Assistant General Manager - Engineering & Technical Resources

Water Otter Job Board; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 310,000 - 423,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

CalPERS retirement

401(k) match

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Paid annual and sick leave

15 holidays

Job summary

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California seeks an Assistant General Manager of Engineering and Technical Resources to provide executive leadership across Water Resource Management, Engineering, Sustainability, Resilience and Innovation, and Bay‑Delta Initiatives.

Reporting to the General Manager, you will guide long‑range planning, capital program oversight, and infrastructure investments while ensuring reliability for 19 million people.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree may substitute for two years of experience.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in public sector, water industry, public utility or related field, including six years supervising professional/technical staff.

Responsibilities

• Executive Leadership & Strategic Integration: Establish priorities across interconnected functions and advise the General Manager and executive team on enterprise‑wide decisions.
• Organizational & People Leadership: Lead senior managers, establish accountability, develop talent, and prepare the organization for evolving needs and succession.
• Water Resources Strategy & Reliability: Lead long‑term water resource planning and strategies addressing changing hydrologic, regulatory, environmental, and operational conditions.
• Engineering & Infrastructure: Provide strategic oversight of Metropolitan’s Capital Improvement Program and ensure infrastructure investments support reliability, asset management, and organizational priorities.
• Sustainability, Resilience & Climate Adaptation: Integrate sustainability, resilience, and climate adaptation into water resources, infrastructure, and technical planning.
• Bay‑Delta Initiatives: Oversee initiatives affecting the reliability and sustainability of State Water Project supplies.
• Financial & Program Stewardship: Oversee operating and capital budgets while ensuring regulatory compliance, fiscal responsibility, and effective program execution.
• External Representation & Partnerships: Represent Metropolitan with member agencies, regulators, industry organizations, elected officials, and other stakeholders.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic planning

Water resources knowledge

Regulatory familiarity

Public speaking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related field

Job description

THE OPPORTUNITY

Few positions in the water industry offer the scale and consequence of the Assistant General Manager of Engineering and Technical Resources at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. As Metropolitan addresses a changing Colorado River, the future of State Water Project supplies, major investments in regional water resilience, and an ambitious capital program, the next Assistant General Manager will help shape how Southern California provides reliable water to 19 million people for decades to come. This is an exceptional opportunity for an accomplished water leader to join Metropolitan’s executive team at a pivotal moment and help define the region’s long‑term water future.

ABOUT METROPOLITAN

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state‑established cooperative that, with its 26 member agencies, provides water to approximately 19 million people across six counties and a 5,200-square‑mile service area. Metropolitan imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California while investing in conservation, recycling, storage, groundwater recovery, water transfers, and other resource‑management strategies.

Metropolitan operates an extensive regional water system that includes the 242‑mile Colorado River Aqueduct, nine reservoirs, approximately 830 miles of large‑scale pipelines, five water treatment plants, and 15 hydroelectric facilities. Through its participation in the State Water Project, Metropolitan receives slightly less than half of the project’s contracted supplies delivered through the 444‑mile California Aqueduct.

THE ORGANIZATION

The Board of Directors appoints a General Manager who serves as Metropolitan’s Chief Executive Officer. Four divisions are led by Assistant General Managers, with Group Managers overseeing individual functional areas. The organization has nearly 1,800 employees and a $2.75 billion annual budget.

THE POSITION: AGM OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL RESOURCES

Reporting directly to the General Manager, the Assistant General Manager provides executive leadership across Water Resource Management, Engineering, Sustainability, Resilience and Innovation, and Bay‑Delta Initiatives. The AGM serves as a trusted advisor to the General Manager and Board of Directors on complex issues involving water supplies, infrastructure, resilience, and long‑term reliability.

Key responsibilities include:

• Executive Leadership & Strategic Integration: Establish priorities across interconnected functions and advise the General Manager and executive team on enterprise‑wide decisions.
• Organizational & People Leadership: Lead senior managers, establish accountability, develop talent, and prepare the organization for evolving needs and succession.
• Water Resources Strategy & Reliability: Lead long‑term water resource planning and strategies addressing changing hydrologic, regulatory, environmental, and operational conditions.
• Engineering & Infrastructure: Provide strategic oversight of Metropolitan’s Capital Improvement Program and ensure infrastructure investments support reliability, asset management, and organizational priorities.
• Sustainability, Resilience & Climate Adaptation: Integrate sustainability, resilience, and climate adaptation into water resources, infrastructure, and technical planning.
• Bay‑Delta Initiatives: Oversee initiatives affecting the reliability and sustainability of State Water Project supplies.
• Financial & Program Stewardship: Oversee operating and capital budgets while ensuring regulatory compliance, fiscal responsibility, and effective program execution.
• External Representation & Partnerships: Represent Metropolitan with member agencies, regulators, industry organizations, elected officials, and other stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will be a sophisticated water industry executive with broad organizational perspective, sound judgment, and the ability to lead across highly technical and multidisciplinary functions. Strong knowledge of California and Western water issues, particularly water resources, is highly valued.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field. An advanced degree may substitute for two of the required ten years of experience.

Experience: At least 10 years of increasingly responsible experience in the public sector, water industry, public utility, or related field, including six years managing and supervising professional and technical staff in a related discipline.

SALARY & BENEFITS

The hiring range is $309,774–$423,197, depending on qualifications, with an outstanding executive benefits package. Key benefits include CalPERS retirement, a 401(k) with a dollar‑for‑dollar employer match up to 4.5% of earnings, a 457(b) plan, comprehensive medical/dental/vision coverage, paid annual and sick leave, 15 observed holidays, personal leave, exempt time off, and basic life insurance equal to one times annual salary.