Salary : $134,201.82 – $163,108.43 Annually
Location : Santa Rosa, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 23/08-0839-OTLC
Department: County Administrator’s Office (CAO)
Opening Date: 08/10/2023
Closing Date: Continuous
Position Information
Bring your expertise and knowledge of California’s climate investment efforts to the Sonoma County Administrator’s Office as the Principal Climate Resiliency Analyst – Time-Limited.
Starting salary up to $78.15/hour ($163,108/year) and a competitive total compensation package!*
Please note, the Principal Climate Resiliency Analyst position is time-limited and currently funded through December 31, 2025.
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 flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:
- Hybrid Telework – A schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
- 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
- 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
- Staff Development/Wellness Pay – Annual benefit allowances of up to $2,000 and ongoing education/training opportunities
- 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
Become the County Administrator’s Principal Climate Resiliency Analyst
The County of Sonoma (County) is the largest employer in the region with over 4,000 employees, and operations that include properties, facilities, fleet operations, solid waste oversight, and land use planning and policies. Sonoma County is already experiencing impacts of climate change and is committed to minimizing its climate footprint and improving climate resiliency across its broad portfolio of assets and services. In 2019, the Board of Supervisors (BOS) declared a Climate Emergency, and in 2021, the BOS adopted a County Strategic Plan with a Climate Action and Resiliency (CAR) Pillar. Guided by the BOS’ mission and policy objectives, as well as the CAR Pillar, the Climate Action and Resiliency Division in the County Administrator’s Office (CAO) has oversight for current climate-related projects, works to develop science-based policy and recommendations, and implements cohesive, county-wide actions to address climate impacts through collaboration with internal and external partners. Please visit the CAO’s to learn more about the County’s Strategic Plan for reaching carbon neutrality by 2030.
The CAO’s Principal Climate Resiliency Analyst supports the Deputy County Administrator and leads the implementation of cutting-edge initiatives, strategies, and plans to meet the County’s 2030 carbon neutrality target and other objectives and goals within the CAR Pillar. This position collaborates with regional entities, County departments, agencies, and special districts to ensure the County’s diverse operations actively address and mitigate climate impacts. Additionally, this position:
- Brings climate science knowledge and analytical skills to County climate initiatives
- Writes climate grant applications in collaboration with County departments/agencies, and potentially, other jurisdictions for major funding opportunities
- Designs and develops climate resiliency programs
- Monitors, tracks, and reports on County climate initiatives
- Serves as a team leader and coach by mentoring and supervising the work of other team members
The ideal candidate for this position brings experience applying the best practices and principles related to climate change planning and project management, including climate action, resiliency, and adaptation strategies, preferably at a local or regional scale. Additionally, the ideal candidate will have:
- Extensive knowledge of current and evolving federal, state, regional, and local programs pertaining to climate change
- Considerable knowledge of the technical and scientific aspects of climate change, climate protection, adaptation, and building climate resilience in natural and human systems
- Project management experience related to environmental program administration and natural systems management
- Demonstrated success applying knowledge of climate and resiliency science and policy to develop and/or implement projects in climate protection, adaptation, and resilience
- The ability to analyze situations accurately, take effective action, and prepare clear and concise correspondence, reports, and recommendations
- Experience in supervising a team of professional and administrative staff
- Highly effective written and verbal communication skills and the ability to engage, interact, and collaborate with audiences of all levels
- A collaborative team-focused work-style, a commitment to adding value to the organization, and a willingness to embrace the County’s Strategic values and principles
The CAO is currently recruiting to fill a time-limited, Principal Climate Resiliency Analyst position that is currently funded through December 31, 2025. This 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. The Civil Service title of this position is Principal Administrative Analyst.
*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 and our
APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.
Minimum Qualifications
Education and Experience: Any combination of education and work experience which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed herein. Normally, this would include a Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, in business administration, public administration, management, finance, economics, accounting, or a related field; and four years of related and comparable experience conducting analysis, developing reports and recommendations, and/or managing projects related to general administration, accounting, budget, and/or personnel work. Experience working in a public agency, an advanced degree in a related field, and lead or supervisory experience are highly desirable.
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.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Considerable Knowledge of: the principles and practices of public administration, organization, management, budget, and fiscal management; principles, practices, and laws affecting County operations, policies, and practices; County government organization and functions and their relationship to federal, state, and municipal governments; federal, state, and local laws and regulations affecting the operation of County government; analytical approaches, research methodology, report writing, and basic statistics; effective written and oral communications, language mechanics, syntax, and English composition; computer applications including methods of complex statistical and fiscal analysis and graphic presentations.
Knowledge of: group dynamics as they relate to public organizations; principles and practices of supervision and performance management; modern office methods and procedures.
Ability to: develop, organize, and effectively coordinate programs and activities; exercise responsibility, initiative, ingenuity, independent analysis and judgment in solving highly specialized administrative and management problems; analyze complex operational, compliance, public relations, and budget practices of County departments; understand, interpret and apply provisions of applicable laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, and operating procedures; supervise (i.e., select, train, evaluate, discipline, and coach) or lead (i.e., organize, assign, prioritize, delegate, and coordinate the work of; train; and coach) subordinate staff; establish and maintain effective working relationships with County officials and managers, employees, officials of other agencies, and the general public; analyze situations, make recommendations, and take appropriate courses of action; perform data collection, interpretation and evaluation pertaining to administrative, fiscal and management matters; use principles of inductive and deductive reasoning to validate conclusions and recommendations.
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 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 BE COMPLETED.
Responses to supplemental questions will be used in assessing minimum qualifications. 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.
The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:
An Application & Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%). Each application and supplemental questionnaire will be thoroughly evaluated for satisfaction of minimum qualifications and relevance of educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities that relate to this position. Candidates possessing the most appropriate job-related qualifications will be placed on an employment list and referred to the department for selection interviews.
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 to determine the requirements for this position.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications are accepted online at 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. Continuous recruitments may close without notice at any time that a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received. 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: AK
HR Technician: KK
IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.
COUNTY OF SONOMA BENEFITS: MANAGEMENT*
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: Choice of five health plans (a PPO, EPO, HMO, and two deductible HMOs) with a County paid premium contribution.
Retirement: Fully integrated with Social Security. For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit
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 For specific information about health and welfare benefits including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts go to or, contact the Human Resources’ Risk Management-Benefits Office at 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 of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
- Careers in Government
- College or University
- Conservation Job Board
- Craigslist
- DiversityJobs
- Employee of Sonoma County
- Glassdoor
- GovernmentJobs.com
- Handshake
- Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Sonoma County
- Idealist.org
- Indeed
- Job Fair
- La Voz
- Latino Service Providers
- Los Cien
- Minority Organization or Group
- Press Democrat
- sonoma-county.org/www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org
- Sonoma County Human Resources Office
- Sonoma County Job Line
- Start Here!
- Veterans Services Office
- Women’s Organization or Group
- Workplace Diversity
- 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
For this question, and all subsequent questions, provide sufficient information to allow for a thorough evaluation of your qualifications. Responses to supplemental questions will be scored using position-specific criteria and may be reviewed by hiring managers.
Highlighting climate resiliency-related experience and education, please summarize your four or more years of work experience, which included conducting analyses, the development of reports and recommendations, and/or management of projects related to general administration, accounting, budget, and/or personnel workAND qualifying education and training in public and/or business administration, political science, management, finance, accounting, economics, statistics, or a related field.
- For each relevant position you list, include job title(s), employer’s name, dates of employment (mm/yy – mm/yy), and a description of your primary responsibilities
- List your relevant certifications, coursework, and/or degree(s)
05
Please describe your experience developing climate policy and program recommendations geared towards resolving operational, legislative, fiscal, and/or community issues. Highlight an example a project you managed where you had to research and analyze a climate impact, develop recommendation(s) to address the impact, and the actions you took to present your recommendations.
06
Please describe your experience identifying and evaluating climate adaptation and resiliency strategies in (a) the built environment, and (b) natural and working lands. Specifically discuss how you:
- Collected, validated, and used data to inform your recommended strategies
- Identified community needs
- Built community and stakeholder support for the initiatives you developed
Required Question