Hydrologist

Role Responsibilities

We are seeking a highly skilled Hydrologist to join the Air and Watershed Stewardship Branch. In this role, you will provide expert hydrologic analysis and advice to support provincial water allocation decisions, regulatory approvals, compliance, reservoir operations, and transboundary water management.

This position plays a critical role in managing water quantity in the province, especially in the Red Deer River basin and maintaining essential decision-support tools such as the Alberta Flow Estimation Tool for Ungauged Watersheds (AFETUW). Your work will directly inform drought and flood preparedness, industrial approvals, environmental protection, and long-term watershed sustainability.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct hydrologic analyses to support water allocation decisions, regulatory approvals, compliance activities, and water management under the Water Act.
• Maintain and apply hydrologic and water-allocation models—including AFETUW—and provide flow estimates, forecasts, and technical advice during water-shortage events.
• Assess hydrologic impacts of proposed projects, analyze issues such as drainage, lake-level changes, and spills, and develop science-based mitigation options.
• Prepare clear, well-supported technical reports, briefings, and communication materials for internal decision-makers, senior leadership, and external stakeholders.
• Represent AEPA in technical committees, watershed groups, and multi-stakeholder forums, providing expert hydrologic and water management guidance.
• Support watershed planning, cumulative effects management, and transboundary water initiatives through data analysis, modeling, and collaboration.

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies: https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

Position Specific Competencies:

• Creative Problem Solving: Applies scientific judgement and hydrologic modelling tools to analyze complex water-management challenges. Identifies trends, evaluates risk, and develops practical, science-based solutions for issues such as water shortages, drainage impacts, spills, and cumulative effects.
• Build Collaborative Environments: Facilitates multi-stakeholder dialogue and integrates diverse perspectives from internal science teams, senior leadership, and external partners into hydrologic assessments and planning processes. Supports shared understanding of risks, data, and model outputs.
• Systems Thinking: Understands watershed and hydrologic systems as interconnected components. Assesses how water allocation decisions, regulatory actions, climate variability, and land-use changes influence long-term watershed outcomes. Uses modelling and data analysis to support evidence-based decisions.
• Drive for Results: Delivers high-quality hydrologic analyses, forecasts, and recommendations under tight deadlines, particularly during drought and emergency situations. Maintains critical hydrologic models and datasets to support accurate and timely water-management decisions.

Qualifications

Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Water Resources Engineering, Hydrology, Environmental Engineering, or a related a related field.

Experience: Minimum 5 years of directly related experience in hydrology, hydrological modeling, and water resource management.

Equivalency: Additional related education considered in lieu of experience on a one-for-one basis.

Other: Eligibility for registration as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) or Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) with APEGA is required.

Assets:

• Experience with hydrological modeling tools such as naturalized flow models, lake water balance models, and cumulative effects assessment tools.
• Proficiency with programming and data analysis tools (e.g., Visual Basic, Python, R, Fortran, MATLAB) for custom modeling and data processing.
• Advanced GIS skills, including ArcGIS, ArcHydro, and spatial data integration for hydrologic analysis.
• Experience with hydrometric data collection, sensor instrumentation, and field measurements.
• Familiarity with the Water Act, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA), Public Lands Act, and associated policies and guidelines.
• Experience preparing technical reports, briefings, and presentations for senior management, policy makers, or public stakeholders.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

The position is based in Red Deer, with consideration given to working from Edmonton or Calgary, Alberta. Occasional travel throughout the Red Deer River basin and other regions may be required. This is a full-time, permanent position with a standard workweek of 36.25 hours, Monday to Friday.

Please submit your cover letter and updated resume. In your resume, clearly indicate the duration of each role by providing the month and year, and specify your employment status (e.g., full-time, part-time, or casual). For example: Hydrologist - July 2018 to December 2021, Full-time.

For your post-secondary education, specify your major, the length of the program, and your year of graduation. For example: Bachelor of Science in Water Resources Engineering, 4-year program, Sept 2010 to June 2014.

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Links and information on what the GoA have to offer to prospective employees.

• Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx.
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) - https://www.pspp.ca.
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits.
• Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive.
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca.
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.
• Leadership and mentorship programs.