Sonoma Water Assistant Land Surveyor - Promotional

Job Description:

Sonoma Water Assistant Land Surveyor - Promotional

Description

Position Information

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 Sonoma Water Assistant Land Surveyor 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, the Assistant Land Surveyor is a vital position in the Survey Section within the Engineering and Resource Planning Division that works in collaboration with other internal departments, external partner agencies, and the public. This position works closely with professional and technical Survey, Right of Way, and Extra-Help staff. The Assistant Land Surveyor builds proficiency in determining and retracing property boundaries, understanding land title interests, property ownership, and real estate conveyance, and applying the laws and regulations related to land development and subdivision. This position also develops skills in mapping, platting, and describing real property interests. Additional responsibilities include:

• General Survey work in the field and office
• Learning to prepare and review reports and maps
• Communicating with internal and external stakeholders

The Sonoma Water Assistant Land Surveyor will have strong communication, organizational, and teamwork skills, a high level of intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to accuracy, precision, and efficiency. The ideal candidate will show exceptional analytical and reasoning abilities, along with the resourcefulness to develop and implement creative solutions and strategies to resolve problems. They will also possess many of the following:

• Experience working with water transmission, storage, diversion, and treatment systems, Hydrological Quantification/Measurement, and familiarity with Trimble Survey equipment and software
• Interest and curiosity in historic records as they relate to property rights

• Strong communication skills with the ability to thrive in a team environment
• The ability to work independently as needed, with increasing responsibility as time progresses

• Knowledge of geodetic measurement principles and practices, including reference frames, datums, mapping projections, and familiarity with current and emerging measurement, sensing, and data-collection technologies, as well as related data-processing software platforms and systems
  
• Experience with AutoDesk Civil 3D products, Trimble Access and Business Center, ESRI products, and Microsoft Excel and Word
  
  

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience and Education: Any combination of experience, training, and education which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed herein. A typical way to qualify is:

Two years of full-time para-professional experience performing duties related to surveying and boundary determinations;

OR

An Associate’s degree, or equivalent in land surveying, engineering technology, plane and analytic geometry, trigonometry, algebra, or a closely related field;

OR

A Land Surveyor-in-Training certificate issued by the State of California.

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

Professional License: Incumbents are expected to obtain a valid Land Surveyor-in-Training certificate issued by the State of California Board for Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists within the one-year probationary period.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of: principles and practices of land surveying; mandated laws, rules, and regulations governing land surveying, land development, subdivisions, and the preparation of maps and survey documentation; operational characteristics of instruments and equipment used in the survey process; principles and practices of engineering and construction; methodologies used when surveying diverse topography; complex mathematic principles as applied to the development of survey calculations and related computations; survey data plotting and mapping techniques; principles and practices of contract administration; modern equipment and communication tools for business functions, including computers and specialized software.

Ability to: perform a diverse range of survey work; coordinate the work of field and office staff assigned to survey project work; understand boundaries and reconcile discrepancies; prepare legal descriptions of property consistent with mandated requirements; make logical conclusions and recommendations; prepare and maintain field notes, records, sketches and related materials; establish and maintain working relationships with County staff, consultants, contractors, and the public; perform field work when assigned; perform survey analysis; maintain mapping and survey quality standards; prepare maps and legal descriptions for various political subdivisions and districts; prepare reports, cost estimates, and analyses of survey work; coordinate survey work with department/agency operations, outside agencies, and business entities; operate and maintain a diverse range of surveying instruments; develop survey methods and apply reasonable survey criteria; understand and ensure compliance with safety standards; understand, interpret, and apply all relevant laws, codes, and regulations relevant to work performed; and effectively use computer systems, software applications, and modern business equipment to perform a variety of work tasks.

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 to 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 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

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 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: Choose from nine health plans (three HMOs, three deductible HMOs, and three HSA-qualifying plans) with a generous County contribution to the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit). For more information, please see the appropriate MOU.

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.

Student Loan Debt Relief: County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.

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 Labor Agreements & Salary Resolution . For specific information about health and welfare benefits, including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts, go to Human Resources or contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at [email protected] or (707) 565-2900.

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

Closing Date/Time: 4/6/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$102,414.98 - $124,496.71 Annually