Josh's Water Jobs – DWR - Water Accounting & Technology Specialist (PSRS II)

Salary: $6,342.00 – $9,367.00 Monthly
Location: Weld County, CO
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: PEA 00518 06/25
Department: Department of Natural Resources
Division: Division of Water Resources
Opening Date: 06/19/2025
Closing Date: 7/6/2025 11:59 PM Mountain
FLSA: Determined by Position
Type of Announcement: This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
Primary Physical Work Address: 1809 W. 56TH AVENUE, GREELEY, CO 80634
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 exists to assist in preserving, protecting, and maximizing the beneficial use of the State’s present and future water supplies by administering and distributing water under Colorado laws of the appropriation system and interstate compacts.

Description of Job

OPEN ONLY TO CURRENT RESIDENTS OF COLORADO
This position exists to develop tools and plans to support near real-time water rights administration, provide training and support by formulating methodologies and processes to evaluate and interpret data for better decision making, and improve current processes for collecting and analyzing data. This includes performing detailed analysis of Water Court decrees and substitute water supply plans (SWSP) obtained to determine the specific requirements of each decree and develop a plan for measurement and accounting to track the movement of water and administration of the plan. This position will develop, maintain, and administer tools to aid the Division of Water Resources with complicated functionality relative to administration and decree requirements. This includes decreed and administrative exchanges, municipal effluent reuse and successive use, volumetric tracking within augmentation plans division-wide, creation of DWR sheets, and other such tools that will aid the Division 1 staff with near real-time administration. This position will be the staff specialist within the Division 1 Accounting and Augmentation group for technical and complex analysis and will, in coordination with the accounting group Team Lead, represent Division 1 for all needs and concerns with tools created within the State Engineer’s Office Water and Information Team. This position will also be responsible for any special projects that may be required from time to time that require specific analysis for a given request from the Division Engineer or designee.

Specific job duties include but are not limited to:

This position will review and analyze decreed water accounting submitted by water users to assure accounting and supporting data accurately fulfills their decree requirements, is in accordance with DWR policies, and allows the water commissioner to properly administer such decrees and operations.
This position will need to build and improve relationships with water users through communication in person, via phone, and email. This position will need to consult with the supervisor when there are challenging issues regarding such communication.
This position will examine and identify parts of administration for opportunities to create tools and plans that further the mission of the Division of Water Resources to make data more transparent and reliable.
This position will develop thoughtful operational plans to DWR leadership and manage the development and implementation of the tool or plan.
This position will coordinate with DWR staff to develop tools that gather information from internal and external sources to capture near real time information that help support administration of Water Court decrees or SWSPs. This position will continuously look at areas of opportunity to improve the efficiency of a tool and ensure that tools are still useful for daily operations.
As a technology specialist, this position represents Division One by serving on the statewide technology subcommittee and will coordinate with Division 1 leadership in order to disseminate shared information and knowledge to their Division and be a resource to staff.
As a specialist in water accounting and data technology, this position may be asked to present concepts to a body of peers or the general public. Professionalism in building presentations and public communication is required.
One current special project is being part of the Chatfield Reservoir Operations Team, which collects data, operates spreadsheets, performs calculations, and makes daily decisions on how much water to release from Chatfield Reservoir in accordance with established principles, professional standards, scientific principles, and analytical techniques.

Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

OPEN TO STATE OF COLORADO RESIDENTS ONLY

Minimum Qualifications:

Experience Only:

Six (6) years of relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned to this position

Education and Experience:

A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to six (6) years
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 may be 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.
Accounting experience, preferably water accounting.
Project management experience.
Education and/or experience in computer science.
Excellent public service skills.
Excellent critical thinking/problem solving skills.
Excellent oral and written communication.
Ability to reword technical data and/or writing for general understanding.
Experience reading and/or interpreting legal documents.
Proficiency with Google and Microsoft suites.
Advanced with Microsoft Excel and Google sheets, to include VBA Coding in Macros.
Able to work independently and solve complex problems.
Other experience relevant to the use or management of natural resources.

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

Hybrid: To be determined with supervisor after initial training period with a combination of work from home, field time, some days reporting to the main Division Office.

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 willing and able to work on weekends and holidays as business needs require.
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.

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.
The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness.
The State is resolute in non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.

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/

8 days remaining