Principal Planner

Contra Costa Water District is an innovative leader in water management and provides employees with a fast-paced and stable work environment that encourages professional growth and development. 

The Mission of the Contra Costa Water District is to strategically provide a reliable supply of high-quality water at the lowest cost possible, in an environmentally responsible manner.

Our Values:

• Safety: We provide, as a top priority, a safe and healthful work environment for our team. 
• Trust: We protect the public trust with uncompromising integrity, commitment to our professional standards, full transparency, and fairness in all our business dealings. 
• Responsibility: We take ownership for our results and deliver on our performance outcomes to responsibly serve our customers, our community, and our planet. 
• Exceptional Service: We value our customers, act in their best interest, and take pride in delivering personalized service. 
• Employee Success: We share a meaningful sense of purpose in an environment that strives to offer professional growth, diversity, inclusivity, and work-life balance. 
• Teamwork: We engage in respectful, collaborative, trust-based relationships at all levels within the organization and with our business partners. 
• Continuous Improvement: We continuously seek opportunities to optimize our business practices and assets by engaging the expertise of our employees and embracing innovation.
• Recognition: We reward the positive contributions of our employees at the organization, team, and individual levels. 
• Communication: We strive for open, effective dialogues at all levels of the organization to ensure input is valued and considered and reasons for decisions are explained.

THE POSITION  

The incumbent plans, schedules, assigns, reviews, and supervises the work of staff responsible for performing environmental and natural resource planning and permitting activities in support of District capital improvement projects, operations and maintenance systems and facilities, and management of watershed and conservation properties; serves as project manager on planning projects; coordinates assigned activities with other District departments and outside agencies; provides support to management in areas of expertise; and performs related duties as assigned.  

We are looking for someone who is: 

• Solutions-focused and a creative problem-solver.
• A motivated self-starter with effective interpersonal and leadership skills. 
• An organized and results-driven leader.
• Able to work with highly effective and collaborative teams.

 What you will typically be responsible for: 

• Coordinating the environmental review and permitting needs for large and complex capital engineering projects.
• Coordinating and implementing permits to support CCWD’s large-scale operations and maintenance needs.
• Serving as the main contact and liaison between CCWD and the multitude of resource and environmental permitting agencies.
• Building and maintaining positive working relationships with internal clients in the O&M, Engineering, Real Property, and Water Resources divisions/departments.

A few reasons you might enjoy this job:

• Your desire to make a positive difference in the lives of CCWD employees and the community.
• You enjoy supporting large-scale multi-year capital projects with very complex regulatory and permitting requirements.
• Your desire to ensure CCWD remains a good steward of the environment while also finding creative cost-effective solutions to meet infrastructure goals.

The following will also benefit candidates with a few of the unique challenges related to this job:

• Seasoned CEQA and NEPA practitioner as they both relate to large water civil projects being planned and implemented in potentially sensitive areas.
• Experience with California and Federal Endangered Species Acts and engaging with resource agencies such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and National Marine Fisheries Service.
• Experience engaging with environmental permitting agencies such as the Regional Water Quality Control Board, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and others.
• Experience working with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
• Experience working with regional and city planners and negotiating with developers.

Join us in our mission to provide reliable, high-quality water in an environmentally responsible manner. 

Apply today and be a part of our dedicated team at Contra Costa Water District!