Senior Office Assistant

Senior Office Assistant

Elevate your career in public service with the County of Sonoma as a Senior Office Assistant! Multiple positions currently available! Starting salary at $29.83/hour ($62,258/year), plus a competitive total compensation package, and an additional $1.15/hour for basic bilingual assignments and $1.50/hour for fluent bilingual assignments!

Tentative dates for the Written Examination: Tuesday, October 20th and/or Wednesday, October 21st, 2026

Do you have?

• The drive to provide exemplary customer service support
• Experience working with the public in an office environment
• A collaborative mindset, willing to work with and establish relationships with others
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• The ability to exercise sound judgment, manage changing priorities, work independently, and remain calm and professional when addressing challenging client or operational situations
• A talent for working well under pressure and meeting deadlines
• The capacity to work independently and exercise sound judgment
• A desire to work with the community and interact with a diverse customer base
• Superb attention to detail, with an aptitude for focusing on complex projects while working in a frequently interrupted environment
• Experience operating multi-line phone systems and navigating multiple databases, electronic systems, and specialized software
• Advanced Microsoft Suite skills (the ability to edit and remediate documents in Adobe Acrobat or learn those skills is a plus!)

If your answer is "Yes!" take the steps towards building your career with the County of Sonoma! Join the County of Sonoma as a Senior Office Assistant (SOA)

As an SOA with the County of Sonoma, you'll work on various administrative tasks that are challenging and require a high level of accuracy. You will be responsible for accepting, filing, and maintaining records, ensuring they are processed promptly, accurately, and in accordance with all applicable regulations and department standards. Additionally, you will provide exceptional customer service support and:

• Be the first point of contact for the public and other agencies
• Maintain office supplies, training logs, and general inventories
• Register applications, including entering data, tracking appointments, and managing specialized caseloads
• Process forms, documents, and referrals
• Respond to inquiries by phone, in person, and through written electronic communication
• Monitor work for progress, technical adequacy, completeness, and adherence to established standards
• Create and remediate documents, and review and edit presentations
• Provide training, onboarding, and guidance to junior team members
• Staff a lobby, as needed, greeting customers, tracking visitors, and preparing rooms for meetings
• Provide information and guidance regarding County and community services

This recruitment is currently being conducted to fill:

• One full-time monolingual (English) position in the Employment and Training Division of the Human Services Department
• One full-time basic bilingual (English/Spanish) position in the Administrative Division (South County Center) of the Human Services Department
• One full-time monolingual (English) position in the Department of Agriculture, Weights, and Measures

It is also anticipated this recruitment will be used to fill future English and Bilingual (English/Spanish) full-time, part-time, and extra-help positions during the active status of the list. If you are interested in current or future vacancies, we encourage you to apply now! Qualified candidates who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment.

About the Human Services Department (HSD)

As the largest agency in Sonoma County government, the Human Services Department's mission is to build upon strengths, as we bridge clients to opportunities through responsive safety-net services. We work to protect vulnerable children and adults, to help people rise above poverty and thrive in our community, and to promote maximum independence and well-being for individuals and families. HSD is responsible for child and adult protective services, veteran services, and administration of state and federal programs, including CalFRESH, CalWORKs, Medi-Cal, and In-Home Supportive Services. The department is dedicated to providing responsive, client-focused services so that all in our community can live freely chosen lives up to their full potential throughout their lifespan. The core values that drive our work are dignity, humility, integrity, responsiveness, partnership, and belonging. HSD fosters a positive work environment, where our commitment to providing opportunities for advancement is strengthened by a robust staff development program. We believe in the merits of work/life balance and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that our work contributes to the betterment of our community. The Department works collaboratively at the federal, state, and local levels to find creative solutions to support the well-being of individuals, families, and the community. To meet that goal, the department has fostered strong relationships with other public and private sector partners, including other government agencies, community-based organizations, and business leaders.

About the Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures (AGC)

The Senior Office Assistant position with AGC is responsible for providing reception and public facing front desk support, as well as performing administrative work supporting Department programs such as vineyard and orchard permitting, inspector licensing, and the Fish and Wildlife Commission. The Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures serves as the local regulatory branch of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), and oversees compliance with the Sonoma County Vineyard and Orchard Development Ordinance (commonly known as VESCO), as well as local cannabis and scanner ordinances. The Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures has about 40 full time staff. This position will be one of eight in the Administrative Division. The department has built a culture that prioritizes employee growth, staff development, and lifelong learning.

What We Offer

• Salary Advancement - 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
• Bilingual Premium Pay** - An additional $1.15 for basic bilingual positions and $1.50 for fluent bilingual positions on top of the hourly pay rate
• Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions - 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement - County contributions to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits
• Additional Benefits - Excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, employee assistance program, professional development, and more
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Paid Parental Leave - May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Student Loan Debt Relief - County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education

*Benefits described 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.

**Bilingual positions require English and Spanish skills at either the basic (conversational) or fluent (reading, writing, and conversational) level. Applicants who wish to be considered for a bilingual position must indicate their level of skill in the required supplemental questionnaire. An examination will be conducted prior to employment in a bilingual position to confirm the level of skill in this area. Bilingual premium pay is $1.15/hour for basic and $1.50/hour for fluent.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience and Education:

Any combination of training and experience which would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities. Normally, two years as an Office Assistant II with the County or two years of comparable work experience in an office environment will provide this opportunity. Special Skill Assignment: Some positions may require the ability to type at a corrected speed of 45 words per minute. All positions require considerable ability to operate a personal computer and multiple software. Some positions may require the ability to communicate in a language other than English. 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 positions advertised on this announcement do not require possession of a valid California Driver