Professional Geologist – Promotional

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.

Permit Sonoma has requested a department promotional certification to fill a Professional Geologist position. Only qualified permanent and/or probationary Permit Sonoma 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.

Reporting directly to the Natural Resources Division Manager, the Professional Geologist independently manages complex geological and regulatory projects. This position works closely with planning, engineering, code enforcement, and natural resources staff to implement County regulations and support assigned initiatives. Typical responsibilities include reviewing permits, preparing and reviewing reports, attending meetings, and responding to inquiries from internal and external partners. Other assigned duties for this position include performing geological site inspections, collecting field samples, conducting compliance assessments, and completing related field-based monitoring activities. The Professional Geologist also serves as the County’s lead for the Aggregate Resource Management (ARM) Program, overseeing program implementation, compliance monitoring, and long-term planning responsibilities.
In this role, you will also prepare and review mining and reclamation plans; develop and recommend mitigation measures to eliminate, minimize, or mitigate geologic and hydrologic (including groundwater) impacts of proposed projects; communicate effectively with other county departments and regulatory agency staff; present at public meetings; and prepare consultant bid documents and manage contracts.

The ideal candidate will possess technical expertise in earth sciences, demonstrate sound professional judgment, excellent oral and written communication skills, and have many of the following:

• Broad technical geologic knowledge required of a licensed geologist, including geological survey techniques, equipment, and procedures, subsurface survey methods, and methods and procedures used in inspections and/or investigations
• experience collecting geologic, groundwater, and other data in the field; analyzing data, developing conclusions and recommendations; and implementing project safety plans
• The ability to work collaboratively with a diverse team of planners, engineers, code-enforcement staff, and natural-resource professionals
• Thorough knowledge of permitting and environmental review requirements
• The ability to build professional relationships with members of the regulated community
• Strong organizational and multitasking skills to balance shifting tasks and deadlines in a dynamic regulatory environment
• The ability to critically analyze and evaluate geologic, hydrologic, watershed, and soil reports
• The ability to make presentations to boards, commissions, committees, and the public

Please note: This position includes both office and field work, which may involve working in various weather conditions and driving County vehicles to remote or off-site locations to perform site inspections of aggregate resource facilities, collect field samples, or conduct other field-based work. In addition, this job classification requires possession of a valid driver’s license and a valid certificate of registration as a Professional Geologist, Certified Engineering Geologist, Certified Hydrogeologist, Professional Geophysicist, or Geotechnical Engineer issued by the State of California Board for Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.

Experience and education: Any combination of education, training and experience that would provide the knowledge and abilities listed herein. Normally this would include graduating from an accredited college with a degree in geology, engineering, mathematics, physics or a closely related field and three years of paid experience as a geologist, certified hydrogeologist, or professional geophysicist, or geotechnical engineer 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.
The position advertised on this announcement does require possession of a valid California Driver’s License.
Professional License: A valid certificate of registration as a Professional Geologist, Certified Engineering Geologist, Certified Hydrogeologist or Professional Geophysicist, or Geotechnical Engineer issued by the State of California Board for Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.

Thorough knowledge of: modern principles of geology, hydrogeology, and hydrology; principles, methods, and procedures involved in gathering and analyzing data related to surface and groundwater supply, contamination, pollutant movement, and other related data; statistical analysis methods; proper application of hydrogeology to engineering problems; permitting and environmental review requirements; geological survey techniques, equipment, and procedures; federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations related to geology and hydrogeology.
Considerable knowledge of: structural geology and faults, fatal flaw analysis, basic quarry operations and safety; geochemistry; landfill gas movement and the geochemical identification of its impacts on groundwater; principles of contract administration; CEQA and land development laws and regulations as they apply to hydrogeology, geology, and soils.
Ability to: layout and review the work of other staff; conduct field investigations to determine if there is surface and/or groundwater contamination; read, understand, and interpret geological reports submitted by registered geologists and civil engineers; analyze a situation, assess the risk factors associated with various options, and make an appropriate recommendation; read, understand, and interpret complex technical and legal documents, maps, technical drawings, and plans; listen attentively and participate in negotiations by providing required data and information; adjust workload changes and work under stress to meet deadlines; develop and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of representatives from governmental and private agencies, construction and consultant contractors, coworkers, and the public; write clearly and concisely in order to prepare technical reports, correspondence, and maintain records. attend public meetings and present comments and recommendations; use tact and judgment to obtain compliance with enforcement documents; work nights, weekends, holidays, and be available for on call assignments.

• 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.

Responses to supplemental questions 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 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 may be 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 candidates.

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 announcement 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: KK

HR Technician: VH