Fairgrounds Business Development Manager



Fairgrounds Business Development Manager

Salary

$108,864.18 - $132,344.28 Annually

Location

Santa Rosa, CA

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

23/03-0850-FGSO

Department

Sonoma County Fairgrounds (FGS)

Division

Fairgrounds (1501)

Opening Date

03/13/2023

Closing Date

4/17/2023 11:59 PM Pacific

Bargaining Unit

50

Position Information

The Sonoma County Event Center at the Fairgrounds is looking for an innovative professional to serve as the Business Development Manager!



Starting salary up to $63.41/hour($132,344/year), plus a cash allowance of approximately $600/month, and a competitive compensation package*

About the Fairgrounds

The Sonoma County Fair is among our region’s most time-honored and cherished traditions.  Over the past 75 years, the Fair has grown to become one of the most popular in the state. Famous for its top-quality horse racing, stunning flower show, and constant innovation in family entertainment, the Fair continues its unswerving commitment to showcase and provide education on the wealth of our agricultural community.  In 2014, Sonoma County Fairgrounds became the Sonoma County Event Center to better reflect the full-time nature of the operations of the facility.

About the Position

The Sonoma County Fairgrounds seeks a Business Development Manager with proven revenue generating experience researching and securing new business opportunities for event centers.  As a member of the Department Head team, you will report to the Chief Executive Officer and work closely with the Chief Operating Officer. The Business Development Manager will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including securing new sponsors for individual events and/or the fairgrounds as a whole, identifying new profitable revenue streams, and collaborating with the Fairgrounds Department Head team and Board of Directors to enhance and/or repurpose the fairgrounds campus in order to maximize the fairgrounds' financial health while also meeting the needs of the community that the fairgrounds serves. Additional responsibilities will also include:

  • Developing persuasive proposals and presenting them to a variety of audiences
  • Obtaining grant funding for Fairgrounds needs, including resources for emergency operations/evacuation staging and agricultural education program enhancement.
  • Coordinating with the COO regarding potential non-fair season events
  • Creating programs that will benefit the Fairgrounds and the surrounding community
  • Assisting with evacuation needs and supporting the County's Emergency Management team, Fairgrounds staff, Red Cross, and CalFire during times of emergency
The ideal Business Development Manager will be able to produce, manage, and analyze organizational data leading to revenue enhancement and community outreach, and have experience:

  • Collaborating with multiple stakeholders on complex projects
  • Writing and presenting proposals to prospective clients
  • Analyzing prospective revenue streams for profitability
  • Writing grants and working with community groups and elected officials
  • Negotiating contracts with the ability to navigate through conflict and address issues in a timely manner
  • Structuring and managing proposals from inception to execution
Please note that this position is required to work evenings and when the Sonoma County Fair Board convenes.  Other evening and weekend work is required during the Sonoma County Fair, Harvest Fair, and large interim events.  Additionally, as this position is responsible for conducting outreach to various community groups, attendance at evening meetings may be required.

What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you're working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and 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
  • 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
  • An annual Staff Development/Wellness Benefit allowance of up to $1700 and ongoing education/training opportunities
  • 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 range. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found in the Salary Resolution (SalRes) and our Employee Benefits Directory.
 
The Sonoma County Fairgrounds is currently recruiting to fill a Business Development Manager position.  This employment list may 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.  Employees in this class in in the unclassified service; this class is exempt from the Civil Service Ordinance of the County of Sonoma as stated in Section 5 of Ordinance No. 305-A as amended.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of education, training and experience which would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities listed herein. Normally, this would include:

Education & Experience: A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Business Administration, Public Administration, Marketing, Financial Management, or a closely related field, AND at least four years of professional experience in strategic business development and/or marketing, with at least one year of experience supervising staff.

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

Considerable knowledge of: principles and techniques of business development plans, revenue management, general management, marketing, public relations and promotion and project management; policy analysis and development; data collection, research methodology and application of basic statistics.

Working knowledge of: current issues and trends, and techniques, principles and operations for the assigned department and/or program(s); management, supervision, and leadership principles and techniques; contract and grant administration; business correspondence and report writing; budget preparation and monitoring; grant writing principles; modern business and computer technologies including web based sales and marketing; English usage, composition, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Ability to: plan, organize and coordinate business plans and revenue strategies; develop and execute sound marketing and public relations strategies; select, train, and supervise staff; analyze problems, examine alternatives and recommend solutions or determine a course of action; work cooperatively with public, community groups, business and community leaders, government officials, members of the media, and departmental staff; speak effectively in public settings; use a variety of software applications; stay abreast of current related principles and technologies; work non-traditional work hours as necessary.

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 hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Responses to supplemental questions will or may 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 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: BH
HR Technician: RR

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

COUNTY OF SONOMA BENEFITS: MANAGEMENT*
 
These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:
 
Paid Time Off: Competitive vacation accrual and sick leave accruals; additional management leave annually; 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 paid premium contribution.
 
Cash AllowanceIn 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)
  • California State Association of Counties (CSAC)
  • CalJobs
  • Careers in Government
  • College or University
  • Craigslist
  • DiversityJobs
  • Employee of Sonoma County
  • Facebook
  • Glassdoor
  • Google Jobs
  • GovernmentJobs.com
  • Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County
  • Indeed
  • Instagram
  • International Association of Fairs and Expos
  • Job Fair
  • La Voz
  • Latino Service Providers
  • LinkedIn
  • Los Cien
  • Minority Organization or Group
  • Municipal Management Association of Northern California
  • National Association of Counties (NACo)
  • Press Democrat
  • sonoma-county.org/www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org
  • Sonoma County Human Resources Office
  • Sonoma County Job Line
  • Start Here!
  • Twitter
  • Veterans Services Office
  • Western Fairs Association
  • Women's Organization or Group
  • Workplace Diversity
  • Other Internet Site
  • Other Publication
02
For this question and all subsequent questions, provide sufficient information to allow for a thorough evaluation of your qualifications.

Proven skills are key to this position. Please describe your qualifying education and experience, and include your relevant:
  • Certifications, coursework, and/or degree(s) specifically in the areas of business/public administration, marketing, financial management, or closely related fields
  • Employment experience in business development and marketing. For each position listed, include your job title, employer's name, dates of employment (mm/yy to mm/yy), and a description of your primary responsibilities. Include the title of the position you reported to, and the number of employees who reported to you.
03
Please describe one or more business development proposals in which you played a critical role in securing a new client or revenue stream. Include:
  • The size and the goal of the project
  • Your specific role and responsibilities
  • The challenges you faced
  • The methods you used for researching the market
  • The outcome
04
One of the primary duties of the Business Development Manager position is to develop partnerships and opportunities for collaboration with other agencies, community groups, non-profit organizations, and businesses. Please describe your experience developing these types of relationships and provide a specific example from your experience that best illustrates your level of expertise. Additionally, please describe the goal of your collaborative activities and how you achieved that goal.
05
Please describe your grant experience related to:
  • Researching and identifying opportunities
  • Completing applications
  • Tracking expenses and/or preparing invoices for funding reimbursement
  • Ensuring compliance with reporting requirements

Required Question

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

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