Water Resources Specialist (OPEN & PROMOTIONAL)

Note: Current Employees must use the Workday Dashboard career section to apply for this position.

Employee Type

Regular

Department

Aquifer Protection Area

Salary

$59,133.80 - $82,770.44 Annually / $4,927.82 - $6,897.54 Monthly / $28.43 - $39.79 Hourly

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Overtime Eligibile

No

Job Posting Date Range

09/22/2026 - Until Filled

Job Summary

GENERAL PURPOSE:
This position performs professional level technical work involved with a broad range of research and project management activities. The work focuses on evaluating current and future environmental issues related to water resource protection and management. Information and technology transfer of water resources information among agencies and to the public are important elements of the job. The position allocated to this class serves under the general direction of the Water Resources Manager and requires a high level of technical and professional skill in order to carry out the required management and research tasks. Activities include the application of scientific methods and principles in the areas of water resources protection and development, scientific investigation and research, analysis of environmental data, and the preparation and/or editing of reports, scientific papers, and policy statements. Education/training, judgment and experience are relied upon heavily in performance of assigned duties given that incumbents are given much latitude and freedom to act independently given the development and implementation of assigned projects and activities.

Job Description

NOTE: Candidates who apply within 2 weeks of the posting (prior to 10/7/26) will be given priority for first round of interviews. Candidates will be considered on a rolling basis after that until position is filled.

This is a Water Resource Specialist - Education position within the Water Resources Section of the Public Works Department. Spokane County’s Water Resources education team is a leader in water resource education within the County. This position will be an integral team member in providing education and outreach to a broad range of age groups and stakeholders on topics such as wastewater, stormwater, conservation, and natural resources (streams, aquifers, and wetlands). This may include but is not limited to participating in youth education programs at the Water Resource Center in Spokane and the Doris Morrison Learning Center at Saltese Flats Wetland, providing service-learning opportunities to high school and college students, staffing booths at community events, developing outreach materials for businesses, and presenting at various community groups such as homeowners associations, business associations, or special interest groups.

Applicants should have an interest in environmental issues and a desire to engage with the community to drive awareness and inspire positive change. We are looking for someone with the ability to clearly communicate technical information relating to environmental and/or water-related issues to diverse audiences. Applicants should also be professional, reliable, outgoing, and organized. A background in either science, science communication, or environmental education is a plus. Prior formal or informal teaching experience is strongly preferred.

The nature of this position will occasionally require working nights and weekends as needed to participate in education events that occur outside of normal business hours (e.g., science fairs/STEM nights, community events, adult education opportunities), but schedules are flexible to accommodate these events within the 40-hour work week. Applicants should be willing and able to participate in these sorts of events.

Please note that the Water Resource Specialist position can be used to hire both technician/science-focused and education-focused positions. This is an education-focused position , so please keep that in mind when reading the position description and ignore more technical job duties described.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Collects surface and ground water samples for water quality analysis using appropriate field equipment and methods.

• Prepares reports summarizing ground water analytical data.

• Designs and conducts scientific investigations needed to develop technical and scientific information for water resource planning efforts.

• Writes scientific investigation reports for use by other water resource individuals/groups, as well as the general public.

• Provides direction to the staff of other County departments and local and state agencies to assist them in gathering and interpreting information needed for meeting their water resource protection goals.

• Coordinates water resource protection measures among citizen groups and local, state and federal agencies.

• Writes and/ or edits resource protection plans and reports for state and federal agencies.

• Develops programs, activities, and recommendations necessary to meet water resource protection goals and requirements.

• Writes and manages grants to fund water resource protection activities.

• Manages contracts to assure that the requirements outlined in funding and professional services agreements are met.

• Prepares materials describing the Spokane regional water resource issues for use in schools, public meetings, and general public education programs.

• Conducts public information/education meetings, programs and workshops.

• Supervises data entry work and clerical tasks performed by others.

• Performs other related duties as required/assigned.

Environmental Services - Landfill

• Manages and analyzes groundwater data to report to regulators, ensuring compliance with permits and regulations, managing site projects and monitoring programs, applying for grants for additional funding, and ensuring the protection of the residents and environment surrounding the County's three closed and capped landfills.

• Organizes and creates education/outreach materials regarding solid waste disposal and recycling, manages groups to harmonize messaging/outreach efforts and shares resources for maximum efficiency, updates the Solid Waste Department website, and manages the IT system at the Colbert field office.

ES - Water Quality

• Serves as the water education and outreach specialist promoting public literacy of local water quality, quantity and water stewardship topics.

• Represents the agency to the public, interpreting and effectively communicating complex and technical water resource issues.

• Develops and delivers high-quality curriculum aligning to K-12 public school standards, and serves as liaison to promote water education and stewardship curriculum within local schools and organizations.

Public Works – General

• Provides engineering support that involves the management and analysis of GIS data, managing the stormwater maintenance program, managing the stormwater billing program, providing oversight of the stormwater inspection program, and assisting with grant writing for water quality grants though state agencies.

• Manages Stormwater Structure inventories in GIS.

Utility - Sewer Operations

• Manages a large scale wetland restoration that requires site visits, field monitoring, contractor management, contract budgeting, habitat and water management, planning and implementation of management strategies.

• Educates local youth about water resources in the area, which includes classroom visits, school district "science" days at local parks, and even presentations to local community college students.

• Provides professional and technical level experience to projects led by others in the department.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in science, education, planning or engineering that also includes training in the natural sciences.

• One (1) year of experience in a position involving public contact work.

• A Master’s de