Chemistry Team Manager (Emerging Chemical Constituents)

About the role

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) is seeking a Chemistry Team Manager to lead the Emerging Chemical Constituents (ECC) team in La Verne, CA. This position plays a vital role in advancing the technical foundation that informs future drinking water regulations and in maintaining our organization's commitment to scientific excellence and public health protection.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and mentor a team of highly skilled technical professionals.
• Lead monitoring efforts to test and report treatment process performance indicators and unregulated contaminants to support source water and system operations.
• Review and provide technical input on proposed legislation and regulatory changes affecting drinking water quality.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, safety, and technical excellence.
• Develop, validate, and refine analytical methods; oversee data quality and QA/QC, reporting, and technical documentation.
• Plan, direct, and oversee applied water research programs focused on emerging contaminants.
• Manage capital improvement projects and externally funded research initiatives.
• Develop project proposals, technical reports, and scientific publications.
• Administer project budgets, contracts, and team resources.
• Present research findings to industry professionals, regulatory agencies, scientific conferences, and stakeholder groups.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and eight years of increasingly responsible relevant experience, of which two years must have been in a project management, supervisory, or lead capacity; OR an advanced degree from an accredited college or university and six years of increasingly responsible relevant experience, of which two years must have been in a project management, supervisory, or lead capacity.
• Education and experience in chemistry and/or environmental sciences with an emphasis on drinking water quality and analytical chemistry.
• Professional drinking water quality experience focused on one or more of the following: applied research on regulated, unregulated, and/or emerging chemical constituents in water; drinking water treatment processes; water quality regulations; analytical chemistry; and/or managing complex applied research projects.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop highly technical professionals.
• Demonstrated understanding of conventional and advanced drinking water treatment processes and technologies.
• Experience designing, conducting, and managing applied research projects on constituents of emerging concern (CECs) and other priority water quality issues in drinking water and/or recycled wastewater at the bench, pilot, demonstration, and/or full scale.
• Understanding of watershed sources of CECs, disinfection byproducts (DBPs), and DBP precursors.
• Knowledge of California and federal drinking water and recycled water laws, regulations, and regulatory processes.
• Demonstrated self-motivation and active involvement in the water industry through professional societies or related organizations.
• Demonstrated record of developing analytical chemistry methods.
• Strong record of technical presentations and scientific publications.

Skills

• Leadership skills.
• Project management skills.
• Technical expertise in water quality and analytical chemistry.
• Ability to mentor and develop technical professionals.
• Experience in designing and conducting applied research projects.
• Knowledge of California and federal drinking water and recycled water laws, regulations, and regulatory processes.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation.
• Excellent medical, dental, life, vision plans.
• Deferred compensation in the form of a 401(k) plan (with matching contribution) and a 457 plan.
• Retirement benefits under the California Public Employees' Retirement System.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Training and advancement opportunities.
• Excellent working environment.
• Public transportation reimbursements.

Pay

Competitive compensation.

Schedule

9/80, Monday through Friday/Every other Friday off.