Senior Park Planner



Senior Park Planner

Salary

$97,635.47 - $118,694.51 Annually

Location

Santa Rosa, CA

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

22/01-1254-O

Department

Regional Parks Department (RPK)

Opening Date

01/03/2022

Closing Date

1/31/2022 11:59 PM Pacific

Bargaining Unit

05

Position Information

Are you a licensed landscape architect with a passion for park planning?
 Join the County of Sonoma Regional Parks as a Senior Park Planner! 
 
Starting salary of $45.53/hour ($95,026/year), a cash allowance of $600/month, and a competitive total compensation package!* 

The Sonoma County Regional Parks Department is looking for a Senior Park Planner who is a licensed landscape architect to provide a high level of knowledge and understanding of park planning and project administration. As a Senior Park Planner, you will help lead the project delivery team and will be responsible for reviewing and approving new and/or complex projects throughout Sonoma County. You will serve as the project manager and technical lead and be responsible for more complex and politically sensitive park planning projects. Additional responsibilities include:

  • Managing complex park planning projects including master plans and construction bid documents
  • Soliciting and negotiating consultant services, evaluating and rating proposals, and negotiating contracts for services
  • Representing the department in public meetings and presentations to other community groups and agencies, including the Board of Supervisors
  • Supervise the construction of park facilities
  • Acting as team lead for planning staff 
The ideal candidate will possess:
  • Strong project management skills and experience managing public park projects
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills to accomplish objectives with diverse audiences
  • Experience with a broad range of community engagement methodology
  • An understanding of public funding procedures
  • Experience with natural and cultural resources, and regulatory permitting 
  • The ability to build and maintain effective relationships with co-workers, government officials, federal, state and local agencies, community groups, and the general public
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. 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
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 a competitive total compensation package* including:
  • An annual Staff Development/Wellness Benefit allowance 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
  • Significant portion of health care premiums paid by the County and access to several 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
  • 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
*Salary is negotiable within the established range. *Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can found in the Service Employees International Union Local 1021 Memorandum Of Understanding (SEIU MOU).  
 
This recruitment is being conducted to fill a Senior Park Planner position in the Regional Parks Department. The employment list established from this recruitment may also fill other full-time, part-time, and extra-help regular or bilingual positions that may occur during the active status of the employment 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 and Experience:  Any combination of education, training and experience, which would likely provide for possession of stated knowledge and abilities.  Normally, graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in architecture, civil engineering, landscape architecture or related field, and three years experience in park planning, planning, architecture or landscape architecture.

Special Requirement:  Possession of a valid Certificate of Registration as a Landscape Architect issued by the California Architects Board.

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

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Considerable knowledge of:  park planning terminology, principles and techniques; recreational planning principles; principles, methods and techniques of land use and environmental and site planning; State and Federal accessibility guidelines; theory, principles, practices, and legal issues of landscape architecture as applied to the preparation of designs, plans, specifications and cost estimates; the technical review procedures and requirements of design studies, permits, and the public bidding process; Landscape Architecture licensing requirements of the State of California as they relate to the requirements of stamping and signing construction drawings.

Working knowledge of: land acquisition, land transfer and zoning principles; public project funding principles and procedures; construction practices and building code requirements; regulatory permits, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); park development processes and procedures; practices and methods of contract preparation and administration; basic computer applications in MS Office suite; Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and software, such as AutoCAD, typically used in planning and design.

Ability to: serve as a subject matter expert and technical resource; lead and review the work of other park planners on assigned projects; effectively train staff; communicate interpersonally, orally and in writing in an effective and persuasive manner; establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, public officials, community groups, regulatory agencies, contractors, consultants, recreational interest groups, and the general public; prepare landscape designs; review completed plans and specifications; inspect projects under construction; prepare clear and concise reports and recommendations; research, gather, organize and analyze information; present recommendations and alternative proposals.
 

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 which 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.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: As the largest employer in Sonoma County, the Board of Supervisors has adopted a vaccination and testing policy to help mitigate transmission of COVID-19. All County employees will be required to either have documented proof of full COVID-19 vaccination (including booster, when eligible) on file or consent to twice weekly COVID-19 testing.

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: RR 


 

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 for Environmental and Outdoor Education
  • Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
  • California Parks & Recreation Society
  • CalJobs
  • Careers in Government
  • College or University
  • Conservation Job Board
  • Craigslist
  • DiversityJobs
  • Employee of Sonoma County
  • Facebook
  • Glassdoor
  • GovernmentJobs.com
  • Green Latinos
  • Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County
  • Indeed
  • Job Fair
  • Justice Outside
  • La Voz
  • Latino Outdoors
  • Latino Service Providers
  • LinkedIn
  • Los Cien
  • Minority Organization or Group
  • Monster
  • Press Democrat
  • sonoma-county.org/www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org
  • Sonoma County Human Resources Office
  • Sonoma County Job Line
  • 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
Do you possess a valid Certificate of Registration as a Landscape Architect issued by the California Architects Board?
  • Yes
  • No
05
For this question, and all subsequent questions, provide sufficient information to allow for a thorough evaluation of your qualifications.
Please describe how your education and experience meet the minimum qualifications for this position, highlighting your experience in park planning, planning, architecture or landscape architecture. Include:
  • For education, include your degree(s), certifications, the names of related courses completed, and the number of units earned.
  • For work experience, include job titles, employers' names, employment dates, and a description of your primary duties for each relevant position.
06
Please describe your experience with project management for all phases of capital projects. Highlight experience related to the following areas:
  • Budgeting
  • Construction phases
  • Cost estimating
  • Design
  • Environmental Compliance
  • Planning
    07
    Please describe a complex project in which you lead that required multi-departmental and/or outside agency coordination. Include in your role, any challenges you faced, and the outcome of the project.
    08
    Please describe your experience making presentations and facilitating meetings with elected officials, department and agency heads, community organizations, hearing and advisory bodies, and/or municipal and governmental entities.

    Required Question

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

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