Water Rights Development Section Manager; Natural Resource Protection & Sustainability Manager

Job Description:

The Water Right Services Division is excited to recruit for a Water Rights Development Section Manager. This position will manage a team processing water right transactions that evaluate how much water was developed within a specific timeframe under a water right permit and how much remains to be developed. The position will also provide the day-to-day supervisory oversight for positions that enhance operational efficiency and program development for the entire division.

If you are an interdisciplinary leader who has experience providing oversight to staff who administer regulatory programs that intersect with natural resource policy and law guided transactions, we encourage you to apply!

Working Title: Water Rights Development Section Manager

Classification: Natural Resource Protection and Sustainability Manager 1

Position Type: Full Time;
Permanent

Representation: Management Service Supervisory

FLSA Status: Exempt, ineligible for overtime or compensatory time.

Monthly Compensation: The monthly salary range before PERS will be $6,834.00-$10,569.00 and after PERS will be $7,306.00-$11,304.00.

Work Location: North Mall Office Building, 725 Summer St. NE Suite A, Salem Oregon 97301.

Relocation Expense: This position may be eligible for relocation assistance for the successful candidate. The final amount offered will vary based on the location of the candidate.

Hybrid/Remote Work: Hybrid (in the office and remote work) is generally a standard offering for this position, though subject to supervisor approval. Due to the nature of stakeholder engagement for this position, full time remote work is not possible as the position must be available to attend meetings in Salem, Oregon and around the state. This position is expected to work from the office once or twice a week, or more frequently as needed to meet with staff and fulfill other business needs.

The in-office expectation includes serving as Manager on Duty an average of twice a month, working regular business hours at the North Mall Office Building.

The position manages the newly formed Water Rights Development Section within the Water Right Services Division. Obtaining a water right is a multi-step process. First, an applicant submits a water right application. If the application is approved, the permit specifies a time frame during which the permit holder must develop their water right consistent with permit conditions. If they need additional time, they may file for an extension.

The user has one year from making full beneficial use of water to submit a report to the Department. The Department reviews this claim of beneficial use, and if the user has successfully proved up on their water use, the Department issues a water right certificate. Municipalities may incrementally develop their municipal water use permits and are required in many cases to submit a Water Management and Conservation Plan (WMCP).

Approval of a WMCP may result in access to another increment of water that the municipal water use permit holder may develop. Some water rights are determined through an adjudication (judicial proceeding) that determines how much water was developed prior to adoption of the 1909 surface water code and 1955 Groundwater Act.

What each of these post-permit processes have in common is that they evaluate how much water was developed within a specific time frame, in accordance with applicable requirements, and how much remains to be developed. These processes comprise the Extensions, Certificates, WMCP, and Adjudications programs that collectively make up the Water Rights Development Section. This position supervises the staff working in these programs and is directly responsible for those water right transactions.

In addition, the position provides the day-to-day supervisory administrative functions for the Protest program and the Water Rights Advisor position. The Protest program resolves disputes resulting from agency decisions before they reach court. The Water Rights Advisor supports the Protest program, either directly or by improving the defensibility of documents before they reach the protest period. The Water Rights Advisor also provides Division-wide support by helping each section with evaluation of complex proposals brought forth either internally or externally and by participating in rule making, bill review, and the fee workgroup.

Some policy and workload decisions for the Protest program and the Water Rights Advisor are not made by this position and are instead made by the Division Administrator or Director’s Office. One of the WMCP positions overseen by this position is also a modernization position that serves the entire Division; therefore, this position directs the employee to work throughout the Division to identify and implement process/modernization improvements to create greater consistencies and efficiencies in water right transaction processing.

To manage transactions in accordance with Oregon’s water law, the…