Water Agency Principal Land Surveyor

Job Description:

Water Agency Principal Land Surveyor

Description

Position Information

Apply your land surveying expertise and leadership skills at the Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) as their next Water Agency Principal Land Surveyor.

Please note: To be considered for this position, applicants are required to possess c urrent registration as a Professional Land Surveyor by the State of California.

Sonoma Water is a recognized leader in California water management, sanitation services, flood risk management, and environmental stewardship. Sonoma Water is seeking an energetic and forward-thinking Water Agency Principal Land Surveyor to directly lead and manage survey activities in support of capital project engineering and general agency operations. Working in close collaboration with the Engineering Division and other divisions within Sonoma Water, this position provides subject matter expertise and support on the principles and practices of land surveying. In addition to maintaining collaborative relationships with Sonoma Water staff, this position represents Sonoma Water before official bodies, regulatory agencies, subcontractors, developers, and the general public in survey matters. This position will also manage, direct, and coordinate work within the Survey Section and develop policies and procedures that affect the operation of the section. Additional responsibilities include:

• Coordinating project tasks, strategies, and priorities for the Section and in consultation with the Licensed Land Surveyor
• Ensures quality control and quality assurance practices for work performed by and developed within the Section
• Coordinating with the Water Agency’s Sanitation Engineer and reviewing and approving easement agreements, legal descriptions, and exhibits concerning sewer applications associated with private land development projects
• Developing, mentoring, and supervising staff, including team building, providing feedback, and performance evaluation
• Creating timeline and budget estimates for the services and work products
• Developing budgets and monitoring/approving expenditures connected with the operations of the Survey section
• Communicating and reporting staffing, equipment, vehicles, and resource needs and utilization to management; and procuring software, vehicles, and equipment
• Tracking the status of and ensuring cost-effective and timely delivery of services and deliverables
• Procuring outside professional services when needed and managing and administering professional services agreements and deliverables

What You Bring

As the Water Agency Principal Land Surveyor, you will have thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of land surveying, state laws and local ordinances pertaining to subdivisions and land development, legal requirements for property boundary determination and real property matters, and engineering disciplines and construction practices. This position also requires a skillset that includes effective communication, organizational, and collaborative leadership qualities; and a high degree of intellectual curiosity, a passion for accuracy, precision, and efficiency. The ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional analytical and reasoning skills, the ability to resourcefully implement creative solutions and strategies needed to resolve problems, as well as expertise in many of the following:

• Water transmission, storage, diversion, and treatment systems; and Hydrological Quantification/Measurement
• The principles and practices of geodetic measurement, reference frames, and datums and projections
• State-of-the art and evolving measuring, sensing, and data collection instrumentation technology, and data processing software platforms and systems
• Experience performing title research in Sonoma County
• Experience with Public Infrastructure Projects connected with water transmission, wastewater treatment and collection, flood control, and ecosystem restoration
• Property boundary determination, land title, transactional real estate conveyance and transfer, and applicable laws and regulations regarding right-of-way property management
• The implementation of quality control and assurance measures, methodology, and protocol in the delivery of services and deliverable work products
• Utilizing AutoDesk Civil products, Trimble Access and Business Center, ESRI products, and Microsoft Word and Excel

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:

• 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
• Staff Development/Wellness Pay- Annual benefit allowances of up to $2,000 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• 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 health insurance/benefits
• Retirement- A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Incentive Retirement Savings Plan (IRSP) and 457 Voluntary Deferred Compensation- 3% of salary County contribution to a 401(a), in addition to the County matching up to 1% of base salary in 401(a), based upon employee contribution
• Paid Parental Leave- May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• 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 Salary Resolution (SalRes) and our Employee Benefits Directory .

This recruitment is currently being conducted to fill a full-time Water Agency Principal Land Surveyor position in Sonoma Water. 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.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience and Education: Any combination of experience and training which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, this would include six (6) years of increasingly responsible experience in land surveying or related engineering work; one of which must include one year of lead or supervision experience.

Licenses:
Current registration as a Professional Land Surveyor in good standing with the State of California, Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.

AND

Possession of, or the ability to obtain, a valid State of California Class C Driver’s License is required by date of hire and must be maintained throughout employment in this classification.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Thorough knowledge of: the principles and practices of land surveying; State laws and local ordinances covering subdivisions and land development, and the preparation of various kinds of maps; instruments and equipment used in surveying; technical understanding of geodesy; principles, practices, procedures, legal requirements for property boundary determination and real property matters; engineering disciplines and construction practices; principles and practices of mathematics and plane trigonometry and their applications to land surveying; principles and practices of employee supervision, including work planning, assignment review and evaluation, discipline, and training; modern management principles and techniques to establish goals and objectives; program planning, implementation, and administration; budgetary practices and controls; and written and oral communication skills.

Working knowledge of: the principles and practices of effective supervision and management, including the planning and organization of work, and the selection and performance management of employees.

Ability to: interpret, apply, explain, and ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local policies, procedures, laws, and regulations, and agency policies and procedures; organize, implement, direct, and perform the most complex surveying activities; organize and prioritize a variety of projects in an effective and timely manner; prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence, procedures, and other written materials; use tact, initiative, independent judgment, and prudence within general policy, procedures, and legal guidelines; identify problems, research, and analyze relevant information, and develop and present recommendations and justification or solutions; identify deficiencies in processes and implement and recommend process improvements; coordinate survey-related activities with other departments, divisions, sections, and with outside agencies; establish goals and write quantifiable objectives; evaluate and coach subordinate staff to achieve goals and objectives; establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; represent the agency in meetings with other agencies, community groups, individuals, or organizations to advise and/or resolve differences; understand and accept differences in human behavior; effectively interact with all populations, such as individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, educational, generational, and/or socio-economic backgrounds; prepare and administer program budgets; allocate resources in a cost-effective manner.

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 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 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: JT

HR Technician: VH

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: Choose from nine health plans (three HMOs, three deductible HMOs, and three HSA-qualifying plans) with a generous County contribution to the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit). For more information, please see the appropriate MOU.

Retirement: Fully integrated with Social Security. For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit https://scretire.org/active-/-deferred/when-you-are-hired .

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.

Student Loan Debt Relief: County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.

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 Labor Agreements & Salary Resolution . For specific information about health and welfare benefits, including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts, go to Human Resources or contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at [email protected] or (707) 565-2900.

*Important Notes: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Closing Date/Time: 3/25/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$194,248.26 - $236,115.89 Annually