Jobs in Flood Control that Make a Difference

For effective flood control, a team of skilled professionals makes all the difference. The right equipment and facilities are essential, but it takes an experienced team to properly maintain and deploy these tools.

While many are engineers or operators, flood control offers a wide variety of professional roles and employment opportunities. Whether performing maintenance, operating equipment or managing construction projects, all of these roles contribute to a shared goal of flood prevention and public safety.

Here are some of the jobs that contribute to flood control in IFCD 3 and other districts:

Field Staff

  • Daily Responsibilities: Field staff typically work on maintenance and repair projects throughout a district’s operations. They collaborate with project supervisors and operators to keep facilities up and running.
  • Education Requirements: Typically requires a high school diploma or GED. However, some organizations will hire based on previous experience. This role also requires an understanding of construction and safety procedures on a job site.

Inspectors

  • Daily Responsibilities: Inspectors often analyze a job site for operational accuracy and site safety. This involves verifying the quality of work, operational status of flood control facilities and more.
  • Education Requirements: Typically requires a bachelor’s degree. Some positions may only require a high school diploma or GED and specialized training. Additionally, a state license or certification may be required.

Operators

  • Daily Responsibilities: Operators conduct daily flood control operations and oversee the maintenance of pumps, sluice gates and other flood control mechanisms.
  • Education Requirements: Often requires a bachelor’s degree. Some positions may only require a high school diploma or GED and specialized training.

Civil Engineers

  • Daily Responsibilities: Civil engineers concept and design new flood control systems and analyze current systems to determine success rates and efficiency levels. These engineers often work at private firms, which districts contract for specific projects as needed.
  • Education Requirements: Often requires a bachelor’s degree, with some roles requiring a Professional Engineer (PE) license. Senior positions often require a graduate degree.

Supervisors/Project Managers

  • Daily Responsibilities: Project managers supervise field staff and contractors to ensure construction projects and equipment repairs are completed correctly and efficiently. Management, communication and strategic thinking skills are necessary for this role.
  • Education Requirements: Often requires a bachelor’s degree, with some advanced positions requiring a graduate degree or additional certifications.

While the tools and equipment involved in flood control are important, the people behind these flood control solutions make a real difference in the communities they serve. At IFCD 3, we’re grateful for all our team members and the behind-the-scenes work they do to protect Valley Ranch from flooding.

For more information on flood control and IFCD 3’s work, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Irving Flood Control District III