Water Rights Advisor (Natural Resource Specialist 4)

Initial Posting Date:

09/25/2026

Application Deadline:

10/11/2026

Agency:

Water Resources Department

Salary Range:

$6,276 - $9,644

Position Type:

Employee

Position Title:

Water Rights Advisor (Natural Resource Specialist 4)

Job Description:

Working Title: Water Rights Advisor

Classification: Natural Resource Specialist 4

Position Type: Permanent, Full Time

Representation: Service Employees International Union

FLSA Status: Exempt and not eligible for overtime and compensatory time

Monthly Compensation: The monthly salary range before PERS* will be $6,276-$9,644 | after PERS* will be $6,713-$10,318

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

Hybrid/Remote Work: Hybrid work eligible. 1-2 days per week in office, hybrid schedule agreed upon by manager. Quantity of office days may be adjusted based on business need with notice. Some in-state travel is required with infrequent overnight travel.

About the Oregon Water Resources Department

The Oregon Water Resources Department is committed to creating a workplace culture that understands and appreciates differences among people and is welcoming and inclusive to all. By fostering fairness and equity in its work culture, the Department strives to improve services for all Oregonians. We acknowledge that not all people have experienced equitable opportunities or fair treatment. We are committed to increasing our awareness and understanding of historic injustices and building a foundation for meaningful change. We value a wide range of professional and lived experiences, and people of underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Our Vision

The vision of the Oregon Water Resources Department is to assure sufficient and sustainable water supplies are available to meet current and future needs.

Our Mission

The Department's mission is to serve the public by practicing and promoting responsible water management through two key goals:

• •To directly address Oregon's water supply needs
• •To restore and protect streamflows and watersheds in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of Oregon's ecosystems, economy, and quality of life

Core Values

• •Integrity – We are accountable for all that we do. We act with honesty and promote transparency.
• •Service – We are dedicated to providing outstanding service and treating everyone equitably in our management and stewardship of state resources.
• •Technical Excellence – We base our resource decisions on law, science, and expertise.
• •Teamwork – We are united in our mission, relying on one another and working together with the communities we serve.
• •Forward-Looking – We seek innovative and practical solutions to the water challenges of today and tomorrow.

The Oregon Water Resources Department’s current strategic priorities are to:

• •Modernize our management of Oregon’s surface water and groundwater resources to meet instream and out-of-stream uses
• •Work to secure Oregon’s instream and out-of-stream water future in the face of increasing water scarcity
• •Foster a forward-looking team dedicated to serving Oregonians with integrity and excellence.

About our Team/Division

The Water Right Services Division is responsible for the evaluation of all water right, transfer, extension of time (for both permits and transfers), instream lease, allocation of conserved water and limited license applications. In addition, the Division administers the following water right-related programs: water right certification; permit cancellation; adjudication of pre-1909 vested water rights; water management and conservation planning; hydroelectric licensing; water right information and customer service; and water right program and policy development. The Division also shares administration of the Deschutes Basin Groundwater Mitigation Program. The Division is responsible for public notice of applications and for responding to public-interest inquiries and concerns. The Division receives and evaluates comments and protests concerning proposed water uses. The Division must ensure coordination with local governments and other state and federal agencies concerning proposed water allocations. Final determination of water right applications involve a legal property right and may involve litigation in Oregon or federal court.

Water right transactions can be complicated, with legal and property-value implications that affect virtually all human endeavors directly, including but not limited to the following types of water uses: municipal, irrigation, agricultural, industrial, domestic, instream, wildlife habitat, and power generation. As such, they are a critical aspect of economic activity and maintenance of ecosystem services in Oregon. Water right transactions are technically and administratively complex, and require skilled professionals to process those transactions through completion. Successfully advising on complex water right transactions requires combining interdisciplinary scientific, legal, and procedural information; carefully navigating relationships between the Department and the water user community, conservation groups, Tribes, local governments, and other state agencies; understanding public perception of sensitive natural resource issues; considering the long-term impacts of today’s decisions; and navigating spaces where established procedures may not yet exist.

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 timeframe 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. If a water right holder wishes to change their certificated right, they may file for a transfer. A water right may be subject to forfeiture and cancelled if it is not used for five consecutive years. Agency decisions rendered in each of these water right transactions may be protested and/or litigated.

The Water Rights Advisor provides Division-wide support by helping each section with evaluation of complex water right transaction proposals brought forth either internally or externally and by participating in rulemaking, legislative concept development and bill review, and the water rights transaction fee workgroup. The position regularly collaborates with internal and external customers to build relationships and problem solve. The Water Rights Advisor also interfaces with the Protest program, which resolves disputes resulting from agency decisions before they reach court. This position supports the Protest program either directly by resolving protests, or indirectly by improving the defensibility of documents (orders) before they reach the protest or request for reconsideration period. The Water Rights Advisor supports litigation resolution by coordinating with agency leadership and the Oregon Department of Justice on case strategy and, as needed, by providing written or in-person testimony. This position prepares order language, policy memos, and other documentation to record lessons learned and decisions made, and interprets and summarizes water right transaction data to support monitoring and communication about water right transaction program workloads.

While the Water Rights Development Manager provides the day-to-day supervisory administrative functions (e.g., timesheet and leave request review and approval) for the Water Rights Advisor, many of the policy and workload decisions for the Water Rights Advisor are made by the Division Administrator or Director’s Office. The Water Rights Advisor will work in a dynamic environment where they will