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Job Description
At the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, we deliver reliable water to a region with 19 million people—and to accomplish this, we rely on a team of talented employees: innovators, problem-solvers, and collaborators who make it all possible.
This recruitment may result in an eligibility list*.
As an Environmental Specialist , you’ll play a key role in supporting essential water infrastructure projects through a complex environmental and regulatory landscape. You will l ead and prepare environmental analyses, studies, and projects in accord a n ce with federal and state environmental laws and regulations, including the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) , California Fish and Game Code, Clean Water Act, Porter - Cologne Water Quality C ontrol Act, and federal and state endangered species acts. This position s primary focus is project management for environmental planning compliance and documentatio n . You will lead the preparation of CEQA documents and develop practical solutions to complex CEQA and regulatory permitting issues to ensure that critical projects move forward in compliance with environmental regulations . The successful candidate will have the ability to communicate effectively with members of project teams, including consultants, and be able to work both independent ly and as pa rt of a project team.
What You’ll Do- Prepare CEQA documentation , including initial studies, negative declarations, mitigated negative declarations, and environmental impact reports and supporting technical analyses
- Develop and implement mitigation monitoring and reporting plans
- Prepar e environmental specifications and review design drawings for construction contracts
- R eview and prepare applications , negotiat e with regulatory agencies , and obtain regulatory permit s for construction projects in accordance with the California Fish and Game Code, Clean Water Act, Porter - Cologne Water Quality Control Act, and federal and state endangered species acts
- Prepare environmental project scopes, budgets, and schedules
- Provide consultant oversight, including reviewing work quality and preparing and monitoring consultant project scopes, budgets, and schedules
- A nalyz e and monitor proposed legislation and recommend appropriate strategies that ensure compliance with evolving regulations
- D isseminat e information regarding pertinent regulatory and legislative issues
- E stablish and maintain effective communication with managers, staff, and consultants
- Develop and deliver environmental planning training to educate and promote consistent compliance and best practices across the organization
Schedule: 44/36, Monday through Friday /Every other Friday off. Monday through Thursday 9 hours per day, 8 hours per day every other Friday. Start times are no earlier than 6 am and end times are no later than 6 pm.
Hybrid: Metropolitan’s current practice in this position is a hybrid work schedule. This typically includes two days a week in person and the other days remote. This is subject to change dependent on organizational needs. In addition, a telework policy is scheduled for negotiations and once completed and implemented, will provide final direction on the hybrid schedule.
This job announcement has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work being performed by employees in this classification / job. To view the full job description click here: Environmental Specialist
EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field and six years of relevant experience;
OR two years in a MWD Associate Environmental Specialist classification;
OR M aster’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field and four years of relevant experience.
Relevant Experience is defined as: experience with environmental planning analysis, preparation of documentation, and project management for compliance with environmental laws and regulations including the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES, AND REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
License(s): Valid California Class C Driver’s License or equivalent ( required at time of application) that allows you to drive during your employment.
Benefits:
- Competitive compensation
- Excellent medical, dental, life, vision plans.
- Deferred compensation in the form of a 401(k) plan (with matching contribution) and a 457 plan.
- Retirement benefits under the California Public Employees' Retirement System
- Tuition reimbursement
- Training and advancement opportunities
- Excellent working environment
- Public transportation reimbursements
- Hub of public transportation: rail, subway, buses, and taxis
- On-site fitness center
For more information on MWD benefits, please use the following link: Benefits Regular FT PT Employees (Represented)
ABOUT MWD
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative that, along with its 26 cities and retail suppliers, provides water for 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Qualified individuals with disabilities, who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process, please call (213) 217-7738 or email: jobs@mwdh2o.com.
Metropolitan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected characteristic(s).
Application Filing Period: Closes at 4:30 pm PST on the date stated in the job announcement. However, it may close prior to the filing end date if sufficient applications have been received. If sufficient applications have not been received, then the filing period end date may be extended.
Eligibility List*: An eligibility list is a list of qualified candidates created when a job posting states that one will be established .
Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications listed in the original posting and successfully pass all stages of the recruitment process—but are not selected for the initial vacancy—may be placed on this list for future openings.
The list may be used to invite candidates to participate in a selection interview for a future vacancy in the same classification / title (if there is one). The duration of the list depends on the applicable bargaining unit.
Qualifying Experience: Your resume must at a minimum include the month and year you began and ended employment, name of the organization, your title, and a brief description of your experience. If your employment was part-time, make sure you identify it on your resume next to the month/year.
Sponsorship: Applicants for employment with The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States (i.e., H1-B or other employment-based immigration case).
#LI-Hybrid
Closing Date/Time: April 29, 2026 @ 4:30 p.m. PST -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
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Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Show moreThe Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a consortium of 26 cities and water districts that provides drinking water to nearly 18 million people in parts of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.
The mission of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is to provide its service area with adequate and reliable supplies of high-quality water to meet present and future needs in an environmentally and economically responsible way.
Metropolitan currently delivers an average of 1.7 billion gallons of water per day to a 5,200-square-mile service area.
Join our Team
Metropolitan values both fresh voices and the different perspectives that experience brings. We seek out the best, those who bring unique and varied qualities to an organization whose employees reflect the diverse communities we serve across Southern California. And we want colleagues who embrace innovation, equity and a shared greater purpose to the region. We are a public agency and the people who work with us are devoted to public service.
We were built to last and to lead. We are an agency deep in history and experience. We are part of the very fabric of Southern California, having been formed in 1928 by the state Legislature to design, build and operate the Colorado River Aqueduct to bring water to a growing population. Today, our role is much greater than the infrastructure we built and maintain. We are here to ensure reliable and safe water supplies for 19 million people across five Southland counties, operating in an environmentally and economically sound manner.
If you’re already in the workforce and considering Metropolitan as a work option, begin your journey here to learn more. For those still in school or just entering the workforce, scroll down to the section Creating the Next Generation of Workers for the Water Industry to learn about our internship and apprenticeship programs as well as other educational resources to help prepare you for a career in the water industry.
What We Offer
When you come to work at Metropolitan, you don’t come just for a job; you come for a career. We want to support your career pathway along with your well-being. One way to do that is to offer very competitive salaries and excellent benefits. We also provide top-notch health and insurance options, as well as retirement benefits.
Our benefits package is above industry standards. Metropolitan contracts with CalPERS, the California Public Employee Retirement System, to provide a wide choice of medical coverages to both active employees and qualified retirees.
As a regular full-time; regular part-time union represented employee will be eligible for excellent benefits.
Also available to Metropolitan employees through CalPERS are pension and survivor benefits as well as deferred compensation benefits that include our 401(k) and 457(b) savings plans. Metropolitan matches 401(k) contributions to increase the amount of your annual savings toward retirement.
Dental coverage, through Delta Dental, is offered at no cost to regular full-time; regular part-time employees pay a pro-rated fee. Qualified dependents can be added to the dental plan at no extra cost. Metropolitan contracts with Vision Service Provider, or VSP, for vision coverage and covers the cost for regular full-time employees. Costs are prorated for regular part-time employees. Qualified dependents can be added for a flat monthly fee.
We have insurance programs covering life, long-term disability and accidental death and dismemberment. There are also some voluntary benefits to choose from. These include Flexible Spending Accounts for health and dependent care, long-term care and cancer coverage. You and your family members will also have access to our Employee Assistance Plan for confidential professional counseling and referral services at no cost. A Wellness Program offers certain reimbursements to employees based on work location and bargaining unit.
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