Full Time Hydroelectric Power Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary: $11,429.03 - $13,892.06 Monthly
Location : Placerville, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 202600061
Department: Engineering
Opening Date: 08/20/2026
Closing Date: 10/30/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: EA - Employee Association
DEFINITION
$9,000 Hiring Bonus - Lead With Us at the El Dorado Irrigation District!
The El Dorado Irrigation District is pleased to offer up-to a $9,000 Hiring Incentive to the successful candidate hired as a Senior Civil Engineer, paid in three installments:

• $3,000 paid at hire - receive your first installment on day one!
• $3,000 paid at 12 months of District employment
• $3,000 paid at 24 months of District employment

The Hiring Incentive is available to newly hired employees under the District's Temporary Recruitment Incentive Program, effective August 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027. Incentive payments are subject to standard payroll taxes and may be taken as a live check, direct deposit, and/or a contribution to a 457 plan.
Apply Early - Don't Miss Out!
This recruitment is open until filled, and applications will be reviewed as they are received. The first review of candidates will take place on September 18, 2026, with a second review on October 9, 2026, or until a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received - whichever occurs sooner. Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply early for first consideration.
This recruitment may also be used to establish an eligibility list for future vacancies.
LIVE, WORK & PLAY IN EL DORADO COUNTY
The El Dorado Irrigation District (District/EID) is located on the western slope of the iconic Sierra Nevada, just west of world renowned Lake Tahoe. A scenic drive along Highway 50, heading east from the Sacramento County line toward Lake Tahoe, carries you through the heart of the District's 220-square-mile service area and showcases the extraordinary natural diversity that defines this region.
El Dorado County offers an unmatched quality of life for those who love the outdoors and small-town charm alike. This is the epicenter of California's Gold Rush country, home to the celebrated Apple Hill™ - a scenic patchwork of orchards, farms, breweries and wineries known for u-pick apples, fresh cider, donuts, and a flourishing wine and craft beer scene.
For outdoor enthusiasts, our county offers a wide range of year-round recreational opportunities. It is dotted with sparkling alpine lakes and reservoirs - from Jenkinson Lake at Sly Park to Silver Lake - offering boating, kayaking, fishing, and swimming against a backdrop of granite peaks and pine forests. Higher into the Sierra, countless smaller alpine lakes and wilderness areas offer quiet, secluded escapes for hiking, backpacking, and fishing far from the crowds. The American River carves through the foothills below, drawing whitewater rafters and kayakers each spring and summer, while the El Dorado Trail winds through historic rail corridors for hikers and cyclists closer to town. And when winter arrives, Lake Tahoe's renowned resorts are just up the road, offering world-class skiing and snowboarding. Few places offer such easy access to this much natural variety - mountains, lakes, rivers, and snow - all within a short drive of home.
Whether it's the crisp mountain air, a weekend among the orchards and vineyards, or a day spent on one of the region's many alpine lakes, El Dorado County offers a high quality of life - all while being part of an organization dedicated to serving our remarkable community. For the right candidate, the District offers an exciting place to live, work and play.
ABOUT EL DORADO IRRITATION DISTRICT
We can trace our history back to the first hand-dug ditches that transported water to prospectors in the mid-1800s, but the District was not formally organized until 1925 under the Irrigation District Act. We still hold water rights that date back to the Gold Rush days, and we continue to work on securing and maintaining a reliable water supply. Through negotiations with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and an Act of Congress, the District acquired Jenkinson Lake at Sly Park Recreation Area in late 2003, providing yet another critical local water supply.
Our customers' needs are as broad-ranging as the area's stunning natural diversity - and so is the work we do to meet them. We provide drinking water, wastewater treatment, and recycled water for residential, commercial, and industrial needs across significant portions of western El Dorado County. We own and operate a 21-megawatt hydroelectric power project, complete with dams, four reservoirs, and 23 miles of flumes, canals, siphons, and tunnels. We also manage several outdoor recreation sites, including the Sly Park Recreation Area and a 48-unit campground at Silver Lake. From treatment plants and pump stations to hydroelectric generation and public recreation, the District's operations span an unusually wide range of disciplines - offering employees the kind of variety, hands-on experience, and career growth potential rarely found within a single organization.
The District is governed by a five-member Board of Directors, which oversees District operations. Each member is elected from a different geographic division, and each serves a four-year term. There are no term limits for Board members. The Board typically meets twice a month during regularly scheduled, noticed public meetings and may hold a number of noticed special meetings as required.
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
THE POSITION
If you want a career where every week looks different, this is it.
As an engineer with El Dorado Irrigation District, you won't be stuck behind a desk running the same calculations on the same type of project year after year; you'll move across an unusually broad range of infrastructure that most engineers never get to touch within a single job. One project might have you designing upgrades to a water treatment plant; the next, managing construction on a wastewater collection system; the next, working on our 21-megawatt hydroelectric power system, complete with dams, reservoirs, and miles of flumes and canals. Add in recycled water distribution, capital improvement planning, and even our public recreation facilities at Sly Park and Silver Lake, and you start to see why engineers here describe their work as anything but routine.
You'll get real ownership, too. From day one, you're managing projects, coordinating with contractors and consultants, reviewing plans, solving problems in the field, and presenting your work directly to the Board of Directors.
Based out of our Placerville headquarters, you'll help shape infrastructure across a 220-square-mile service area, watching projects go from a first sketch to something the community relies on every day.
If you're the kind of engineer who gets energized by variety, wants hands-on experience across multiple disciplines, and is looking to build, not just hold a career, this is where that happens.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS, PLEASE REVIEW THE COMPLETE CLASS SPEC
QUALIFICATIONS
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
We're hiring across a career path, not just a single role, so wherever you're starting from, there's a place for you:
Associate Engineer / Associate Civil Engineer: You've got a degree in engineering (or a related field) and you're ready to run with full ownership of projects, not just support someone else's. You're comfortable managing your own workload with minimal oversight, confident bringing a project from concept through construction, and energized by
solving new problems as they come up. Registered as a Professional Engineer in California? Even better, you'll be trusted to independently review, approve, and stamp plans.
Senior Civil Engineer: You've already put in the work, at least five years of professional engineering experience, including three years at a level similar to Associate Civil Engineer, and you're ready for what's next: leading the most complex capital projects, mentoring the engineers coming up behind you, and taking ownership of specialized, highstakes programs like our Dam Safety Program and FERC power compliance work.
Whatever level you're coming in at, we're looking for people who thrive on variety, take initiative, and want a career that keeps challenging them.
Public infrastructure experience, especially with a water or wastewater agency, is a strong plus, and a California PE license is valued at every level above entry.
If you're ready to take ownership of work that actually matters to the community you live in, this is your opportunity.
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE & LICENSE
A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in engineering or a closely related field:
Associate Engineer: Either of the following qualifies: (1) two years of responsible engineering experience similar to Assistant Engineer with the District, along with possession of a valid Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate, or (2) four years of applicable engineering experience similar to Assistant Engineer with the District, with no EIT certificate required.
Associate Civil Engineer: Same experience requirement as Associate Engineer, above. Registration as a Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering in the State of California is required for Associate Civil Engineer
Senior Civil Engineer: Five years of responsible professional engineering experience, including three years in a role similar to Associate Civil Engineer with the District. License: A valid California driver's license is required at the time of appointment. Registration as a Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering in the State of California is required for the Senior Civil Engineer.
SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS
License:
A valid California driver's license is required at the time of appointment. Registration as a Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering in the State of California is required for Associate Civil Engineer and Senior Civil Engineer, and is a strong plus for Associate Engineer.
We offer a comprehensive benefits package to full-time employees, including health care, dental, vision, pension, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, holidays, vacation, and retiree health insurance benefits (subject to vesting schedule).
Health Insurance Benefits (Active Employees) - CalPERS plans, including PPOs and HMOs available

• Employer pays entire monthly premiums for employee or up to $2,758.51 for a family plan (100/85 split)

Health Insurance Benefits (Retiree) - CalPERS plans, including PPOs, HMO, and Senior plans available (subject to vesting schedule).

• Employer pays entire monthly premiums for employee-only coverage, or up to $2,758.51 for a family plan (100/85 split)

Dental Insurance (Delta Dental PPO Network)

• Employee only: No cost
• Employee + 1 Dependent - $2.85 biweekly
• Employee + 2 or more Dependents - $8.89 biweekly
• Orthodontic Benefits- 50% or $3,500 lifetime

Vision Insurance (VSP)

• Employee only: No cost
• Employee + 1 Dependent - $0.07 biweekly
• Employee + 2 or more Dependents - $0.57 biweekly
• Frames every 2 years & lenses every year

Flexible Spending Account- voluntary

• Health Care Expenses: $3,400 for 2026
• Dependent Care Expenses: $7,500 for 2026
• Pre-tax contributions with a P&A Group credit card for eligible expenses

Life & AD&D Insurance (Prudential)

• Coverage equal to one-time annual base salary (up to $150,000) - no cost to employee
• Additional coverage for employee and dependents available- voluntary

Deferred Compensation (457b plan)

• Voluntary pre-tax contributions via payroll deduction
• Catch-up provisions available at age 50

Retirement Benefits Defined Benefit Plans vary by hire date, age, years of service, and average monthly salary at retirement.

• Classic PERS Members: 2% @ 55 Plan
  • Employee contribution: 7%
  • Retirement pension will be calculated based on final (Three-year) compensation as defined by California Government Code 20037
• PEPRA Members: 2% formula @ 62
  • Employee Contribution: 7.5%
  • Retirement pension will be calculated based on final (Three-year) compensation as defined by California Government Code 20037

Paid Time Off (PTO)

• First 3 years - 176 hours (after 1-year probationary period)
• 4 to 9 years - 216 hours
• 10 to 14 years - 256 hours
• 15 or More Years - 296 hours

14 Paid Holidays (includes one personal business day, and two half days)
Tuition Reimbursement

• $3,000 per calendar year maximum after probation

Desired Training

• $750 per calendar year maximum

For more information, please visit our benefits page.
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The information provided in your application must support your selected answers in the supplemental questions. The information you provide will be verified and documentation may be required. Please ensure your answers are honest and accurate. You may be asked to demonstrate your knowledge and skills in a work sample or during an interview. By completing this supplemental questionnaire you are attesting that the information you have provided is accurate. Any misstatements, omissions, or falsification of information may eliminate you from consideration or result in dismissal.Please read each questio