Local recruitment: DWR - Chief of Hydrography (PSRS V)

• Salary: $9,186.00 – $13,569.00 Monthly
• Location: Denver, CO
• Job Type: Full Time
• Job Number: PEA 00191 03/25
• Department: Department of Natural Resources
• Division: Division of Water Resources
• Opening Date: 03/21/2025
• Closing Date: 4/6/2025 11:59 PM Mountain
• FLSA: Determined by Position
• Type of Announcement: This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
• Primary Physical Work Address: 1313 Sherman St., Rm 818, Denver, CO 80203
• Hiring Pay Rate: Employees new to State Government will be paid on a bi-weekly basis.
• FLSA Status: Exempt; position is not eligible for overtime compensation.
• Department Contact Information: Catie.Weber@state.co.us
• Salary Note: Although the full salary range for this position is provided, appointments are typically made at or near the range minimum.
• How To Apply: Please submit an online application for this position at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/colorado. Reach out to the Department Contact to apply using a paper application, including any supplemental questions. Failure to submit a complete and timely application may result in the rejection of your application. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that application materials are received by the appropriate Human Resources office before the closing date and time listed.

Department Information

OPEN ONLY TO CURRENT RESIDENTS OF COLORADOAre you interested in investing in a career that makes a difference?

Consider joining the dedicated people of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. It’s our mission to manage and conserve Colorado’s natural resources for the benefit of people today – and tomorrow. That means we have to balance development with conservation so the state we all love provides similar opportunities for our children and their children.

We invite you to explore our website at https://dnr.colorado.gov/ to find out more about the work we do to manage Colorado’s natural resources for today – and tomorrow.

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply.

In addition to offering rewarding, meaningful work, we offer:

• Medical and Dental plans
• Strong, flexible retirement plans including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus pre-tax 401K and 457 plans
• Paid life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• Employee Wellness programs
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Accounts
• 11 paid holidays per year plus generous vacation and sick leave
• Flexible work schedule options and remote-work options
• Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system

 Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. For more information, go to: https://studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/pslfFlow.action#!/pslf/launch

Division of Water Resources (DWR):

State Engineer’s Office

Our mission is to administer the waters of the State to maximize lawful beneficial use, ensure that dams and water wells are properly constructed and safe, and provide information about water resources to the public. Division of Water Resources
This work unit accumulates, processes, catalogues and disseminates data on surface water flow in streams, ditches and canals within the state. It also oversees the certification and testing of well measurement devices and well metering technicians. In addition to managing the hydrographic, satellite monitoring, and well measurement programs with the division, it provides the state with expert witness services for all interstate compact and water rights disputes, including cases before the state water court and federal Supreme Court.

Description of Job

OPEN ONLY TO CURRENT RESIDENTS OF COLORADO 
This position provides technical direction and program leadership of the statewide hydrography and well measurement teams. It provides technical guidance, contract assistance, guideline development and program standards. It acts on behalf of the state engineer regarding program development with the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and coordinates activities between these agencies to promote the effective performance of stream flow monitoring. In this and other programmatic decisions made at the state level, this position acts as the senior authority on behalf of the state engineer.
The position also manages the satellite monitoring program, which comprises hundreds of stream, reservoir and ditch gages sponsored by donors contributing to annual operations. It uses these funds along with grants and general fund support to maintain and improve the gage system.
It also oversees the annual testing and certification of over 15,000 well meters and more than a 100 certified meter testers.

Specific job duties include but are not limited to:

• This role as Senior Authority is to apply the technical principles derived from the science of hydrology directly to the measurement, characterization, and analysis of surface waters.
• The position will develop and periodically review the programmatic standards/guidelines for type, quality, efficiency, and quantity of work performed by DWR hydrographic staff as related to flow measurement, structure condition assessment, and measurement structure installation.
• As program lead of surface water analyses, the position will also be required to coordinate with hydrographic engineering staff to use hydraulic modeling software to gain efficiencies for developing or extending rating curves, overseeing hydrologic studies relative to frequency of floods to support inflow flooding evaluation, and overseeing studies for transit losses to support DSS models.
• The position will serve as the technical lead of the well metering and certified well meter tester program of the Office of the State Engineer.
• The position must decide how to best develop, support, and implement resource plans including budget and equipment required to provide the well metering certification required to enforce well measurement rules in the South Platte, Republican, Arkansas and Rio Grande basins.
• The position leads, manages, and directs the satellite monitoring program of the Office of the State Engineer, to include contracting with satellite monitoring program participants to fund the maintenance and operational support for over 550 stream, reservoir and diversion gages, determining the level of funding required to support each gage, invoicing and collecting annual fees, and expanding both the system and generally funded support staff as necessary to operate the program.
• The position will have to decide how to most effectively work within State requirements to develop contracts with outside vendors to support equipment, technology, and database needs.
• The position must review and develop resource plans including budget, updated equipment, and software required to efficiently meet program goals. 
• Partially accountable for the work product of two or more full-time equivalent positions, including timeliness, correctness, and soundness. This may include assigning tasks, monitoring progress and work flow, checking the product, scheduling work, and establishing work standards. 

Other duties as assigned. 

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

OPEN TO STATE OF COLORADO RESIDENTS ONLY

Minimum Qualifications:Experience Only:
Ten (10) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position
OR
Education and Experience:
A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to ten (10) years

Relevant Experience may include: 
Technical or scientific work in fields of engineering; earth, physical, or natural sciences. 
Constructing or maintaining hydraulic structures and/or electronic telemetry installations (e.g. SCADA).
Conducting scientific field investigations, or other experience related to water measurement and usage. 
Relevant Education may include: 
Combination of courses such as engineering, earth science, natural or water resource science, or mathematics. 
NOTE: Transcripts are required to calculate credit hours.

Please note: The required experience must be substantiated within the work experience section of your application. Your resume will not be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications; only the work experience section of your application will be reviewed to determine this. “See Resume” statements on the application will not be accepted. In addition, part-time work will be prorated.

If you are using a degree to substitute for the required experience, you are required to provide copies of your educational transcripts for verification of your qualifications if requested. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Current or former State experience relevant to this position.
• Knowledge and experience with Colorado water rights. 
• Water administration experience. 
• Water measurement experience.
• Experience supervising and/or leading diverse teams.
• Excellent oral and written communication. 
• Experience installing, inspecting, calibrating, and/or troubleshooting electronic equipment.
• Experience developing and training others on technical processes.
• Experience in program management.
• Experience overseeing and managing a program budget.
• Experience with seeking and obtaining grant funding. 
• Excellent public service skills. 
• Experience with a variety of flow measurement devices, data recorders, and data transmitting systems.
• Other experience relevant to the use or management of water resources.

The current work arrangement for this position is as follows: 
(Please note, this arrangement can be subject to change)

• Hybrid: Remote with occasional field time and travel reporting to the Statewide Offices for meetings and training as needed.   

Conditions of Employment: 

• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify their application from the current position.  (Please Note: Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with DNR). 
• Must be willing and able to possess and maintain a State of Colorado Driver’s License
• Must be prepared to defend and support actions and records in depositions or court testimony.
• Must be able to address frequent and detailed inquiries from attorneys, professional engineers and hydrologists from government and private agencies.
• Will require overnight travel within Colorado throughout the year to support DWR hydrographic and well metering staff. Anticipate around 14-21 overnight stays spread throughout the year. 

APPEAL RIGHTS:
It is recommended that you contact the Human Resources Specialist listed below to resolve issues related to your possession of minimum qualifications. However, if you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.

An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative. This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email, US Mail, faxed or hand delivered within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the department’s action.

For more information about the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board go to spb.colorado.gov or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director’s Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov under Rules.

Supplemental Information

The Assessment Process 

• All applications received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed by an HR Specialist against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement. 
• Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process. Part of, or all of, the comparative analysis for this position will be a structured application review by Subject Matter Experts.
• Resumes, cover letters and other attachments are not considered as part of initial reviews, therefore, it is important to document in your application your education, experience, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications as outlined in the job announcement. 
• Please thoroughly answer all supplemental questions (if listed) since question responses may be evaluated for content, writing ability, spelling, grammar, and effective communication. 
• This recruitment may involve additional testing and/or exams to arrive at the top group for interviews.
• This posting could be used to fill other vacancies of the same level and same reporting location. 

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

The Department of Natural Resources is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator, at dnr_hr_employeebenefits@state.co.us.

ADAAA Accommodations

Any person with a disability as defined by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) may be provided a reasonable accommodation upon request to enable the person to complete an employment assessment. To request an accommodation, please contact our ADAAA Coordinator at dnr_hr_employeebenefits@state.co.us at least five business days before the date that any accommodation will be required to allow us to evaluate your request and prepare for the accommodation. You may be asked to provide additional information, including medical documentation, regarding functional limitations and type of accommodation needed. Please ensure that you have this information available well in advance of the assessment date.

E-Verify

The Department of Natural Resources participates in E-Verify in accordance with the program’s Right to Work for all newly-hired employees. Employees are queried through the electronic system established by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify identity and employment eligibility. You may complete section 1 of the I-9 form upon your acceptance of a job offer letter, but no later than your first day of employment and in addition, on your first day, but no later than the third day, you are required to submit original documents to verify your eligibility to work in the U.S. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

Toll–Free Applicant Support – Technical Help

If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g. uploading or attaching documents to your online application) call NEOGOV at 855-524-5627, Mon-Fri between 6 am and 6 pm (Pacific Time). The Human Resources Office will be unable to assist with technical issues.   Helpful hints: If you are having difficulty uploading or attaching documents to your application, ensure your documents are PDF or Microsoft Word files and close the document before you attempt to upload it.

Employer: State of Colorado

Address: See the full announcement by clicking
the “Printer” icon located above the job title
Location varies by announcement, Colorado, —

Website: https://careers.colorado.gov/