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Summary
Located on the southern coast of San Francisco Bay in northern California, Santa Clara County is the home of Silicon Valley, the technology center of the world. With an agrarian heritage, the county today hosts thousands of technology companies including the headquarters of industry giants Adobe, Alphabet (Google), Apple, Cisco, eBay, HP, Meta (Facebook), and Netflix, among others. The Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) is the primary water resources agency for the county and the second-largest water wholesaler in the state. Valley Water’s FY 2025-26 operating budget of $948,925 million supports approximately 876 employees.
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Job Description
A seven-member Board of Directors governs the agency and appoints the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), one of three positions (Clerk of the Board, District Counsel) reporting directly to the Board. The CEO is responsible for execution of the policy directives from the Board, day-to-day operations, and management of the leadership team, comprised of the CEO, the assistant CEO, three chief operating officers (COOs) (water utility enterprise, watersheds, and IT and administrative services), and the chief of external affairs. Valley Water has been much in the news recently and encourages all prospective candidates to explore all aspects of this opportunity thoroughly, including the organization itself, the cost of living, etc. The current interim CEO has served since February 2025. CEO tenure dating back to late-1994 averages 7.38 years.
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Job Requirements
A bachelor’s degree (public or business administration, finance, engineering, or related) and at least seven years of experience demonstrating progressively increased responsibility, including three years in a high-level capacity, are required. Water utility and industry knowledge, technical expertise, and local government leadership and management are desirable.
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Special Instructions
Resume and cover letter only to apply@columbialtd.com.
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Additional Information
The hiring range for this position is $429,042 to $544,752 DOQE. In addition, the following benefits (partial list) are provided: vacation, sick, executive, and personal leave, plus 14 paid holidays. Valley Water offers a defined benefit retirement plan through the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) – 2.5% at 55 (Tier 1), 2% at 60 (Tier 2: Valley Water pays employee contribution) or 2% @ 62 (Tier 3), depending on CalPERS membership status at the time of hire. Valley Water employees do not contribute to Social Security. Valley Water also offers a voluntary 401(a) deferred compensation plan with up to $9,000 in matching funds from the agency. Extensive retirement health benefits are available with a minimum of 15 years public agency service. Insurances include medical, dental, vision, and EAP, all provided by Valley Water with no monthly premium cost to the employee. Additional benefits include group life, short- and long-term disability insurances, flexible spending accounts (health care, dependent care), and multiple wellness programs. Automobile allowance is $600/month. An employment contract will further describe the terms of this unclassified, at-will position. Valley Water is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Job Description and Information Flyers
PDF Flyer: View/Download PDF File
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ABOUT THE COMPANY
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Columbia ltd
Show moreColumbia ltd provides executive search services to local government agencies throughout the western United States. Incorporated in 2016 by Andrew Gorgey, who serves as Chief Executive Officer and lead recruiter, the firm maintains its principal place of business and headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado. For more information, please visit https://columbialtd.com.
Mayors, commissioners, supervisors, council members, trustees, directors, and board members trust Columbia ltd to help them with one of the most important decisions they will ever make, choosing their next manager. Similarly, professional local government managers and human resources professionals trust Columbia ltd to find high-performing, ethical professionals to complete their executive leadership teams.
“Excellence in Executive Recruiting.” The essence of “Excellence in Executive Recruiting” is a deep commitment to our clients and the communities we serve. We listen actively, and carefully. Through diligence, a strong work ethic, working with a sense of urgency, attention to detail, and anticipation of every client agency’s unique needs, we are able to find the chief executive, director, manager, or department head, who best fits the community, its elected officials, the organization, and its professional management. We help you find the ideal candidate to address the challenges you are facing now, to execute faithfully your policy priorities, to help develop strategy and meet your goals, and to provide solid, consistent leadership and management for years to come.
Values-based. Mission-driven. Columbia ltd is the executive recruiter of choice in the western United States. This is because we are completely committed to a principle-centered, values-based approach to the essential local government function of bringing the best-qualified professionals into the organization. Everything we do is fueled by five values: Excellence, Professionalism, Ethics, Courage, and Adaptability. These are not just words – these are core values to which we adhere every day. Living our values allows us to meet Our Mission:
We serve local governments and their citizens through excellence in executive recruiting, advancing organizations, improving teams, and enhancing communities, one recruitment at a time.
We ensure each client agency has meaningful choice between highly-qualified candidates, who meet the needs of the organization and community, in every professional discipline for which we recruit.
We are committed to maintaining a positive, professional working environment, and to the professional development of every Columbia ltd team member.
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