{"schemaVersion":"1.0","exportedAt":"2026-05-15T11:17:12.685Z","occupation":{"soc":"11-9121.02","title":"Water Resource Specialists","group":"Management","sector":"54","jobZone":4,"jobZoneInferred":false},"framework":{"version":"v.26.05","description":"","contextCovered":"This framework covers Water Resource Specialists working across municipal, regional, and regulatory environments on hydrologic modeling, storm water management, regulatory compliance, watershed planning, and hydraulic infrastructure design and review.","levels":{"emerging":{"label":"Emerging","statements":["Hydrologic and hydraulic modeling software — execute pre-configured model runs under supervisor direction to support water resource assessments on municipal projects.","Storm water system data — collect and organize field measurements following established protocols for entry into project databases.","Water quality compliance records — review and compile documentation under guidance to support regulatory investigations on wastewater discharge permits.","Watershed operating parameters — identify relevant water supply and conservation goals by reviewing existing plans and regulations with senior staff oversight.","Technical study literature — read and summarize published research on pollutants and water treatment options to support senior specialists on assigned projects.","Hydraulic structure design drawings — review basic plans for storm drains and detention facilities using standard checklists under direct supervision.","Presentation materials — assist in preparing slides and supporting data for water resource proposals presented to community or government audiences.","GIS mapping tools — produce basic watershed boundary and land-use maps following established workflows to support watershed health assessments.","Spreadsheet software — enter, organize, and perform simple calculations on hydrologic data sets as directed by project leads.","Regulatory codes and clean water laws — identify applicable requirements by referencing agency databases and standard guidance documents under supervision."]},"developing":{"label":"Developing","statements":["Hydrologic and hydraulic models — calibrate and run simulations independently using analytical software to evaluate water quantity and quality scenarios for mid-scale infrastructure projects.","Storm water network analyses — identify system deficiencies and improvement opportunities by applying established assessment frameworks to municipal drainage systems with limited oversight.","Compliance and regulatory investigations — lead routine investigations into pollutant sources, discharge permits, and wastewater issues, coordinating with agency staff and documenting findings.","Watershed management strategies — develop draft conservation and regulatory-compliance plans by synthesizing hydrologic data, stakeholder input, and applicable clean water regulations.","Water resource technical studies — conduct pollutant loading analyses and evaluate treatment alternatives, summarizing findings in written reports for project teams and clients.","Hydraulic structure designs — evaluate detention facility and flood control structure plans for conformance with engineering standards, flagging issues for senior review in a design-build environment.","Stakeholder presentations — deliver water resource project updates and technical findings to government agencies or public interest groups using clear, audience-appropriate communication.","Watershed protection plans — draft rehabilitation measures and best-management-practice recommendations based on field investigations and GIS-based spatial analysis.","Geographic information systems — build and maintain spatial databases and perform watershed-scale spatial analyses to inform project decisions on a routine basis.","Time and task management — coordinate personal workload across multiple concurrent water resource projects, meeting deadlines and communicating schedule risks to project managers."]},"proficient":{"label":"Proficient","statements":["Hydrologic, hydraulic, and water quality models — design, validate, and interpret complex multi-parameter simulations autonomously to support major infrastructure planning or regulatory proceedings.","Storm water system optimization — lead comprehensive system assessments across entire municipal watersheds, identifying and prioritizing capital improvement opportunities using quantitative performance metrics.","Regulatory compliance investigations — independently direct investigations into complex pollutant, storage, and discharge issues, interfacing directly with regulators and preparing defensible technical findings.","Water supply and conservation strategies — formulate multi-objective watershed operating strategies that balance competing demands, regulatory mandates, and long-term climate variability for regional water authorities.","Advanced technical studies — design research frameworks and oversee data collection, modeling, and analysis for non-routine water quality and treatment challenges in complex regulatory environments.","Hydraulic structure design review — provide authoritative technical evaluation of detention, flood control, and conveyance facility designs, resolving ambiguous engineering issues without escalation.","High-stakes public presentations — present complex water resource proposals to legislative bodies, environmental advocacy groups, or diverse community stakeholders, effectively managing technical and political sensitivities.","Watershed rehabilitation programs — develop comprehensive, science-based watershed protection and restoration plans integrating hydrology, ecology, regulatory, and community considerations across multi-jurisdictional landscapes.","CAD and analytical software integration — orchestrate seamless workflows across GIS, CAD, and hydrologic modeling platforms to produce decision-ready deliverables for large-scale water resource projects.","Systems evaluation and adaptive management — monitor implemented water resource solutions against performance targets, apply inductive reasoning to diagnose underperformance, and recommend evidence-based modifications."]},"advanced":{"label":"Advanced","statements":["Organizational modeling strategy — establish enterprise-wide standards for hydrologic, hydraulic, and water quality modeling practices, ensuring technical consistency and defensibility across all agency or firm projects.","Regional storm water policy — lead development of jurisdiction-wide storm water management frameworks that set improvement priorities, allocate resources, and align with federal and state regulatory requirements.","Investigative program leadership — direct multidisciplinary teams conducting large-scale compliance investigations, setting investigative scope, quality standards, and agency engagement strategies.","Water resource policy and planning — advise executive leadership, legislative bodies, and interagency partnerships on long-range watershed operations policy to meet regional water supply and clean water mandates.","Research and knowledge advancement — commission and oversee transformative technical studies on emerging pollutants or treatment technologies, positioning the organization at the forefront of water resource practice.","Capital program oversight — provide final technical authority on design adequacy for major hydraulic infrastructure programs, integrating engineering, environmental, and fiscal considerations at portfolio scale.","Executive-level advocacy — lead high-profile presentations and negotiations with state and federal regulators, elected officials, and national stakeholder coalitions to advance water resource policy and secure program funding.","Watershed governance and partnership — build and lead multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional coalitions to develop and implement watershed protection and rehabilitation strategies at regional or basin scale.","Workforce and competency development — design mentorship programs, technical training curricula, and career pathways that build the next generation of water resource professionals within the organization.","Strategic technology adoption — evaluate and champion the integration of emerging geospatial, remote-sensing, and decision-support technologies into organizational workflows to improve water resource management outcomes."]}}},"sources":{"onet":"v30.2 (CC BY 4.0)","crosswalk":"https://skillscrosswalk.com","generator":"LER.me"},"attribution":"© EBSCOed"}