience and key tactics used. Please describe any tactics that did not work as planned and how you made modifications.
03

Please provide two (2) writing samples (press release, article, op-ed, newsletter, etc.) that you personally drafted. Briefly note your specific role in producing it (e.g., sole author, primary drafter with editing, etc.) and the intended audience. You may also add as attachment(s) to your application, including all the required information.
Required Question