Water Agency Principal Environmental Specialist - Promotional

Full Job Description

This recruitment is promotional only. You must presently be a full or part-time regular or probationary County of Sonoma, Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, or Sonoma County Water Agency employee in order to apply for this position.

The Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) has requested a department promotional certification to fill a Water Agency Principal Environmental Specialist position. Only qualified permanent and/or probationary Sonoma Water employees on the eligible list may be eligible for referral to the department for the advertised position. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time or part-time positions as they occur during the active status of the list.

At Sonoma Water, this Principal Environmental Specialist is responsible for managing staff in the Environmental Resources Division as program manager for multiple river, stream, lake, wetland, and estuary fisheries, wildlife habitat, and/or water quality research. They will monitor projects associated with flood control, water supply, and sanitation activities. They will coordinate, conduct, and supervise staff in the collection and analysis of scientific data, preparation of technical reports, and communication of results, plans, and recommendations to Sonoma Water senior management, regulatory agencies, elected officials, and members of the public. This Principal Environmental Specialist is also responsible for:

• Planning and implementing natural resources field studies

• Collecting, analyzing, and managing data, preparing reports and communicating results of scientific and technical investigations, especially pertaining to habitat, fish, wildlife, and botanical resources in compliance with State and Federal Endangered Species Acts
• Hiring and managing the daily activities of permanent and seasonal staff
• Communicating and collaborating (attending meetings in the office, virtually, or in the field) with staff and managers from state and federal resource agencies, academic institutions, consultants, non-governmental organizations, Tribal representatives, and members of the public.

The ideal candidate for this position will be collaborative and passionate about the environment, have extensive knowledge of salmon and steelhead biology, and have experience working in the Russian River watershed.

They will have experience complying with State and Federal Endangered Species Act requirements and be able to effectively communicate with agency staff, government officials, and the public.

The ideal candidate will also possess many of the following:

• Experience leading aquatic resource field studies to monitor salmon and steelhead trout populations and their habitats in Northern California
• Experience in planning and reporting results of investigations to comply with the California and Federal Endangered Species Acts
• Experience using relational databases to manage complex datasets.
• Experience analyzing ecological datasets and communicating ecological and biological data to technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to effectively manage a team, work with staff from other Sonoma Water divisions, and communicate regulatory requirements to agency staff, government officials, and the public
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Requirements

Experience & Education: Any combination of education, training, and experience which would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities listed.

Normally, this would include a Bachelor's degree in planning, engineering, water related science, environmental studies, environmental law, natural resource or watershed management, or a closely related field; and four years of progressively responsible experience with engineering, environmental impact assessments and permitting, and/or public works projects, including at least one year at the level of Water Agency Senior Environmental Specialist, or equivalent.

One year of lead or supervisory experience is highly desired.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.

The position advertised on this announcement does require possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

Qualifications

Thorough knowledge of: principles, methods, and techniques of environmental planning; Federal, State and local laws, regulations, current programs and court decisions pertaining to environmental protection; Federal, State, and local agencies which must coordinate work with the Water Agency; principles and practices of habitat restoration; environmental considerations in the design, location, construction and maintenance of public (flood control, water supply, recycled water, renewable energy, sanitation) projects; citizen and public interest groups dealing with environmental matters; physical, biological, and ecological principles; construction principles, practices, and terminology; the use of noise meters, cameras, and various audio-visual aids; principles and practices of contract management; English grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and composition; and office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.

Working knowledge of: management and leadership styles and techniques designed to train, supervise, motivate and lead a group of employees, which includes understanding employee behavior and performance standards; effective supervision; techniques and methods of training employees in work procedures; interviewing techniques; modern personnel and fiscal administration; modern principles and practices of budget preparation and control; public speaking principles and practices; public relation styles and techniques; and safe and efficient work practices.

Ability to: lead, assign, prioritize, train and monitor the work of others; determine work priorities and effectively coordinate and schedule the necessary personnel and other resources; deal tactfully and effectively with department personnel, government officials, representatives of specific interest groups, and the general public; ensure that stringent deadlines are met; analyze and design project reports and determine probable effect on environment; write effectively and use good judgment in the assembling, evaluation and use of information; prepare and present various reports on the effect of projects on the environment to advisory boards, commissions, and elected bodies; make mathematical calculations; analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action; establish and maintain effective relationships with other staff members, staff of other agencies, organizations, and the general public; communicate verbal and written ideas clearly and logically; use a personal computer to do word processing, spreadsheets, graphics and modeling; determine appropriate research methodology for project studies and insure that analysis is complete and accurate; supervise the preparation of, or perform difficult, complex, and specialized resource studies and projects; prepare and disseminate information to media and others; operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications.

Additional Information

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate’s personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant’s name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination, which evaluates the education, training, experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, and other qualifications that you demonstrate in your application and/or response to the supplemental questionnaire. Please be aware that resumes and cover letters are not typically evaluated in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

Additional Information

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org. Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: JT
HR Technician: VH