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Form of workWhat 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
As a Legislative Affairs Analyst on the Policy, Grants, and Special Projects team, you will work on legislative projects, advocacy, and policy initiatives with County departments; other agencies; local, state, and federal partners; and the Board of Supervisors.. You will conduct legislative research and analyze political issues, policies, objectives, and data to assist the CAO in developing policy positions related to County operations and local, state, and federal governmental affairs. Additional responsibilities include:
- Preparing the County's biannual legislative platform
- Reviewing and drafting County position letters, executive-legislative summaries, and government affairs information
- Serving as a legislative resource for departments regarding funding and upcoming legislation
- Preparing information on departmental operations, activities, and/or projects for dissemination to legislative partners, in part informed by the Strategic Plan and departmental priorities
- Presenting recommendations or conclusions regarding legislative platforms to advisory boards, governing bodies, and other stakeholders
- Attending and summarizing relevant public meetings and other engagement activities and evaluating and measuring results relative to engagement goals
- Representing the County and/or the CAO with public and private organizations, before the Board of Supervisors, other boards and commissions, legislative hearings, and public meetings
- Supporting the Assistant County Administrator and Deputy County Administrator on tribal-related legislative efforts, including information gathering and general coordination
- Public sector experience managing initiatives, performing legislative analysis, and overseeing public relations and information programs
- Professional experience conducting research and utilizing analytical skills to project the outcomes of decisions/recommendations, program changes, or new services, foresee issues, and identify alternatives
- The ability to present conclusions and legislative platforms before advisory boards, governing bodies, and other stakeholders
- A thorough understanding of the operations and functions of County government and modern budget, programs, and systems management
- Experience with meeting facilitation and community engagement
- A proactive approach to building relationships and thrives in a team environment
The County Administrator's Office is guided by the Board of Supervisors' broad mission and carries out the Board's policy goals by managing, directing, and coordinating the operations of the County's departments and agencies. In addition, the CAO ensures implementation of County policy; prepares the County budget; provides public information and outreach to the community; analyzes and creates public policies to develop recommendations; researches grant and funding opportunities for strategic projects; coordinates with departments and agencies to manage Board priority projects; acts as the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors; implements the County's legislative platform and oversees the County's legislative advocacy program; prepares studies and analyses, including fiscal and programmatic performance assessments of County departments and programs; and develops and implements the County's Strategic Plan. The CAO's mission is "to build a sustainable and equitable future for the community by making collaborative, transparent, and informed policy recommendations to the Board of Supervisors."
The department has an operating budget of approximately $14.5 million and a staffing complement of 62.5 full-time employees. The organizational structure includes five components: elected Board members and their staff, Clerk of the Board, Operations & Budget, Communications, Policy, Grants, & Special Projects.
*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 Salary Resolution (SalRes) and our Employee Benefits Directory.
This recruitment is being conducted to fill a full-time Legislative Affairs Analyst position in the CAO. 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 for this position is Administrative Analyst III.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.
Working knowledge of: group dynamics as it relates to public organizations; principles and practices of supervision and performance management; principles and practices of project management, modern office methods and procedures.
Ability to: plan and organize research and statistical work relating to the various aspects of administration, budget, and general management matters; understand, interpret, and apply rules, regulations, and ordinances, as well as federal, state, and local legislation; apply problem solving skills sufficient to reach appropriate solutions, take action, document, and complete work in a timely manner; prioritize and manage a variety of simultaneous work projects and priorities to meet timelines and commitments; plan, organize, coordinate, and evaluate effectiveness of assigned project(s); effectively communicate orally and in writing, and present conclusions before advisory and policy bodies; establish and maintain effective working relationships with County staff, and the public in carrying out sound management policies; 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; persuade, rationalize, and project consequences of decisions and/or recommendations; analyze administrative problems, budget requests, and a variety of programs, systems and procedures.
- 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 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 & 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. 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 & 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 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 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: AK
HR Technician: KK
Employment Type: Full-Time
