Job Description

Job Description and Duties

Please note, the Water Boards do not participate in E-Verify.

Positions at the Water Boards may be eligible for telework with in-person attendance based on the operational needs of the position and might be expected to comply with after July 1, 2026.

Salary Information - CalHR salary rules allow appointment at the entrance rate (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 2, § 599.673) of a classification. For classes with alternate ranges, placement is based on education/experience. E mployees appointed to the Attorney or Water Resource Control Engineer classification will receive Recruitment Higher Above Minimum (HAM) rate in accordance with the approved

In addition, note: Effective July 1, 2025, the State of California implemented the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) which reduces an employee’s monthly salary in exchange for leave credits. Employees appointed to this classification will have their monthly salary reduced and will accrue hours of PLP 2025 on the first day of each pay period in accordance with the applicable The salary range(s) included on this job posting do not reflect the reduction in pay.

Are you passionate about protecting public health and ensuring scientific integrity? Do you thrive on solving complex problems and guiding laboratories toward excellence? If so, this may be the perfect opportunity for you! The State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water, Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program is seeking a Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) to serve as an Accreditation Officer in the Program Management Branch. In this role, you’ll be a trusted technical and regulatory expert, working directly with laboratories, program leaders, and state partners to uphold the highest standards of environmental testing. The position is located at 1001 I Street, 17th Floor, Sacramento — right in the heart of downtown, steps away from light rail stations and other public transportation.

Duties:

Being an Accreditation Officer allows you to turn laboratory experience into impact, helping the laboratories gain accreditation to support the protection of public health and the environment. You will be part of something bigger by ensuring trust, integrity, and excellence in science.

Additional information:

Candidates must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class.

If the position requires driving, you must possess a current and valid driver’s license. Please Do Not include full Social Security Number, method of eligibility, and LEAP information in your application package.

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You will find additional information about the job in the .

Special Requirements

In order to be considered for this position, you must include the following:

• RPA# 25-402-055 in the “Examination or Job Title(s)” section of the State application when submitting a hardcopy application.
• Photocopies of degree and official transcripts (if needed to establish eligibility).

Must have Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist) list, transfer, or reinstatement eligibility and be reachable on the certification list. Here is the link to the exam: .

An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States that does meet accreditation standards must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due during final minimum qualification evaluation of candidate(s). A link of accepted evaluation agencies can be found here: .

Electronic submittal of applications and attachments through jobs.ca.gov is preferred. Emailed or faxed applications will not be accepted. You are required to complete employment history on the application form (STD. 678), including work experience, dates, hours worked, contact names and phone numbers of supervisors on the state application. Applicants who fail to submit a completed STD. 678 may be disqualified.

In the hiring interview, the panel will consider education, experience, personal development, personal traits and fitness for the job. In appraising experience, more weight may be given to the breadth of pertinent experience and evidence of the candidate's ability to accept and fulfill increasing responsibilities than to the length of his/her experience. For additional information, you may refer to the class specification.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• United States Environmental Protection Agency Drinking Water Laboratory Certification Officer, all disciplines (chemistry inorganic/organic or microbiology).
• Basic Assessor Training Certificate – The National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC) Institute.
• Quality Management Systems Certificate from American Society of Quality.
• Member of the American Society of Quality.
• Knowledge and/or experience with leadership, such as acting in a leadership capacity on a project team.
• Knowledge of and/or experience with identifying problems and conducting scientific investigations to address the identified problems.
• Knowledge of and/or experience with policy and regulatory development and compliance.
• Knowledge of and/or experience with stakeholder consultation and communication.
• Knowledge of and/or experience writing technical documents as well as with formally communicating scientific information and programmatic determinations in writing and orally.
• Knowledge of and/or experience with reviewing and determining quality assurance and compliance with accreditation and/or regulatory standards.

Benefits

Water Board employees may be eligible for benefits. Health benefits and leave programs are available for most permanent, full-time employees, and some permanent, part-time employees. Benefit eligibility may depend on length of service and may be subject to collective bargaining agreements negotiated between the State of California and employee organizations that define wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment. and

Statement of Qualifications

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) must be submitted along with the State Application and serves as documentation of candidate’s ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. It should be typed, no more than two (2) pages in length, using Arial 12 size font , and normal margins.

Indicate your total years of knowledge and/or experience and provide an example(s) when answering the following prompts:

1. Describe your knowledge of and/or experience with laboratory accreditation and program and laboratory quality management systems.  
2. Describe your knowledge of and/or experience with researching, analyzing, interpreting, and applying laws and rules related to environmental and public health.  
3. Describe your knowledge of and/or experience with providing excellent customer service and the steps you took to ensure your customer’s satisfaction.
4. Describe your knowledge of and/or experience with leadership and initiative by sharing what you see as the biggest challenges facing laboratory accreditation today, and how would you contribute to addressing them as our Accreditation Officer?

Applications received without the SOQ addressed as stated will not be considered.

Note: Resumes, letters, and other materials will not be evaluated or considered as a response to the SOQ.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Statement of Qualifications - Please see below for specific SOQ requirements.

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time, Part time, Work experience placement, Remote work,

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