Assistant, Associate or Senior Water Resources Technician

POSITION SUMMARY:

This position performs maintenance work related to native-plant nursery, water management, flood management, water quality and habitat restoration/management; operates, transports, and maintains vehicles and heavy equipment such as tractors, excavators, trucks, and decontamination units; operates and maintains habitat restoration irrigation systems; performs stream gaging; assists or conducts field inspections and investigations of the Agency’s systems and facilities; performs basic carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and masonry work; and performs related work as required.

Supervision Received and Exercised

Receives general supervision from the Supervising Water Resources Technician.   

Assistant/Associate: No direct supervision of staff is exercised. Work assignments and training of interns and seasonal employees may be performed.

Senior: May exercise direct supervision over technical and support staff. Work assignments and training of regular and seasonal employees may be performed.

Class Characteristics

This Water Resources Technician position is the advanced journey and/or lead level classification in the Water Resources Technician series.  

Assistant: Incumbents complete the more routine tasks in the areas of water management, flood management, water quality, habitat restoration/management, and watercraft inspection/decontamination functions. Employees at this level are not expected to perform with the same independence of direction and judgment on matters allocated to the associate level. As experience and proficiency are gained, assignments will become more technically diverse and difficult, while exercising increasing independence of judgment. 

Associate: Incumbents exercise discretion and independent judgment in performing the full range of routine and technical water resources activities. Performing a full range of tasks in the areas of water management, flood management, water quality, habitat restoration/management, and water inspection/decontamination functions.

Senior: Incumbents in this classification perform specialized and advanced functions in support of water management, flood management, water quality, habitat restoration, and watercraft inspection/decontamination. This class is distinguished from the class of Associate Water Resources Technician by the performance of the most complex and difficult duties, and the provision of direct, lead, and advisory functions over lower-level staff.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS (Illustrative Only)

Management reserves the right to add, modify, change or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodation so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

Essential Job Functions

Ø Performs logistical planning and preparation to implement field work projects.

Ø Performs control of invasive water and land-based species; protects designated plants and trees from wild and domestic animals by creating plant/tree cages, electric fences and other defenses.

Ø Inspects boats for mussel contamination; decontaminates boats and engines; completes inspection and screening documents.

Ø Operates modern office equipment, including desktop and laptop computers and specialized software applications.

Ø  Enters and retrieves information from a database and monitors database activity.

Ø Schedules and instructs CalFire inmate crews to cut trees in the riparian zone and forest when needed to create flood plains and planting zones.

Ø Designs, fabricates, welds equipment, tools, parts and hardware.

Ø Designs, purchases, installs, monitors, repairs, and applies irrigation.

Ø Diagnoses and troubleshoots failures in mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical systems.

Ø Performs fence design, construction, and maintenance

Ø Operates and maintains water resource projects such as weed management and irrigation.

Ø Skillfully operates heavy equipment such as tractors, trucks and excavators; creates access through difficult and inaccessible terrain to allow restoration work.

Ø Performs or arranges for maintenance and repair of equipment, machinery, and vehicles.

Ø Maintains accurate records of repairs.

Ø Maintains accurate site equipment inventory and submits timely requests for needed supplies and equipment to ensure site is properly stocked.

Ø Performs stream gaging to measure streamflow.

Ø Maintains public relations along the creek; acquires signed agreements with landowners to allow private property access; discusses landowner concerns;

Ø Assists engineering staff in engineering projects by performing surveys and taking organic samples.

Ø Conducts field inspections, investigations, and monitoring and data gathering for the

Ø Agency’s monitoring stations, water distribution systems and flood control facilities.

Ø Assists in project management of outsourced construction projects such as preparing contracts and scheduling work dates and task orders.

Ø Assists in channel maintenance by performing routine measurements and keeping records of stream flows.

Ø Provides training and assigns and reviews work of seasonal employees/interns

Ø Coordinates and/or participates in public outreach events such as festivals, boat shows, expositions to increase public awareness.

Ø Builds and maintains positive working relationships with co- workers, the public, employees of other agencies, and contractors using principles of effective customer service.

Ø Attendance and punctuality that is observant of scheduled hours on a regular basis.

Ø Performs other duties as assigned.

Ø Oversees the shop where supplies, equipment and tools are stored; makes sure the shop is cleaned and maintained in accordance with OSHA requirements; works with agencies that share the space as needed (Solano Irrigation District dam operations and the fire department’s adjoining fire station.

Ø Assists in flood monitoring and channel maintenance by performing routine measurements and keeping records of stream flows.

 Additional Essential Job Functions for Associate Technicians:

 Ø The incumbent is expected to need less training in the areas identified above and complete work with more independence.

 Additional Essential Job Functions for Senior Technicians:

Ø Plans, organizes, assigns, supervises, and reviews the work of staff assigned to assigned program area; trains staff in work procedures; provides policy guidance and interpretation; evaluates employee performance, counsels employees, and effectively recommends initial disciplinary action; assists in selection and promotion processes.

Ø Performs logistical planning, preparation, and coordination to implement complex habitat restoration projects.

Ø Designs, purchases, installs, monitors, repairs and applies irrigation through designated sites in the creek area.

Ø Instructs others in the operation of and skillfully operates heavy equipment such as tractors, trucks and excavators.

Ø Plans, prioritizes, assigns and reviews the work of other technicians.

Ø Assists in project management of outsourced construction projects such as preparing contracts and scheduling work dates and task orders.

Ø Plan and organize volunteer events throughout the year to schedule planting, nursery or creek restoration work to coincide with needed equipment and personnel.

Ø Creates burn schedules; checks with the California Air Resources Board for allowed burn days; requests days needed from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

(CDF) to be on site; contacts fire departments, sheriff and landowners to give notice; arranges necessary equipment.

 Knowledge of:

Ø Safe practices for operation of heavy equipment.

Ø General use of power tools, hand tools and electrical equipment.

Ø Streamflow and geomorphology.

Ø Control of weeds, invasive species, and wild and domestic animals.

Ø Native plants and animals in the riparian and woodland areas of Solano County.

Ø Soil erosion prevention practices and procedures.

Ø Effective communication techniques and public relations.

Ø Principles of safe work practices related to working in the field with heavy equipment, hand tools, and electrical equipment

Ø Record keeping principles and procedures.

Ø Computer applications related to the work, particularly database applications and geographic information systems.

Ø English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.

Ø Techniques for providing a high level of customer services and dealing effectively with the public, vendors, contractors, and Agency staff, in person and over the telephone.

 Additional Knowledge for Senior Technicians:

 Ø Principles and practices of employee supervision, including work planning, assignment, review and evaluation, discipline, and the training of staff in work procedures.

Ø Principles and techniques for working with groups and fostering effective team interaction to ensure teamwork is conducted smoothly.

 Ability to:

Ø Operate heavy equipment such as tractors, trucks, and excavators on rough terrain.

Ø Perform basic maintenance on vehicles and small/heavy equipment

Ø Install heavy irrigation pipes and pumps.

Ø Wade into running water to take measurements.

Ø Operate a canoe and boat.

Ø Perform simple repair of equipment.

Ø Understand and interpret basic to routine engineering construction plans, specifications, and other contract documents.

Ø Prepare and maintain detailed and accurate records, reports, and written correspondence.

Ø Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner; organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.

Ø Operate modern office equipment, including computer equipment and specialized software applications programs.

Ø Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.

Ø Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.

Ø Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.

Ø Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner; organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines and objectives.

Ø Builds and maintains positive working relationships with co- workers, the public, employees of other agencies, and contractors using principles of effective customer service.

 Additional Abilities for Senior Technicians:

 Ø Assign and review work of and train lower-level staff.

 Education and Experience

Any combination of training and experience, which would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities, is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth (12^th) grade or possession of a GED; and 

Experience:

 Assistant: Minimum of six (6) months of experience using power tools, performing general maintenance tasks, and/or operating heavy equipment such as tractors, trucks and/or excavators.

 Associate: Two (2) years of experience operating heavy equipment such as tractors, trucks and/or

excavators and performing water management, flood management, water quality, or watercraft inspection/decontamination duties, comparable to an Assistant Water Resources Technician.

 Senior: Four (4) years of experience operating heavy equipment such as tractors, trucks and/or excavators, and performing water management, flood management, water quality or habitat restoration/management.

 Possession of a graduate degree and/or related certification(s)may substitute for up to two (2) years of the required experience.

Required:

Possession of an appropriate California driver’s license and a satisfactory driving record based on the Agency’s vehicle policy. Driving record will be required as a condition of employment.

 Passing a pre-employment physical that meets the criteria of the job description will be a condition of employment.