Park Ranger Assistant



Park Ranger Assistant

Salary

$46,668.00 - $56,707.05 Annually

Location

Santa Rosa, CA

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

22/11-4402-O

Department

Regional Parks Department (RPK)

Opening Date

11/17/2022

Closing Date

12/12/2022 11:59 PM Pacific

Bargaining Unit

05

Position Information

Grow your Career with Sonoma County Regional Parks Department as a full-time Park Ranger Assistant!
Previous experience as a Park Aide or an equivalent position is required. 
Starting salary $22.36hour ($46,668/year) plus a cash allowance of approximately $600/month* 

Note: If you do not have experience working as a Park Aide, or working in similar park-related roles, we highly encourage you to consider applying for our open Park Aide recruitment.

As a Park Ranger Assistant, you will be responsible for maintaining and monitoring park resources, and engaging with the public to promote visitor safety and the protection of our County's diverse natural resources. In addition to assisting the Park Rangers with day-to-day operations, responsibilities will also include:

  • Reaching out to vendors to coordinate services pertaining to operations
  • Collecting and reporting on camping and park day-use fees
  • Supporting visitors in following park rules
  • Performing park maintenance and janitorial work
  • Assisting with special park events and festivals
  • Providing direction to Park Aide staff, extra-help employees, volunteers, and interns

The Ideal candidate for this position will possess:

  • A passion for parks and serving the community
  • Experience providing customer service and point-of-sale to a diverse population
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Experience leading, training, and/or supervising staff or volunteers
  • The ability to be flexible in order to meet changing priorities throughout the workday
  • Organization skills necessary to manage multiple priorities
  • Valid Basic First Aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, and Emergency Cardiac Care cards
  • Bilingual skills (Spanish), which are desired but not required

Work locations may vary, and candidates should be available to work weekdays, weekends, holidays, and irregular hours. Park Ranger Assistants are required to wear a County issued uniform and will receive a voucher towards the purchase of safety boots. 

County of Sonoma's Regional Parks include more than 50 parks, trails, and beaches from Petaluma to Gualala and Sonoma to Bodega Bay. Many offer wild landscapes while others feature sports fields, playgrounds, campgrounds, boat launches, and an environmental education center. Regional Parks also offers a range of recreation, education and natural resource programs that enhance the quality of life and well-being of individuals, families and communities. Please visit http://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov to learn more about the various programs and resources offered by the Regional Parks Department.  

What We Offer 
When you join the County's challenging and rewarding work environment you become a valuable team member and gain the satisfaction of knowing you're working together to better your community. You can also look forward to excellent benefits* including: 

  • Eligibility for a salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
  • An annual Staff Development/Wellness Benefit allowance of up to $500 and ongoing education/training opportunities
  • Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
  • County paid 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
  • County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
  • Retirement fully integrated with Social Security
  • May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment

*Salary is negotiable within the established salary range. Benefits herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Service Employees International Union Local 1021 Memorandum Of Understanding (SEIU MOU) and our Employee Benefits directory. 

This recruitment is being conducted to fill a Park Ranger Assistant position in the Regional Parks Department. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help (temporary) positions as they occur during the active status of the list. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment. 

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: The ability to read and write English and make basic arithmetic calculations at a level for successful job performance is required.

Enrollment in a college or university with major course work emphasis in park management, natural resources, forestry, environmental studies or closely related field would be helpful.

Special Qualifications: Possession of a valid Basic First Aid card and a valid Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiac Care card is desirable at time of employment and required after the first six months of employment.

Experience: Any experience that directly relates to the above knowledge and abilities. Normally, one season's experience as Park Aide would provide such an opportunity.

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.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of: park practices and operations such as fee collection, park patrol, and park law enforcement; and ability to use hand tools, work aides, power tools and light machines; principles of supervision; basic first aid including cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Ability to: follow oral and written instructions; apply first aid to park visitors; perform moderately heavy physical manual labor; detect safety hazards within a park area and report problems to supervisor; deal effectively and tactfully with the public and county personnel; tactfully enforce rules, regulations, laws and ordinances, safely drive and operate light motorized vehicles; work during weekdays, weekends, holidays, and irregular hours, and to wear a uniform.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

  • 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 application, examination, and department selection processes.
 
APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Responses to supplemental questions 
will be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application & 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. 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 & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as 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 are 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: MN
HR Tech: KK

IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

COUNTY OF SONOMA BENEFITS: GENERAL*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:
 
Paid Time Off: Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals; 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year; and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.
 
Health Plan: Choice of five health plans (a PPO, EPO, HMO, and two deductible HMOs) with a County contribution toward the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit. For specific details, please refer to the applicable MOU). A County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement is available for some bargaining units.

Cash Allowance: In addition to monthly salary, a cash allowance of approximately $600 per month.

Retirement: Fully integrated with Social Security. For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit https://scretire.org/active-/-deferred/when-you-are-hired.
 
IRS 457 Plan: Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.
 
Retiree Medical: County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.

Plus excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331. Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/human-resources/divisions-and-units/employee-relations/labor-agreements-and-salary-resolution. For specific information about health and welfare benefits including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts go to https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/human-resources or, contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonoma-county.org or (707) 565-2900.

*IMPORTANT NOTES: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

01
How did you first learn about this opportunity?
  • Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
  • CalJobs
  • California Parks & Recreation Society
  • CareerBuilder
  • Careers in Government
  • College or University
  • Conservation Job Board
  • Craigslist
  • DiversityJobs
  • Employee of Sonoma County
  • Facebook
  • Glassdoor
  • GovernmentJobs.com
  • Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County
  • Indeed
  • Instagram
  • Job Fair
  • La Voz
  • Latino Service Providers
  • LinkedIn
  • Los Cien
  • Minority Organization or Group
  • Monster
  • Press Democrat
  • sonoma-county.org/www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org
  • Sonoma County Human Resources Office
  • StartHere!
  • Twitter
  • Veterans Services Office
  • Women's Organization or Group
  • Workplace Diversity
  • ZipRecruiter
  • Other Internet Site
  • Other Publication
02
Please indicate if you would also be interested in future part-time or extra-help (temporary, intermittent, or seasonal employment) positions should they become available. Check all that apply.
  • I would also like to be considered for future part-time positions
  • I would also like to be considered for future extra-help positions
  • I am only interested in full-time positions
03
This eligible list may be used for future bilingual (English/Spanish) positions. Please indicate if you are interested in bilingual positions, and your level of proficiency.
  • Yes, I have basic (conversational) English/Spanish bilingual skills
  • Yes, I have fluent (reading, writing, and conversational) English/Spanish bilingual skills
  • No, I do not have English/Spanish bilingual skills, and/or I do not wish to be considered for a bilingual position
04
Please indicate if you possess any of the following certifications:
  • Valid Basic First Aid
  • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
  • Emergency Cardiac Care
  • None of the Above
05
Do you possess one (or more) season(s) of experience as a Park Aide or an equivalent position?
  • Yes
  • No
06
For this question, and all subsequent questions, please provide sufficient information to allow for a thorough evaluation of your qualifications.

Please describe your experience as a Park Aide or an equivalent position. For each role in which you gained this experience, please include:

  • Your job titles
  • Agency/Employer name
  • Period of time experience was gained (mm/yy-mm/yy)
  • Your primary tasks and responsibilities
07
Please describe your lead worker and/or supervisor experience, and include details regarding your lead responsibilities, the types of staff you led and how many.
08
Please provide an example of your experience dealing with a challenging client or customer where you had to explain rules or policies to the customer. Describe the situation, the challenges you faced, the actions you took, and the outcome.

Required Question

Agency
County of Sonoma (CA)
Address
575 Administration Drive, Suite 116B

Santa Rosa, California, 95403
Phone
(707) 565-2331