Water Rights Section Manager (Remote)

Water Rights are complicated documents with legal and property-value implications that affect virtually all human endeavor directly, including the following types of water uses: municipal, irrigation, agricultural, industrial, domestic, instream, wildlife habitat, power generation and mining to name a few. As such, they are a critical aspect of economic activity and maintenance of ecosystem service in Oregon. Applications for water use are technically and administratively complex and require skilled professionals to process those applications through completion. 

This position supervises those staff and is directly responsible for all new allocations of water in Oregon. To manage allocations of Oregon’s water according to water law, the position must successfully synthesize disparate information from different fields of expertise (e.g., scientific, geographic, geologic, hydrologic, legal). The position also supervises staff who provide a wide variety of customer service, including water-right research, for the lay public, realtors, agents, agencies, politicians (modes: phone, in writing and face-to-face). Assumes the role of Division Administrator when the Administrator is absent. 

A day in the life: 

• Supervise section staff with responsibility for accepting, reviewing, and processing applications for new water use authorizations, 

• Provide oversight and guidance to staff responsible for customer service inquires and public information needs, 

• Develop technical guidance, policy, and procedures; provide training, where needed, 

• Facilitate weekly team meetings, 

• Develop annual production goals, conduct performance reviews, and implement programmatic improvements, 

• Participate in the Department’s Management Team, providing briefings and updates, 

• Liaise with other internal agency teams, other state agencies, and external water partners, including supporting the Director's Office as needed, 

• Support the agency's legislative session work.