Water Resources Planner​/Project Manager

About Us

We are a California-based environmental consulting firm with 500+ professionals and over 30 years of experience serving clients across the transportation, energy, water, infrastructure, private development, and government sectors. We are proud to be a certified Great Place to Work, as reflected in the experiences our employees share on Glassdoor and the trust, connection, and sense of purpose felt across our company.

We are looking for an emerging leader in Water Resources Planning who is ready to make a real impact on groundwater sustainability, watershed resilience, urban land‑use planning, and long‑term water security across the state. We are specifically seeking a geologist, hydrologist, hydrogeologist, environmental engineer, or professional with a similar degree who has a passion for groundwater, surface water, data‑driven water planning, and climate‑resilient solutions.

As a Water Resources Planner / Program Manager, you’ll lead and support projects that help communities and agencies understand, protect, and sustainably manage their water resources. You’ll collaborate closely with technical experts, project teams, and water agencies to drive innovative solutions and deliver high‑quality work. This is a fast‑paced, entrepreneurial environment where your analytical skills, curiosity, and big‑picture thinking will shine.

You’ll take ownership of projects, build strong client relationships, and help expand Rincon’s growing water resources practice across California.

This role may offer a hybrid work setup, blending time in the office with remote work as business needs evolve. We enjoy coming together in person to collaborate, connect with teammates, and partner with clients, and may prioritize candidates who live within 50 miles of a Rincon office. Eligible office locations for this role include Carlsbad, Fresno, Los Angeles, Monterey, Oakland, Palm Springs, Riverside, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, San Jose, Santa Barbara, and/or Ventura.

Groundwater & SGMA

• Develop and implement SGMA‑related planning for entities responsible for the implementation of SGMA.
• Prepare updates, technical memoranda, monitoring reports, and periodic evaluations.
• Analyze groundwater conditions, interconnected surface water effects, groundwater dependent ecosystems, and basin‑level climate vulnerabilities.
• Support sustainable management criteria, project evaluation, and adaptive management strategies.

Watershed & Climate Resilience

• Lead watershed resilience assessments and hydrologic analyses.
• Forecast water supply conditions using hydrogeologic, climatic, and land‑use datasets.
• Evaluate climate adaptation strategies for integrated water systems.

Urban & Agricultural Water Management

• Prepare Urban Water Management Plans (UWMPs) and Agricultural Water Management Plans (AWMPs).
• Analyze water demand, supply reliability, conservation programs, and drought response planning.

Water Quality & Water Supply Planning

• Conduct water quality assessments and support water supply improvement strategies.
• Work with interdisciplinary teams on water infrastructure, recharge, conveyance, and storage planning.

Project Leadership & Delivery

• Manage project scopes, schedules, budgets, and deliverables across multiple concurrent projects.
• Collaborate with internal technical teams to ensure accuracy, innovation, and compliance.
• Prepare water supply studies and water management plans, including analysis of drought and climate change impacts on water supplies and systems.
• Communicate findings through clear, compelling technical reports, presentations, and client meetings.
• Stay up to date on state and federal regulatory requirements affecting water planning.
• Work closely with Rincon Principal(s) and Directors to promote our business interests in adherence to the company’s mission, vision, and values.
• Perform other duties as assigned by your supervisor(s).

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Geology, Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Management, or a closely related field.
• Four or more years of experience in water…