Compliance Specialist 3 - 58600

State of Montana•Great Falls, VA

12d

About The Position

What if your next role helped safeguard one of Montana’s most critical natural resources: water. What if your role influenced how water rights in Montana are reviewed, recorded, and communicated—helping ensure fair, consistent, and legally sound decisions that affect communities, agriculture, industry, and streams across the state? As the Compliance Specialist 3 with DNRC’s Water Rights Bureau in Helena, you will provide statewide direction, quality control, and technical expertise for Montana’s water rights program, working closely with regional offices, the Water Court, and program leadership to keep our water rights system accurate, efficient, and trusted. If you are a detail‑driven, critically-thinking natural resources professional who enjoys solving complex policy and technical questions, designing training and guidance, and helping others do their best work, this position offers the opportunity to influence program standards, mentor staff across the state, and build tools and processes that will guide water rights administration in Montana for years to come. Core Values of DNRC Water Resources Division Value People Stewardship Service Credibility Engagement

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in environmental sciences, natural resource management, or a related field.
2+ years’ experience in water resource administration, including water rights, teaching or training, database structure and analysis, program evaluation, and policy development.
Knowledge of (or ability to learn in a reasonable amount of time)
Montana water rights and water law, including the Montana Water Use Act, adjudication, and related rules and court orders.
Natural resource management and public program administration, especially water rights programs and standards.
Water rights tools and methods, including examination procedures, comparison standards, GIS, and the water rights database.
Common Montana water uses (domestic, irrigation, stock, mining, municipal, commercial, hydropower) and how they appear in claims and permits.
Skills in
Strong writing and editing for policies, procedures, reports, and training materials.
Comfort working with databases, program data applications, and standard office software.
Ability to read and interpret maps, plats, aerial photos, and use GIS tools.
Clear communication of complex technical and legal concepts to diverse audiences.
Problem‑solving skills for identifying issues, analyzing information, and developing practical solutions.
Ability to:
Communicate clearly in writing and verbally about complex water rights issues.
Build effective working relationships with staff, managers, stakeholders, and the public.
Work independently, manage time well, and meet deadlines within program goals.
Organize information and activities for efficient, high‑quality work.
Train, mentor, and guide others to improve consistency and quality in water rights work.

Responsibilities

Lead statewide quality control and assurance for water right permitting, changes, and adjudication work products, ensuring they comply with statute, rule, court orders, and policy.
Provide advanced technical assistance on water rights, GIS mapping, and the water right database to regional staff, supervisors, managers, and external stakeholders.
Develop, recommend, and deliver training, update guidance manuals, and ensure consistent application of procedures across all regional offices.
Monitor work progress, set performance measures, and evaluate program work quality, identifying and resolving issues that impact program goals.
Participate on the water rights database team to identify programming issues, recommend design changes, and support testing and roll‑out of system updates.
Lead or support public information efforts, including presentations, outreach, and informational materials to improve understanding of water rights requirements.
Take on special projects such as assisting with budgeting, planning, and representing the program at conferences and meetings.

Benefits

Live and work in Helena, Montana, which offers a unique blend of opportunities and natural beauty, situated between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Montana offers abundant recreational opportunities, including camping, fishing, hunting, mountain biking, and hiking.
Work/life balance.
Generous paid leave (vacation, sick, holidays), with vacation leave increasing with service.
Longevity pay with continued state service.
Health, dental, vision, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts.
Access to free employee medical clinics and telehealth.
Retirement plans (Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution plus an optional 457(b) Plan).
Public Service Loan Forgiveness - may qualify you for student loan forgiveness
Career progression, professional development, and state employee discounts.
Up to 15 days of military leave with full pay.