Hydro Tech

State of Montana • Helena, MT

4h

About The Position

What if your next job took you from your desk to fast‑moving rivers, mountain streams, and groundwater monitoring wells—often in the same week? The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) Water Resources Division is recruiting a Hydrologic Technician 3 to support Montana’s stream gage and groundwater monitoring networks and assist hydrologic investigations across the state.
If you enjoy hands‑on field work, solving technical problems, and using data to inform water management, this role lets you work on projects that matter to communities, ecosystems, and water users across Montana.

Requirements

• Alternative combinations of the education and experience listed below will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• A bachelor’s degree in hydrology, geology, civil engineering, agricultural engineering, water resources, or forest management with an emphasis in hydrology.
• A minimum of one year of pertinent, progressively responsible related experience.
• Knowledge of (or ability to learn in a reasonable amount of time)
• Principles and methods of hydrology, hydraulics, and groundwater hydrology.
• Hydrologic data collection, analysis, and reporting for surface water and groundwater.
• Installation, configuration, and maintenance of hydrologic monitoring equipment and data collection platforms.
• Field surveying to establish, calibrate, and verify water surface elevations.
• Applied math, statistics, and probability used in hydrologic analysis.
• Irrigation methods and related farming practices; geomorphology and river channel processes.
• GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS) for mapping and spatial analysis.
• Skills in
• Using computer applications to process and analyze hydrologic and spatial data.
• Mechanical and construction tasks typical of installing and maintaining field monitoring equipment.
• Building and maintaining effective working relationships, even on contentious water issues.
• Troubleshooting and problem solving in the field and office.
• Safe and effective use of hand and power tools.
• Developing and maintaining working relationships with landowners, partners, and agency staff.
• Ability to:
• Work safely in highly variable weather and terrain, including lifting and carrying 50+ pounds in rugged conditions.
• Take direction from project leads while working independently, reliably, and following standard operating procedures.
• Communicate clearly, both in writing and verbally, with technical and non-technical audiences.
• Establish effective working relationships with supervisors, partner agencies, and the public while modeling honesty, integrity, and openness.

Responsibilities

• Keep Montana's stream gages running
• Support the DNRC Stream Gage Program with the Hydro‑Sciences Data Section.
• Measure water level and stream discharge in a wide range of field conditions, including deep, fast‑moving rivers and bridge‑based measurements using Acoustic Doppler sensors and bridge cranes.
• Install, verify, maintain, and decommission stream gages using standard survey methods and field techniques.
• Program and maintain data collection platforms; enter and review field data; and create plots, hydrographs, and preliminary stage/discharge rating curves.
• Review gage height and discharge data for accuracy and assist with station review and publication.
• Help design, install, operate, and maintain a real-time groundwater well network using cellular and GOES technology, including QA/QC of transmitted data.
• Support hydrologic investigations statewide
• Collect surface water and groundwater data using established methods and standardized procedures.
• Help design and implement field sampling plans.
• Participate in synoptic data runs on rivers and streams across Montana, including rafting or kayaking to reach remote locations and collecting discharge measurements.
• Contribute to hydrologic investigation reports, technical memoranda, and other project documents.
• Work with advanced monitoring networks and mentor others
• Coordinate data collection platform assignments with NOAA and the GOES satellite network.
• Collaborate with staff in the Hydro-Sciences Data and Study Sections and with partners to support high-quality hydrologic data collection and analysis.

Benefits

• Work/life balance with flexible schedules and telework eligibility.
• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level