Engineering Manager – JRWSS

Engineering Manager – JRWSS Laguna Beach, CA South Coast Water District Career Opportunity About South Coast Water District South Coast Water District (SCWD) was founded in 1932 and provides potable water, recycled water, and wastewater services to approximately 40,000 residents, 1,000 businesses, and 2 million visitors per year in South Orange County, California. SCWD’s service area, divided into five divisions, includes the communities of Dana Point, South Laguna Beach, and areas of San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. A five-member elected Board of Directors oversees policy-making, financial stewardship, rate-setting, capital programs, and long-term planning for the District. Mission – We are entrusted by our community to provide water resources essential for sustaining life. Vision – Recognized as a premier water district unsurpassed in customer service, reliability, environmental stewardship, and organizational excellence. To fulfill the District’s mission and vision, its Core Values are: Accountability: We are answerable for our behavior, actions, decisions, and producing excellence in all we do. Customer Service: We will demonstrate outstanding customer service through dedication, respect, courteous communication, and timely response. Integrity: We commit to the highest standards of ethics, professionalism, and character in working with each other and the public. Leadership: We inspire and guide individuals to work together to achieve our goals, attain excellence in our craft, and push the boundaries of innovation. Teamwork: We work together collaboratively – where planning, decisions, and actions are accomplished more effectively as a group than individually. In addition, the District’s Core Strategies include the following: Sustain and Improve Infrastructure: Maintain, renew, and improve the District’s infrastructure through effective asset management. Organizational Excellence: Achieve excellence in leadership, operational efficiency, people development, and delivery of our products and services. Sharpen Customer Focus: Sustain and improve external and internal customer confidence. Emergency Preparedness: Plan for emergencies and effectively execute recovery. Reliability: Significantly reduce dependency on imported water. The Department The Joint Regional Water Supply System (JRWSS) is a regional potable-water transmission system that extends from Irvine through southern Orange County into northern San Diego County. The system includes the Joint Transmission Main (JTM) , reservoirs, interconnections, flow-control facilities, valves, and related infrastructure used to convey imported potable water to participating agencies. Portions of the system date to 1961 and include large-diameter transmission piping, including 60-inch pipeline segments. South Coast Water District serves as the designated operator for the JRWSS and manages the system on behalf of nine member agencies: South Coast Water District California State Parks Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton City of San Clemente El Toro Water District Irvine Ranch Water District Moulton Niguel Water District Santa Margarita Water District Southern California Edison / San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station For FY 2026–27, JRWSS has a total budget of approximately $10.7 million , including approximately $4.0 million in operating expenses, $6.4million in capital projects, and $330,000 in purchased assets. SCWD’s share of the JRWSS budget is approximately $1.44 million. JRWSS has7.5 full-time budgeted positions. The JRWSS capital and maintenance program includes pipeline rehabilitation and relocation, condition assessment, corrosion and cathodic-protection improvements, valve and flow-control upgrades, reservoir-related improvements, and water-quality projects. Recent examples include relocation work on the Joint Transmission Main, air-vacuum valve improvements, cathodic-protection projects, and system improvements designed to maintain water quality and reliability. As operator of this regional system, SCWD must balance long-term infrastructure stewardship with the priorities, funding responsibilities, and technical interests of multiple participating agencies, creating a highly collaborative and technically complex environment for the Engineering Manager – JRWSS. The Position This position reports to the Deputy General Manager/Chief Engineer and is an executive-level, non-merit system contract position within the JRWSS Engineering and Operations Department of SCWD. The position oversees the JRWSS Capital Improvement Program, including engineering planning, design review, project management, budgeting, regulatory compliance, construction management, and preparation of engineering documents and reports. This position is part of the District’s Leadership Team and is actively involved in District strategic planning development and regional water supply planning efforts. While this position does not oversee any staff, this position may supervise professional and technical staff, including Senior Civil Engineers, Construction Inspectors, GIS Analysts, Engineering Interns, and other assigned personnel. The Engineering Manager will be expected to take ownership of projects from inception through design and bidding, manage design consultants, maintain strong contract documents and technical specifications, and provide informed support during construction. The role also supports annual maintenance, repair, and capital-improvement budgeting, pipeline condition assessment and asset management, and the interpretation and administration of JRWSS agency agreements. The Engineering Manager leads, directs, and/or participates in consultant selection for engineering and professional consulting service contracts. The role oversees JRWSS property and right-of-way acquisitions and disposals, including negotiations and compliance with applicable laws and procedures. The Engineering Manager also negotiates contracts and agreements and coordinates with legal