Principal Engineer/Geologist, Zone 7

Introduction

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year but can be extended.

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Supplemental Questionnaire:Â A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.Â

Applications and supplemental questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing.

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APPLICATIONS AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THIS RECRUITMENT WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED ONLINE.

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Click for more detailed information about this exciting opportunity.

DESCRIPTION

THE AGENCY

Zone 7 Water Agency is located in the Tri-Valley region of the eastern San Francisco Bay Area. It provides water on a wholesale basis to the cities of Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin and the Dougherty Valley area of San Ramon, and flood-protection services to all of eastern Alameda County. Zone 7 employs approximately 116 full-time employees and operates on an annual budget of $80.3 million dollars. The Agencyâs administrative offices are located in Livermore, CA, the easternmost city of Alameda County, which is bordered by Contra Costa County to the north and San Joaquin County to the east. Livermore, Californiaâs oldest wine region, is known for the science and technology of its national laboratories, a historic downtown area, and the surrounding farmlands and ranches that mirror the Valleyâs western heritage.

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Zone 7 employees are committed to providing a reliable supply of high-quality water and an effective flood control system to the Livermore-Amador Valley in a fiscally responsible, innovative, proactive and environmentally sensitive way. We invite you to acquaint yourself with our dynamic Agency and its exciting employment opportunities.

For more information regarding the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Zone 7 please visit their website at www.zone7water.com.

THE POSITION

Under general direction, plans, administers, manages, reviews, and evaluates the work of an engineering section with major program responsibilities related to water resources, flood control, water supply and/or water treatment and distribution engineering in Zone 7 Water Agency; supervises professional engineers/geologists and support staff; and performs other related work as required. Â

The class of Principal Engineer/Geologist, Zone 7, is distinguished from the Senior Engineer/Geologist, Zone 7, in that the latter class is a first-line supervisory class having responsibility for project(s) or program(s), while the former class has responsibility for a major engineering section involving several programs. This class is further distinguished from the next higher class of Manager of Engineering, Zone 7, in that the latter class has responsibility for several engineering sections.

For more detailed information about the job classification, visit:Â Principal Engineer/Geologist, Zone 7 (#4970)

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications stated below, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated a track record of success in the following areas:

• Possesses a broad-based knowledge of engineering, water resources and flood control combined with strong technical skills and outstanding supervisory skills.
• Provides proactive leadership, integrity, and creative solutions skills to lead the staff to become a high-performance, team-based organization.
• Identifies current and future resource needs based on organizational goals, priorities, competing resource needs across initiatives, and budget realities.
• Acts decisively by gathering, integrating, and analyzing sufficient, relevant information from various sources, to make effective, timely and transparent decisions, both in routine and crisis situations.
• Develops strong and collaborative partnerships to achieve goals.
• Manages, directs, and guides Agency professional and technical staff, providing leadership and decision-making abilities when difficulties or challenges arise.
• Provides the necessary tools and knowledge to encourage and foster initiative, independent problem solving, and innovative goal setting among staff.
• Maintains constructive relationships with public, other agencies, developers, engineering firms, employees, and staff to ensure efficient completion of projects and goals.Â
• Utilizes and manages people, technology, and other resources to achieve Agency objectives.
• Sets performance measures and provides regular feedback to develop Agency staff. Â

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

TO QUALIFY FOR THE COMPETITIVE ASSESSMENT PROCESS, YOU MUST MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS BY FULFILLING ONE OF THE PATTERNS LISTED BELOW (I-III).

EITHER I Â

Experience:Â The equivalent of two (2) yearsâ full-time experience in the class of Senior Engineer/Geologist, Zone 7.

  OR II Â

Experience: The equivalent of four (4) yearsâ full-time experience in the class of Associate Civil Engineer/Professional Geologist, Zone 7 or an equivalent or higher classification in Zone 7 Water Agency. Â

OR III Â

Education: Possession of a bachelorâs degree from an accredited college or university in Civil Engineering, Geology, or a closely related field.  Â

AND

Experience: The equivalent of five (5) yearsâ full-time, progressively responsible professional engineering/geologist experience subsequent to becoming a Registered Professional Engineer or Professional Geologist that included two (2) years of supervisory or administrative experience. Â

License: Possession of a valid Certificate of Registration as a Professional Engineer OR a Professional Geologist issued by the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors; Possession of a valid California State Motor Vehicle Operator''s license may be required.  Â

NOTE:Â Â Â Â The Civil Service Commission may modify the Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Advanced engineering and/or water resources principles, practices and methods related to the area of assignment.
• Engineering mathematics, economics, and statistical analysis.
• Principles and techniques of supervision and personnel management.
• Principles and methods of program management, including planning and resource allocation, administration and budgeting, and program development and evaluation.
• Principles and practices of contract negotiation and administration in a public agency.
• Computer software applications related to the areas of assignment.
• Laws, codes, and regulations applicable to the areas of assignment. Â

Ability to:Â Â

• Plan, assign, supervise, and evaluate the work of others.
• Plan, organize, develop, and manage engineering/geological programs.
• Select, train, supervise and appraise the performance of subordinate professional and support staff.
• Direct the preparation of complex engineering/geological plans, specifications, and studies.
• Analyze complex data and information and reach sound solutions and conclusions.
• Prepare or direct the preparation of comprehensive reports, budgets, contracts, and specialized documents.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing; and make effective presentations to a variety of audiences.
• Coordinate section activities with others within and outside the agency.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with individuals, groups, organizations, and agencies contacted in the course of the work.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

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• A review of applicants'' application to verify possession of minimum requirements. Applications will be evaluated for relevant education, experience, and training. The application must be detailed and complete in order to be evaluated properly. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.
• A review of the supplemental questionnaire to determine the best qualified that will be weighted as qualifying only (pass/fail). Supplemental screening is an internal departmental process and does not require or involve candidate participation. Candidates who pass the best qualified exam component will move on to the final step in the examination process.
• An oral examination which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates'' final examination score. The oral examination may be administered virtually and may contain situational exercises.

Candidates must attain a qualifying rating on each portion of this recruitment.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.

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Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

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For more information on the Civil Service Selection process, please visit the âWhat You Need to Knowâ section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PLAN

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance.

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The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT PLAN  Deadline for Filing:    5:00:00 p.m., Monday, October 19, 2026  Review of Applications for Minimum Qualifications:  October 20, 2026  Notification to applicants:  October 23, 2026  Review of Questionnaire for Best Qualified:  Week November 6, 2026  Civil Service Oral Examination: *  Week November 16, 2026  Notification of Exam Results:  1-2 week after oral exam  TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN  Department Selection Process:  TBD

• The combined oral examination/hiring interview, in addition to establishing an eligibility list, may serve as the final selection interview for vacancies in this classification. Candidates selected to participate in the oral exam will receive an email notification at least 10 business days in advance of the exam date.

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WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN.

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REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

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Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Alameda Countyâs Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement no later than the recruitment filing deadline. If this is a continuous open recruitment without a filing deadline, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement within ten (10) business days of submitting your application. Unless your disability is readily apparent (for example, you use a wheelchair and need wheelchair-accessible spaces), Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

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For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, Reasonable Accommodation | HRS.

BENEFITS

The County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall wellbeing. These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

• Medical â HMO & PPO Plans
• Dental â HMO & PPO Plans
• Vision or Vision Reimbursement
• Share the Savings
• Basic Life Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
• County Allowance Credit
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
• Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Long-Term Care, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
• Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

• Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

• 12 paid holidays
• Floating Holidays
• Vacation and sick leave accrual
• Vacation purchase program
• Management Paid Leave
• Catastrophic Sick Leave
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits Program
• Guaranteed Ride Home
• Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
• Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
• Child Care Resources
• 1st United Credit Union
• Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement. This provides a summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

Employees in management-designated classifications may be entitled to management paid leave. Refer to the applicable MOU or Salary Ordinance for more information.

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Conclusion

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add Noreplyalamedacountyhr@acgov.org, @jobaps.com, acgov.org and Noreply@jobaps.com as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the ''My applications'' button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box Noreply@jobaps.com and Noreplyalamedacountyhr@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions, please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

NAME, Human Resources AnalystÂ

Human Resource Services Division, County of Alameda

Analyst Email Address Link: Erika.Beams@acgov.orgÂ

www.acgov.org/hrs

DISASTER SERVICE WORKER

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All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

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EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

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Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.