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Overview:

Champion Collaborative Solutions – Empower Positive Change at Valley Water

At Valley Water, we believe that strong labor relations are built on trust, transparency, and collaboration. As a Labor Relations Specialist II, you will play a key role in supporting our employee-employer relations program, helping to foster a fair, respectful, and high-performing workplace.

In this role, you will assist the Labor Relations Program Administrator and Labor Relations Assistant Officer in delivering a comprehensive and proactive labor relations strategy. You will provide expert guidance to staff and bargaining unit representatives, support contract administration, process grievances, assist in disciplinary actions, and promote effective labor-management relationships.

Our Commitment: 
We are committed to building and sustaining a working environment where all individuals are respected and valued. We believe every member of our team brings unique perspectives that enhance our ability to serve the public effectively. By fostering a workplace with employees from the communities we serve, we broaden our collective understanding of the world around us and strengthen our mission to equitably provide safe, clean water, natural flood protections, and environmental stewardship.

About Valley Water:
Valley Water is a public agency with an operating and capital budget of $964 million, and over 900 employees. With headquarters in San José, Valley Water provides water supply, enhances streams and watersheds through creek restoration and habitat protection, provides flood protection for homes, schools, businesses and roadways, and partners with other agencies to provide trails and open space for the community.

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Coordinate and conduct labor relations investigations, including investigatory meetings and detailed written reports; develop analyses and draft confidential communications.
• Interpret and apply MOUs, policies, procedures, regulations, and labor laws to ensure consistent and compliant application across the organization.
• Serve as a key point of contact for Valley Water management, providing guidance on performance management, disciplinary matters, and grievance resolution; collaborate with bargaining units to proactively resolve concerns.
• Develop and maintain labor relations data reports to identify trends and training opportunities; make informed recommendations and deliver training to staff.
• Partner with internal HR units including EEO, Talent Acquisition & Career Pathways, Workforce Development, Recruitment, and Total Rewards to align labor strategies with broader HR goals.

Ideal Candidate's Background Includes:

Applicants whose experience and background best match the ideal experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and education are considered ideal candidates for the position. To determine the top candidates, each applicant will be assessed based on the ideal candidate criteria as listed below.

Ideal Experience:

A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in:

• Conducting workplace investigations with a strong understanding of labor/union contracts.
• Interpreting and applying MOUs, state and federal labor regulations, and employment law.
• Advising and coaching managers and supervisors on employee and labor relations matters.
• Supporting MOU negotiations through research, data analysis, and documentation using tools like Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Handling sensitive issues with the highest level of confidentiality, discretion, and professionalism.
• Researching workforce and compensation trends and translating findings into actionable insights.

Ideal Skills and Abilities:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent judgment, critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to navigate complex employee relations matters with tact and professionalism.
• Proven ability to maintain effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders including bargaining units, staff, and leadership.
• Conflict resolution and mediation expertise with a customer-focused approach.
• Flexibility and adaptability in managing dynamic and sensitive work environments.

Ideal Knowledge:

• Public sector employee relations principles and practices.
• Union/labor contract administration and negotiation processes.
• Applicable state and federal labor and employment laws.
• Grievance procedures and dispute resolution methods.
• The role and function of unions in the public sector workplace.
• Investigative methodologies and best practices for employee relations cases.

Ideal Training and Education:

Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in:

• Human Resources Management
• Organizational Development
• Industrial/Organizational Psychology
• Public or Business Administration
• Or a related field.

Substitution:

Directly related experience may be substituted for the college requirement on the basis of one and one-half years of experience for one year of education to a maximum of four years.

 

Labor Relations Unit (Position Code 834) 

Valley Water Telework Program: Eligibility for telework will depend on the type of work performed, operational needs, and the ability for the employee to perform the essential functions of their job duties while teleworking. Employment with Valley Water requires employees to live within 150 miles of their primary physical work location located in San Jose, California by their start date.

This position is eligible for a hybrid telework schedule, typically working 40% remote and 60% onsite, after completion of the probationary period  (one year).

We’re looking for a creative and organized professional to take on the role of Senior Library Assistant. You will join a fast-paced, dynamic team environment, providing youth focused services within the Youth, Bookmobile and Collections Division. This position receives direction from Senior Librarian, may exercise direct supervision over other assigned office support staff and builds relationships throughout the organization. If you are looking to bring your knowledge of youth literature and strong administrative skills to directly impact library customers and staff, this position is for you. Review our detailed job description here.

What You'll Do:

• Provide administrative support to all those in Division.
• Promote library services at outreach and bookmobile events as assigned.
• Answer reader’s advisory and general reference questions for a wide range of youth literature, resources andmaterials.
• Use planning, analytical, and technical skills to work on special projects.
• Support library events and programs.
• Work with library team to provide a safe and welcoming environment
• Support of safety protocols.
• Work both independently and with a team to accomplish goals.

The Essentials:

Senior Library Assistant

• Two years of experience performing paraprofessional or technical duties in a library setting equivalent to a Library Assistant II or Library Technician in the City of Mountain View.
• Education equivalent to an associate of arts degree.

Bonus Points:

• May need to possess a valid California Class C Driver License as required by the position.
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is highly desirable.
• Bi-lingual skills in Spanish, Chinese or Russian.

Are We a Match?

• You thrive in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
• You are adaptable, flexible and offer solutions in ambiguous situations.
• You possess solid knowledge of youth literature.
• You bring a creative mindset and are open to taking on new ideas and skills.
• You enjoy solving administrative tasks and balance your time efficiently.
• You’re able to pivot priorities and can anticipate customer and staff needs.
• You value continuous learning as a team practice and contributing to a collaborative environment.
• You enjoy resolving administrative challenges.
• You are organized, detail-oriented and organized and can manage multiple, varying processes and tasks.
• You bring patient, compassionate and friendly customer service and enjoy working with customers of all backgrounds and ages.

We’re looking for a highly motivated, reliable and skilled individual to join the Public Works Department in the position of Cross Connection Control Specialist.  Working in the Utilities Section, you will oversee the City’s cross-connection control program, including backflow device testing and cross-connection control related inspections.  You will join a fast-paced, dynamic team environment, serving the City’s residents, visitors and business community by providing exceptional customer service. Review our detailed job description here.

What You'll Do:

• Conduct cross-connection surveys and tests to identify potential cross-connections to the water system. 
• Monitor the provision of backflow prevention at user connections. 
• Provide technical supervision over maintenance staff performing backflow prevention assembly installation, repair, inspection, and testing.
• Inspect potable and recycled water systems to determine the existence of cross connections and recommend corrective actions as necessary.
• Test, install, repair, and maintain backflow prevention assemblies.
• Perform plan reviews to ensure proper water system connections.   Identify potential cross-connections and provide written comments.
• Maintain records of installations, locations, tests, and repairs of backflow prevention assemblies.

The Essentials:

Cross-Connection Control Specialist

• Two years of experience in water system maintenance, equivalent to the responsibilities of a Water Utility Worker in the City of Mountain View
• Equivalent to completion of the 12th grade supplemented by approved courses of instruction in the theory, laws, regulations, and techniques of backflow prevention and/or cross-connection control.
• Possession of a valid California Class C driver’s license.
• Possession of an AWWA Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester Certificate and a California Water Resources Control Board Water Distribution Operator Grade 1 Certificate.  
• Possession of an AWWA Cross-Connection Control Specialist Certificate within one year of appointment.  

Bonus Points:

• Experience administering a water system cross-connection inspection program is highly desirable.
• Completion of a recycled water site supervisor’s training class is highly desirable.

Are We a Match? :

• You are skilled in the maintenance of water distribution systems.
• You are flexible in your work style and can manage interruptions and changing priorities throughout your day.
• You are ready to be part of a well-trained and motivated team that provides excellent service in a fast-paced environment.
• You have a desire to protect the City’s water quality, maintain public safety and are committed to ensuring safe work practices.
• You can communicate effectively with your co-workers and members of the community.
• You have the ability to work a shift beginning at 6:00 a.m.

Do you have a passion for the outdoors, trails, and preserving open space?  Are you a motivated and experienced resource management professional?  If so, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) has an excellent opportunity for a skilled Senior Resource Management Specialist to lead the wildlife program in the Natural Resources Department.  This position will oversee program staff and consultants to assess biological resources and natural habitats to identify sensitive resources and make management recommendations to improve and restore habitat and/or to avoid and minimize impacts as well as to address human wildlife conflict, implement wildlife and habitat management projects and provide regulatory permitting oversight.  The anticipated start date for this position is in late-August 2025.

About Midpen: Midpen helps plants, animals and people thrive throughout the greater Santa Cruz Mountains region by preserving a greenbelt of more than 70,000 acres of public open space with 250 miles of trails in 27 extraordinary preserves, permanently protected for natural resource conservation and ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education. Midpen is a public agency with a focused mission that guides our work, and where every employee makes an impact.  If you are looking for an outstanding opportunity to contribute to the legacy of open space protection, natural resource restoration and outdoor recreation, working with an incredible team of like-minded colleagues, we invite you to apply for this position!  

About the Position:  The incumbent will be a part of a cohesive team of 15 in the Natural Resources Department, which is part of the Visitor and Field Services service line. The Wildlife Program is comprised of four fulltime program staff, including this position, and an intern. Midpen aims to recruit and retain employees who embody professionalism, accountability, and respect, and who value working in an environment focused on inclusivity, diversity, and equity. For additional information about the position, see the Job Description on Midpen’s website.

The position is a working supervisor meaning that time is divided between program administration, oversight, and staff development while also managing and advancing District projects. Strong supervisory and project management skills are required, as well as an ability to shift seamlessly between program and personnel management. This position works not only within the Natural Resources Department but is often a liaison with other departments and external agencies to advance larger District programs and projects. Wildlife program staff currently specialize in different subject matter expertise, but cross training is provided and providing back up to one another in differing area is expected. The supervisor manages and assigns program staff to oversee and assist with different projects primarily based on their areas of expertise, but also based on available staffing. The wildlife program covers a broad range of topics including but not limited to: permit administration, wildlife conflict management, special status species monitoring and research.   

The Ideal Candidate:

• Possesses a broad breadth of understanding of wildlife management for wide ranging taxa from large megafauna to micro invertebrates

• Experience in negotiating and securing permits (ideally programmatic permits) from regulatory agencies primarily California Department of Fish and Wildlife and US Fish and Wildlife Service but may include US Army Corps of Engineers or Regional Water Quality Control Board.
• Experience overseeing sensitive status species monitoring, reporting and recovery efforts
• Supervisory experience for multiple staff and consultant biologists, strong leadership skills, and the ability to mentor and grow junior staff
• Is a creative thinker, problem solver and able to juggle competing priorities
• Strong background in project management, from developing project scopes, schedules and budgets to consultant and contract oversight
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team to deliver capital projects while avoiding and minimizing impacts to sensitive natural resources
• Assists staff in designing projects to reduce the need for mitigation, understands mitigation monitoring and reporting, and works creatively to secure mitigation when needed
• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with partner agencies, environmental advocacy groups, scientists and researchers, as well as other staff, boards, volunteers, vendors and the general public
• Strong public speaking skills
• Report writing skills

A Few Reasons Why You May Love This Job

• Collaborative work that directly supports Midpen’s mission to protect and restore the natural environment
• You’ll be part of a talented and dynamic team whose work contributes to providing nature’s benefits to everyone

Work Environment:  This position will report to Midpen’s Administrative Office in Los Altos, CA.  Midpen offers a hybrid office/telecommute work schedule for this position following successful onboarding. A minimum of three days in the office is required per week.  In addition to working in an office setting to complete project tasks and at various venues across the San Francisco Peninsula to present information at public meetings, the Senior Resource Management Specialist may sometimes work in the field and hike steep terrain and wildland areas with poison oak and wildlife.

Field Work: Fieldwork is integral to this position and dependent on the season and current projects.  Fieldwork will require driving District vehicles in remote areas on dirt roads, working in all weather conditions, and hiking through steep terrain and wildland areas. Ideal candidates will be comfortable working in these types of field conditions, as well as in an office environment.

Midpen reserves the right to limit or deny off-duty employment or business ownership which creates a conflict of interest or an incompatibility with District employment. Information can be found in the Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual Section 4.13 Off-Duty Employment and Business Ownership.

Education and Experience: 

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in environmental design, natural resource management, ecology, biology, or a related field, and five (5) years of increasingly responsible experience in natural resource management preferably in parks, open space, or related field, including at least three (3) years of experience supervising staff, consultants, or contractors. A Master’s Degree is desirable. Professional work experience with parks and open space is highly desired.

Licenses & Certifications Required:   Possession of a valid California Driver’s License. 

Benefits:   Midpen provides an excellent benefits package including health, life & disability insurance as well as CalPERS pension. 

How to Apply: apply online at CalOpps.org.

(To avoid missing email communication regarding your status in this recruitment, add mpropenspace@calopps.org to your contacts or list of safe senders)

First Application Review is Monday, June 16, 2025.  Applicants with the most relevant experience and qualifications suitable for the position will be contacted for an interview.

The following application items are required to be considered*:

1. Fully completed CalOpps employment application 

2. Cover letter 

3. Resume 

4. Supplemental question responses

*Incomplete CalOpps employment applications, or applications without the required application items listed here, will not be considered for the position.

Interview Schedule (we are unable to accommodate individual schedules):

First Interview (virtual):  Thursday, July 10, 2025

Written Exercise and Final Interview (in-person): Wednesday, July 23, 2025

A note to applicants who currently live outside of the San Francisco Bay Area: before committing to the application process, and if you haven’t done so already, we suggest evaluating the feasibility of relocation. We recommend researching the cost of living in the San Francisco Bay Area, the cost to relocate, and typical commute times to Los Altos from outlying areas.

At Midpen, we believe open space is for all. Our public lands are shared spaces provided for the community by the community. All people, regardless of background, deserve respect, dignity, safety, and a sense of belonging. Midpen welcomes all people to enjoy the public open space preserves we hold in trust, supporting the mental, physical, and social well-being of our region.

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation by contacting the Human Resources department at

(650) 691-1200 or via email at hr@openspace.org.

Put your passion for Open Space to work!

Please click on the Job PDF to view the announcement.

ENGINEER I/II

Utilities Department

LEVEL I $8,663.08 - $12,189.79 Monthly Plus Excellent Benefits

LEVEL II $9,569.42 - $13,465.11 Monthly Plus Excellent Benefits

Additional steps (Step F, Step G, and Step H) included in the salary range listed above are available to employees in this job classification after completion of five years of service (Step F), ten years of service (Step G), and 15 years of service (Step H), and one year at the prior step, and good performance evaluation.  Initial salary placement is typically at the entry point of the range unless the candidate has prior Civil Engineer experience which may warrant initial placement at a higher step.

Opportunity to work a 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off.
 

This is a full-time, on-site position that actively supports department operations. 

The City of Gilroy is an equal opportunity employer and supports workforce diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Join our team! 

ABOUT THE POSITION

The City of Gilroy is currently recruiting for a full-time level I or II (depending on qualifications and experience) Civil Engineer to provide technical assistance for our newly established Utilities Department. In this position, you will play a significant role in pioneering and shaping the future of utilities infrastructure in our vibrant community and have the unique opportunity to influence and lead the development of essential utilities systems from the ground up. This role is perfect for innovative thinkers who are passionate about creating sustainable solutions that will serve our community for generations to come. 

In this exciting opportunity, the Engineer I/II will work under the direct supervision of a Senior Civil Engineer and will perform professional or sub professional engineering work in the field and office. Assignments will involve planning, design, and construction for a wide variety of water and wastewater infrastructure geared towards transforming and modernizing the City of Gilroy and making a positive impact in the community.


THE TEAM 
When you join our team, you will be at the forefront of revolutionizing the utilities industry. Our cutting-edge technologies and forward-thinking approach will enable us to provide sustainable solutions that meet the evolving needs of the Gilroy community. You will join a dynamic and innovative team and work amongst Engineering professionals who share a passion for serving the residents of Gilroy and improving the community. The Utilities department strives for excellence in engineering design and operational efficiency, integrity, and accountability in our decision making, respect, and teamwork to leverage collective expertise in solving complex challenges to achieve a common goal. 

 

EXCITING FIRST YEAR PROJECTS 

• Multiple water line replacements
• Rehabilitation and repair of the Joint Trunk Sewer Main serving Morgan Hill and Gilroy  
• Design and Construction of a new Water Well
• Rehabilitation or retrofit of existing Water Wells to comply with water quality standards
• Rehabilitation and repair of existing storage tanks
• Implementation of projects from the 2023 Sewer Master Plan

Please click on the Job PDF below to view the full announcement for this opportunity.

Please click on the Job PDF to view the announcement.