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Position Information
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The Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) is looking for qualified Operations Engineers. Bring your expertise. Build a better tomorrow. Apply today! Sonoma Water is currently recruiting to fill multiple Operations Engineer positions at either the II or III level. 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.
Requirement: To be considered qualified for this position, possession of a valid certificate of registration as an Engineer-In-Training issued by the
State of California Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors is required at time of application submission.
As a Water Agency Operations Engineer, you will provide engineering support for water, wastewater, and flood control operational needs, applying your knowledge of regulations for water, wastewater, air pollution, storm water, recycled water, and hazardous waste. With guidance from management, our Operations Engineers direct consultants to perform project-specific work and engineering studies. This position assists with environmental compliance, budgeting, and design of maintenance projects for water and wastewater systems; supporting small construction projects with CSI specs and design drawings.
This position acts as a project manager for various engineering projects, assists with permit and environmental compliance, provides budget and financial planning, and manages and designs maintenance and smaller capital projects in support of both water and wastewater facilities. Additional responsibilities will include:
- Analyzing water, wastewater, and operational data to solve engineering challenges
- Coordinating efforts with Design Engineering, Water Resource Planning Engineers, and Operations and Maintenance staff to ensure project completion
- Collaborating with regulatory agencies to maintain compliance with regulations under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and the Statewide Waste Discharge Requirements for both wastewater and stormwater
- Managing small construction projects with CSI specs and design drawings
- May be assigned to a specific water/wastewater/flood control facility
The ideal candidate is a resourceful engineer with strong communication skills, a hands-on approach, and the ability to collaborate effectively while also taking initiative to drive complex projects to completion. Additionally, the ideal candidate will be technically savvy and possess many of the following:
- Experience working on water and wastewater regulated facilities, and working knowledge and understanding of water and wastewater treatment
- Experience performing engineering calculations for sizing equipment and infrastructure
- Experience working on capital projects in a public works/utility environment
- Some experience working with CAD, GIS, CMMS, and/or SCADA
- Experience conducting site investigations to collect technical data to develop design and/or operational parameters to support engineering evaluations.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills to address engineering challenges
- The ability to write equipment specifications and working knowledge of equipment used in the water/wastewater industry
- A positive attitude, good sense of humor, and ability to effectively interact with all levels in the organization
About Sonoma Water
Sonoma Water is a special district formed by the California State Legislature in 1949 and is responsible for providing a safe and reliable water supply to its customers in Sonoma and Marin counties. Sonoma Water also maintains 75 miles of flood control channels and provides sanitation services. Employing approximately 250 employees, Sonoma Water consists of four divisions, including Engineering & Resource Planning, Environmental Resources, Business Services & External Affairs, and Water/Wastewater Operations & Maintenance. Sonoma Water supports the concept of environmental sustainability, focusing on renewable power sources, and strives to be a leader in its water use efficiency and fishery restoration programs.
Employees of Sonoma Water are employees of a special district and are not subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Ordinance of the County of Sonoma.
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:
- 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 Water Agency Engineer III (salary up to $193,642/year)
- 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 $1500 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
- 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 Western Council of Engineers Memorandum of Understanding and our Employee Benefits directory.
Sonoma Water is currently recruiting to fill multiple Operations Engineer positions. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help 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 formal title for this position is Water Agency Engineer II. Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.
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Minimum Qualifications
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Experience: Any combination of experience that would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, one year of water or wastewater engineering experience at a level comparable to Water Agency Engineer I would provide such opportunity.
Education: Any combination of education and training that would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, graduation from a four-year college or university with major course work in mechanical, electrical, or civil engineering with emphasis in water resources, hydraulics, hydrology, or a closely related field would provide such opportunity.
Other Requirements
License: Possession of a valid California 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 in this announcement do not require possession of a valid California Driver's License.
Certification: Possession of a valid certificate as Engineer-in-Training issued by the State of California Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.
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Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
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Working knowledge of: civil, electrical and/or mechanical engineering principles, practices and methods with particular reference to the planning, design, construction and operation of water and wastewater facilities, and the design and construction of flood control projects; methods and techniques of water modeling; principles of ground water management; statistics and advanced mathematics; topographic and construction surveying, stress analysis, analytical mechanics and the strength, properties and uses of construction materials; common methods and equipment utilized in engineering construction and of inspection methods used in reviewing such work; real property descriptions; principles, and practices and techniques of supervision and training.
Ability to: organize work, set priorities and exercise independent judgment; prepare designs and make accurate drawings and maps; make accurate mathematical calculations and neat and accurate field notes; apply principles of logic and scientific reasoning to develop and evaluate alternative courses of action and determine appropriate solutions; read, understand and interpret complex technical and legal documents, maps, technical drawings and plans; listen attentively and participate in negotiations by providing required data and information; adjust to workload changes and work under stress to meet deadlines; develop and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of representatives from governmental and private agencies, construction and consultant contractors, coworkers and the public; and write clearly and concisely in order to prepare technical reports, correspondence, and maintain records.
Working Conditions
Duties require sitting and standing for prolonged periods. Additionally, walking on level, inclined, uneven, wet and slippery surfaces; reaching, kneeling, bending, stooping and climbing over objects is required in the performance of routine duties when visiting field and equipment sites. The incumbent may, while monitoring projects in the field, be subjected to all weather conditions including wet, hot, and cold. During project inspections and field site visits, incumbents may be exposed to dust, pollen and loud noises. The position also requires both near and far vision when inspecting work. The nature of the work also requires the incumbent to climb ladders and be around mechanical, electrical and/or structural hazards.
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Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying
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- 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 candidates.
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
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County of Sonoma
$138,480.41 - $168,326.23 Annually
medical insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, parental leave, vacation time, paid time off, paid holidays, sick time, retirement plan
May 22, 2026