Supervisory Repayment Specialist

Full Job Description

Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Supervisory Repayment Specialist.

You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment. Duty Location: Sacramento, California This is not a remote position.

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - this information must be clearly supported in the resume.

To qualify at the GS-13 level, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-12 level in federal service having demonstrated experience in the formation, administration, and/or negotiation of water services contracts, project repayment, or similar contracts; drafting and preparing these contracts in compliance with law and regulations and using negotiation strategies to deal with proposed and current contracts; development of technical reports and legal research for water service, distribution systems, and project repayment.

These examples are not all-inclusive.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social).

Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Time-In-Grade: Current career or career-conditional employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional employees, who have a break in service of less than one year, are required to meet the time-in-grade restriction of one year of Federal experience at the next lower-grade, with few exceptions outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b).

You must meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including time-in-grade restrictions and any selective placement factors if applicable, by 01/23/2026. Major Duties:

The primary duties of this position are: Analyzing, understanding and summarizing complex technical and policy information covering a full range of administrative and water resource management programs and activities.

Working with controversial water administration/water rights issues such as those that may have involved multiple agencies, litigation, or multiple river basins.

Program direction and management as it relates to a water resources organization, writing technical water rights contracts, analyzing and determining inclusions and exclusions, and coordinating inquiries and problems involving water-rights matters.

Writing water contracts by researching laws and directives to deliver water to farmers, irrigation or water districts, municipalities, or similar entitles.

Developing and maintaining contacts with internal and external organizations and user and citizen groups to receive and provide information concerning water contracting, financial reimbursement, or water resource issues.

Independently negotiating water contracts to deliver water to farmers, irrigation or water districts, municipalities, or similar entities.

Negotiating and renegotiating long-term, short-term, temporary (interim), exchange agreements of water, water distribution system repayment contracts, and excess land recordable water contracts.

Conducting negotiations in compliance with current applicable federal regulations and case law.

Performing research of legal history, opinions, and precedent decisions for use in preparing, negotiating, and administering water contracts.

Verbally communicating regulations and related administrative practices to convey, question, and obtain information on technical matters.

Supervision of up to 15 staff members, including other Federal employees, implementing actions related to water rights and contract, repayment obligations and accounting, as well as administrative staff which may be assigned to the branch.

Establishing performance standards, accomplishing appraisals, and initiating employee recognition and training actions.

Allocating work assignments based on priorities, giving consideration to the difficulty and requirements of assignments versus the capabilities of the staff.

Providing advice, counsel, or instruction to employees on both work and administrative matters.