Executive Officer I

To be considered for this position, you must apply at CalCareers.ca.gov. To apply, you must first create a CalCareers account. Once your account is created, you can search for job code 476879 to locate the job posting and apply. 

Note: This position will no longer be available on CalCareers once the job closes on 06/05/2025. No applications will be accepted after the job closing date.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A LEADER IN PRESERVING CALIFORNIA’S MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE? ARE YOU INTERESTED IN GUIDING A HIGHLY MOTIVATED STAFF OF INDIVIDUALS DEDICATED TO PROTECTING AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF CALIFORNIA’S WATER? YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board (Santa Ana Water Board) is looking for a dynamic individual willing to commit to the leadership and demands of the position of Executive Officer. Based in Riverside, the Santa Ana Water Board protects surface and groundwater, including the groundwater that provides crucial drinking water supplies for the region. The Board regulates nonpoint and point source discharges that may affect the region’s waters, including from industrial, commercial, municipal, agricultural, military, and environmental restoration activities. The Executive Officer is the key regulatory manager responsible for the protection of the State’s water resources in a region that spans the area drained by the Santa Ana River in portions of Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange counties. Under administrative direction of up to seven board members appointed by the Governor, the Executive Officer provides leadership and oversight of a dedicated and diverse staff of approximately 73 engineers, geologists, environmental scientists, and technical and administrative staff. In addition to overseeing the work of the agency, the Executive Officer represents the Board in public forums and collaborates with local, state, tribal, and federal agencies related to water quality and environmental protection. The Executive Officer is an at-will appointee of the Santa Ana Water Board.

The Santa Ana Water Board, along with the State Water Resources Control Board and the California Environmental Protection Agency, plays a critical role in the state’s health by protecting and restoring the quality of the region’s waters. The Santa Ana Water Board protects and restores coastal and inland surface waters and groundwater in the region, including those used for local drinking water, by:

• Regulating industrial, commercial, municipal, agricultural, and other waste discharges,
• Permitting recycled water projects,
• Overseeing cleanup of contaminated soil and groundwater, and
• Developing, updating, and overseeing water quality plans, programs, and policies that address complex issues.

These complex issues include among others:

• Promoting local water resiliency in the face of a hotter, drier future,
• Protection of public health and local drinking water supplies and consideration of the human right to water in the Board’s activities that could affect existing or potential sources of drinking water,
• Establishing partnerships with the public, industry, and government and non-government agencies, communities, and advocacy organizations, and
• Addressing environmental injustices, advancing racial equity, and promoting environmental sustainability for all.

The position requires skilled and experienced leadership, a collaborative and inclusive work and management style, strategic planning and critical thinking skills, dedication to environmental protection and resilience, excellent communication skills, the ability to analyze and synthesize complex information, and a dedication to institutional and employee development.

The position is based in Riverside, California, and requires in-office attendance at least 4 days a week. Some teleworking will be permissible.

$16,421.00 – $17,086.00 per Month

The Water Resources Control Board is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSFL) Qualified Employer.