Job Description

Job Description and Duties

Positions at the Water Boards may be eligible for telework with in-person attendance based on the operational needs of the position.

The State Water Resources Control Board’s Office of Chief Counsel has an opening for an Attorney V in the State Board Water Quality and Administration Branch. The position location for the branch is 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, right in the heart of downtown next to light rail stations and other public transportation. The position requires reporting in person to the office a minimum of two days a week.

The Office of Chief Counsel fosters an intellectually stimulating, dynamic, and very collegial environment, with a strong emphasis on attorney development and mentorship. The Office houses more than 70 attorneys with a diverse set of backgrounds, all of whom share a strong work ethic and a strong commitment to protecting the waters of California. Attorneys are allowed significant independence in setting priorities and managing their work and time.

Duties:

The State Water Resources Control Board and the nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards are the principal state agencies for the coordination and control of water quality in the State of California.

As part of their water quality functions, the water boards administer state and federal clean water programs that include adopting water quality control plans and regulatory policies that establish water quality standards and implementation programs, issuing permits that protect the quality of all waters of the state, issuing site remediation orders, and other actions to protect waters of the state.

Under the general direction of an Assistant Chief Counsel, the Attorney V provides legal advice in the most difficult and complex agency and litigation decision making on water quality issues.  As set forth in the attached Duty Statement, the position requires the highest level of expertise and independence, as well as the skills and experience to put forward and work with innovative and novel legal theories.

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.

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.

Please let us know how you heard about this position by taking this brief survey: .

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Additional Documents

Special Requirements

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

• RPA# 24-220-040in the “Examination or Job Title(s)” section of the State application when submitting a hardcopy application.
• Active Membership in The California State Bar.

Must have Attorney V 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.

Application Instructions

Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.

Final Filing Date: 3/7/2025

Who May Apply

Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply.

Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).

How To Apply

Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:

Address for Mailing Application Packages

You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:

State Water Resources Control Board

Attn: Human Resources Branch - Alexandra Ruiloba-Olah

1001 I Street, 18th Floor

Sacramento , CA 95814

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

State Water Resources Control Board

Attn: Human Resources Branch - Alexandra Ruiloba-Olah

1001 I Street, 18th Floor

Sacramento , CA 95814

08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

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.
• Other - Two or three recent writing samples are required and must be included.
• Other - Cover Letter is required and must be included.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

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.

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Contact Information

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.

Department Website:

Human Resources Contact:
Alexandra Ruiloba-Olah
(916) 341-5010
alexandra.ruiloba-olah@waterboards.ca.gov

Hiring Unit Contact:
Phil Wyels
(916) 341-5178
Philip.Wyels@waterboards.ca.gov

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
Shyla Hoffman
(916) 341-5881
shyla.hoffman@waterboards.ca.gov

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time, Work experience placement, Remote job, 2 days per week,

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