Posting Begin Date: 2025/09/26
Posting End Date: 2025/10/12
Category: Natural Resources
Sub Category: Water Agency
Work Type: Full Time
Location: Boise, ID, United States
Minimum Salary: 30.02
Maximum Salary: 34.20
Pay Rate Type: Hourly
Description
A STATE OF IDAHO OPPORTUNITY
Applications will be accepted through 4:59 PM MST on the posting end date.
Important Guidelines: Applicant resumes must demonstrate how they meet the MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS listed in the job announcement.
Selection Process: Resumes will be screened based on the criteria outlined in this announcement. A select number of candidates who have demonstrated that they meet the MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS of the position and have the most relevant qualifications may be given the opportunity to be interviewed.
The Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) may conduct verification of the information provided in your application, including validation of driver’s license status, education, employment, and criminal history. Omission and/or falsification of information provided in your application will result in your removal from consideration for employment, appointment, or promotion.
The Idaho Department of Water Resources is offering an exciting opportunity for someone passionate about making an impact on Idaho’s water future. Join the Groundwater Unit within the Hydrology Section, where you’ll dive into hydrogeologic investigations and tackle quantitative hydrogeologic analyses. This position is funded through the Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund, a federal grant program intended to aid the recovery of endangered salmonid populations. The successful applicant will aid salmonid recovery efforts in Idaho by managing grant-funded hydrogeologic projects and providing mission-critical hydrogeologic data, analyses, and expertise to relevant stakeholders.
There are two levels for this job opening – Staff Hydrogeologist and Technical Hydrogeologist. The Staff Hydrogeologist is the entry level for the Hydrogeologist classification. Through on-the-job training, classroom training, achievement of team and agency goals, and Professional Geologist licensure in Idaho, there will be opportunities for a Staff Hydrogeologist to progress to the Technical Hydrogeologist level in the Hydrogeologist career track. A Technical Hydrogeologist is expected to handle more difficult projects with little supervision.
Example of Duties
Staff Hydrogeologist Level
- Conduct hydrologic studies and evaluations, including field work, related to water occurrence, availability, use, flow, regulation, and administration
- Prepare written technical reports to document studies and analyses
- Perform or oversee water resource data collection following standard procedures
- Provide technical review and generate comments on the hydrologic aspects of technical reports and permit/license applications
- Develop water budgets and conceptual models of aquifer systems
- Participate on technical committees involved in developing solutions to water resource problems
- Make oral presentations to agency personnel and the public
- Apply intensive and diversified knowledge of hydrogeologic principles and practices within a specialty area
- Plan, conduct, and coordinate detailed phases of hydrogeologic work
- Provide technical assistance and make oral presentations to staff, other agencies, public officials, the general public, and industry, and represent the department in meetings
- Design and/or review groundwater monitoring networks
- Conduct analyses and report on large, complex water data sets for regulatory and management purposes
- Improve techniques and procedures for water resource evaluation, administration, and management
- Develop and implement program standards and regulations
- Testify in administrative hearings or legal proceedings
- Principles, theories, and practices of groundwater hydrology or hydrogeology including those pertaining to groundwater flow
- Collecting and analyzing data to evaluate groundwater characteristics and flow
- Designing and implementing statewide and/or regional operations and/or programs in one of the following hydrogeologic specialties: (1) groundwater flow and monitoring, (2) groundwater quality monitoring and protection or regional groundwater modeling; or (3) reviewing hydrogeologic analyses and making decisions relative to their merit
- Registration as a Professional Geologist is required as defined in Idaho Code Title 54, Chapter 28 (**Registration as a Professional Geologist is required within six months of hire)
- Must possess a valid driver’s license
- Knowledge and/or experience collecting hydrogeologic data including streamflow, surface water quality, and groundwater levels
- Knowledge and/or experience applying Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Knowledge and/or experience working with hydrologic databases
- Knowledge and/or experience using modelling software to make hydrologic predictions
- Experience writing and editing computer scripts and programs
- Experience providing technical assistance to an interdisciplinary team working on resource management issues
- Experience making oral presentations on scientific subjects to technical and non-technical audiences
- Experience participating in public and professional meetings or conferences
- Knowledge of water resource management related to state and federal laws and regulations
