POSTED May 16, 2008

THE SONOMA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL
PRESERVATION & OPEN SPACE DISTRICT

An Equal Opportunity Employer

INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR THE POSITION OF:

ASSOCIATE OPEN SPACE PLANNER

$28.87-35.09 Hourly
Final Filing Date: June 16, 2008


Position Information

This is a significant opportunity with the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation & Open Space district, one of the nation’s leading open space conservation programs. The Associate Open Space Planner plays an important role in the district’s Conservation Program team. One of the primary purposes of this team is to protect additional land through outright purchase or conservation easement.

Under direction, the Associate Open Space Planner performs professional planning, research and analysis and prepares and presents planning studies and reports related to open space land acquisition efforts. More specifically, the Associate Open Space Planner will work with landowners, partner organizations and agencies to protect lands primarily with conservation easements. This will include establishing the conservation values and purpose of the project with regard to the District’s acquisition plan, negotiating the terms of and drafting conservation easement language to protect these values, and preparing staff reports and PowerPoint presentations for public meetings of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee, Open Space Authority, and Board of Directors. This is a full-time position.

The District is seeking an ideal candidate who has:

• A passion for conserving land and natural resources for the benefit of future generations
• Experience working with public agencies and non-profit organizations in land use planning and/or land and natural resource conservation
• Demonstrated ability to exercise effective leadership in furtherance of program goals, objectives and strategic initiatives
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with co-workers, government officials, federal, state and local agencies, community groups and the general public
• Strong interpersonal skills including the ability to exercise initiative, good judgment and tact
• Understanding of emerging public policy issues affecting land use and land preservation, including habitat protection; water resources and watershed management; and climate change
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Proven ability to make presentations before boards, committees and citizen's groups

In addition to the salary listed above, this position enjoys the generous benefit package provided to employees including the 1937 Act retirement plan fully integrated with Social Security, deferred compensation, health and welfare benefits, domestic partner benefits, paid time off, and management benefit allowance.

About The District

The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District permanently protects the diverse agricultural, natural resource, and scenic open space lands of Sonoma County for future generations. Created in 1990 by Sonoma County voters, the District has protected over 72,000 acres of land to date through conservation easements and outright purchase. The District is a county-wide dependent special district funded by a voter-approved quarter cent sales tax with the Board of Supervisors serving ex officio as the District Board of Directors. 1n 2006, voters reauthorized the sales tax for another 20 years through 2031. The District was recently recognized for conservation excellence by the National Association of Counties and the Trust for
Public Land. Learn more about the Sonoma County
Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District at http://www.sonomaopenspace.org/

OUR MISSION: The District permanently preserves the diverse agricultural, natural resource and scenic open space lands of Sonoma County for future generations.

About The Region

Located less than an hour's drive north of San Francisco, Sonoma County combines in one location the beautiful Pacific Coastline, award winning wineries, majestic redwoods, historic towns, fine dining, and a wide variety of entertainment and cultural activities.

Famed horticulturist Luther Burbank described the Sonoma County region as “the chosen spot of all
this earth as far as Nature is concerned.”

Sonoma County is the largest county in the North Bay, covering approximately 1,600 square miles, and home to over 475,000 residents. It has a strong and diverse agricultural economy and a commitment to preserving its farmland and open space. Santa Rosa, with a population of over 155,000, is the County seat and center of government, commerce, and medical facilities. Santa Rosa and the County's eight other incorporated cities each maintain a small-town feel, despite ongoing growth. Excellent health care services are available at several acute care hospitals, a trauma center, and a wide variety of specialty medical facilities. Fine educational institutions, including Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University, and local schools that rank considerably better in the Academic Performance Index than the state as a whole, further contribute to Sonoma County's exceptional quality of life.

For local community information, please click here: Sonoma County Connections, Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of education and experience which provides an opportunity to acquire the listed knowledge and abilities. Typically this would include:

Education: Bachelor's Degree, with major course work in planning, geography, environmental studies, resource management, landscape architecture or other related fields.

Experience: Two years of experience as an Open Space Technician with the District or three years of professional planning experience in open space, parks, environmental protection, land use, or other related fields. GIS skills are highly desirable.

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.

Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of: the principles and practices of land use, natural resource management, site and environmental planning; pertinent federal, state and local laws and ordinances related to land use, planning, zoning and environmental protection; principles of research and statistics pertaining to the analysis and documentation.

Working knowledge of: agricultural, natural resource and conservation practices; computer applications for the preparation of research, analysis and documentation.

Ability to: conduct open space planning activities and projects; understand and interpret various title reports, boundary descriptions, deed restrictions and legal issues; research and analyze data pertaining to a variety of open space planning matters and develop effective courses of action; present ideas and concepts graphically and visually; work well with others; excellent verbal and written communication skills; exercise independent judgment on diverse assignments; make presentations before boards and citizen's groups; use a personal computer, including word processing and database applications.

Selection Procedure

Application Instructions

The information contained in the application and responses to the supplemental questions at the end of this job announcement will be evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the employment process. Applicants should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application and 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, please list each position separately. Failure to comply with these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

PLEASE RESPOND TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THIS JOB ANNOUNCEMENT.

Application materials and responses to the supplemental questions in this job announcement will be reviewed by the Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District. Candidates who possess the most appropriate job-related qualifications will be invited for an interview.

Selection interviews are scheduled for June 24 or 26, 2008. Final interviews will take place on July 1 if necessary.

Additional Information

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to the District 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. Information provided by references will not be made available to applicants.

Additionally, a pre-employment medical examination, including a drug and alcohol screening, will be required prior to employment.

Paper applications may be submitted in person, fax (707-565-3770), e-mail, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by midnight of the date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

TO APPLY ONLINE, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
www.sonoma-county.org/hr.

RETURN PAPER EMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE ANSWERS TO:
575 Administration Drive Suite 116B
Santa Rosa, CA 95403 (707) 565-2331

AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION & OPEN SPACE DISTRICT ASSOCIATE OPEN SPACE PLANNER

The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District is committed to a policy and actively pursues a program of equal employment and non-discrimination.

Supplemental Questionnaire

The following questions have been designed to assist you in presenting your qualifications for this position. Your answers to these questions will be thoroughly evaluated in order to determine the most suitably qualified applicants to continue in the selection process. It is expected that you will be as complete and specific as possible. A resume may be submitted but will NOT be accepted in lieu of a completed supplemental questionnaire. Applications submitted without a completed supplemental questionnaire will not be considered for further evaluation.

Required Format for Responses

The total length of your responses to the Questionnaire must not exceed three, single-spaced, typewritten pages.

Certification and Acknowledgements

By submitting your application packet, you are certifying that the following is true and correct: I am the author of the responses to the examination questions, and I am submitting an accurate representation of my abilities. I understand that all information I have provided on all documents is subject to verification. Submitting information that is false, inaccurate, or incomplete to the extent that it misrepresents the facts may result in my disqualification, ineligibility, or separation from employment. I understand that the documents I submit may be forwarded to
District management that is making the selections from the eligible list resulting from this examination. I have read the above instructions and information, and certify that I have complied with these instructions.

Yes No

1. Please describe an environmental or resource planning project which demonstrates your knowledge of research methodologies, your ability to conduct thorough site analyses and evaluation, and field experience. If you do not have any such experience, please write "n/a".

2. Please identify a particular project or assignment for which you were responsible which involved coordinating with several interest groups and individuals to formulate a policy or program. Specify how you were able to facilitate discussion and address competing goals or objectives among the parties. If you do not have any such experience, please write "n/a".

3. Please describe your experience providing staff assistance to a governing board or advisory body to explain a specific project, including identifying critical issues and alternatives. Describe how you prepared and presented this information to the governing board or advisory body. If you do not have any such experience, please write "n/a".