Junior Specialist - Environmental Flows and Water Policy in California

Position Overview

Salary range: A reasonable estimate for this position is $55,000.00, at Step 1 or at Step 2 $ 58,600.00

Open date: November 26, 2025

Most recent review date: Wednesday, Dec 31, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.

Final date: Tuesday, Jun 30, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

The Center for Watershed Sciences at the University of California, Davis seeks to fill 1-2 non-tenured, academic term appointments as a Junior Specialist. These positions will aid in review and evaluation of current environmental flow protection efforts and related policies in California, as well as development of guidance and outreach tools to assist end-users of the California Environmental Flows Framework (ceff.ucdavis.edu).

Work will be in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team of scientists from academia, resource agencies, and non-governmental organizations.

Duties include literature review and data collection associated with the application of environmental flows across the state; summarizing documented flow protections; reviewing and synthesizing completed CEFF studies to date; assisting with development of guidance documents and outreach materials for users interested in implementing CEFF; development of surveys or other information-solicitation tools for understanding user needs; compilation of data into existing databases and datasets;

support of development of science communication strategy for CEFF; and participation in data synthesis, scientific communication, and report writing.

Conduct literature searches and help write annual reports to funders. Participation in the creative activities of publishing research and designing future research including reviewing journal articles; engaging in discussions of research to assist in interpreting results; and assisting senior researchers in preparing manuscripts for peer-review journals. Present research results at local and regional scientific meetings, if applicable.

Participate in department and campus committees as allowed by funding source.

• Bachelor's degree in environmental science, policy, geography, or related social or physical science field
• Knowledge of State and Federal environmental policies and regulations (e.g. ESA, CEQA)
• Knowledge of water management and instream flow applications
• Experience in team-based work that requires communication, decision-making skills, and cooperation with diverse partners from differing backgrounds and perspectives.
• Strong organizational, written, and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and remain focused for long periods of time while conducting online and computer-based research

• Experience researching and summarizing water and environmental policies
• Experience managing data, conducting statistical and comparative analysis, and creating graphical representations of data
• Experience with technical writing, visual presentations, and science/policy communication
• Experience designing and administering surveys
• Knowledge of MS Excel, Word, and Powerpoint;
  ArcGIS; and Program R software.
• Ability to mentor and lead undergraduate research assistants

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter
• Statement of Research (Optional)
• Authorization to Release Information Form - This form is required for all applicants applying to academic recruitments. Please see the Employment Disclosure Requirements webpage for more information. Download, complete, sign, and upload the form.
• Statement of Teaching (Optional)

• 3-5 required (contact information only)

Apply link: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./JPF
07414

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As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled, "Authorization to Release Information" into UC RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration.

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The University of California is an Equal…