Park Planner I

Park Planner I

Do you have a passion for improving and using parks in Sonoma County? Join Regional Parks as a Park Planner I! Starting salary $40.77/hour! Regional Parks is currently recruiting for Park Planner positions at either the I or II levels. If you are interested in being considered at the different levels of this opportunity, you must apply to the separate concurrent recruitments being conducted for each level.

At Regional Parks, we are passionate about the outdoors, public lands, and parks. We love helping people get outside, have fun, and be healthy. Sonoma County Regional Parks includes more than 50 parks and beaches from Petaluma to Gualala and Sonoma to Bodega Bay. Many offer wild landscapes and miles of trails. Others feature sports fields, playgrounds, boat launches, and campgrounds. Regional Parks also manages the County's largest ocean marina. As a Park Planner, you will be enthralled by Sonoma County's rolling hills, rugged coastline, and meandering rivers while contributing to their stewardship.

Working in the office and the field, Park Planners perform work to assist with conducting park planning studies to design and expand parks, park facilities, structures, and trails in unincorporated Sonoma County. As a Park Planner I, you will work with existing staff in planning, establishing, and expanding park space in Sonoma County. Your responsibilities will include:

• Learning to coordinate the land acquisition process with landowners, title companies, appraisers, and related agencies
• Assisting in conducting preliminary field investigations of proposed parks and recreation sites to assess suitability and potential usage
• Gathering information and evaluating public demand and usage needs, potential fiscal resources, and environmental requirements
• Preparing plan graphics, sketches, and color renderings
• Performing public bidding, construction, and consultant contracting
• Assisting in determining size, configuration, access mode, and basic design of proposed parks

As the ideal candidate, you will possess:

• Experience assisting with budgeting and estimating costs for park projects
• Excellent communication skills, both in writing and when presenting to the public
• Project management experience
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, as well as attention to detail
• Knowledge of site planning and facility design
• Intermediate Microsoft Office skills
• Experience with AutoCAD and Adobe
• The ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse groups and individuals

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:

• 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
• Career Advancement - With time and good performance, the opportunity for advancement to Park Planner II ($50.68 - $61.59/hour)
• 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
• 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
• Additional Benefits - Excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, employee assistance program, professional development, and more
• Student Loan Debt Relief - County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education

*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 Service Employees International Union Local 1021 Memorandum Of Understanding (SEIU MOU) and our Employee Benefits Directory.

The Regional Parks Department is currently recruiting to fill two full-time Park Planner positions at either the I or II levels. This Park Planner I employment list may also 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.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications:

Any combination of training and experience which would likely provide a candidate with the stated knowledge and abilities. A typical example would be completion of major course work in planning, architecture, landscape architecture or related field. 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. The positions advertised on this announcement do not require possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of: park planning principles, techniques and terminology; principles, methods and techniques of land use and environmental and site planning; basic recreational planning principles; basic park development processes and procedures; basic construction procedures; principles and practices of park design and landscaping. Ability to: establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, public officials, private consultants, contractors and the public; research, gather, organize and analyze information; write and speak persuasively; 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 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