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Position Information
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This recruitment is promotional only. You must presently be a full or part-time regular or probationary County of Sonoma, Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, or Sonoma County Water Agency employee in order to apply for this position.
The County of Sonoma Water Agency (Sonoma Water) has requested a county-wide promotional certification to fill a Water Agency Senior Technical Writing Specialist position. Only qualified permanent and/or probationary County employees on the eligible list may be eligible for referral to the department for the advertised position. 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.
This position is one of two lead roles providing guidance and oversight to a team of four technical writers. As a Water Agency Senior Technical Writing Specialist, you will manage the most complex assignments and work closely with multidisciplinary staff to support high-quality document development. Key responsibilities include leading staff in the preparation of agreements and construction contract documents (including public project bid packages) through work direction, review of staff work, training, coaching, and providing technical expertise. Additionally, this position recommends improvements to processes, procedures, and staff assignments to enhance overall workflow and efficiency. Additional responsibilities will include:
- Providing guidance and mentorship to the technical writing specialist staff
- Developing and implementing standardized processes, templates, and guidelines to comply with federal and state laws and regulations
- Reviewing and editing technical documents for grammar, clarity, and compliance
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams to create clear, concise, well-structured, and comprehensive technical documents, agreements, reports, guidelines, and contracts
The ideal candidate will possess many of the following:
- Exceptional writing and communication skills
- The ability to interact with a diverse customer base (both internal and external stakeholders, including consultants, public agencies, and service providers while developing agreements and construction contract documents, and build relationships
- Ability to work independently and closely with others
- Excellent critical thinking, analytical skills, and problem-solving abilities
- A collaborative work style and the ability to perform in a cross-functional team
- An ability to work well under pressure, with interruptions and changing priorities under tight deadlines, while producing quality results with attention to detail
- Advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite
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.
Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.
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Minimum Qualifications
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Experience and Education: Any combination of education, training, and experience which would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, this would include coursework in project management, engineering, technical writing, contract law, composition, document structure and design, journalism, architecture, mathematics, drafting, construction management, business or public administration, or a closely related field, and two years of experience as a technical writer equivalent to that of a Water Agency Technical Writing Specialist; drafting, developing, reviewing, and editing all of the following: construction project specifications, complex technical agreements, a variety of public project agreements, and technical reports.
Desired Certificates: A Certified Document Technologist, Certified Construction Specifier, or Certified Construction Contract Administrator Certificate from the Construction Specifications Institute.
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.
The position advertised on this announcement does not require possession of a valid California Driver's License.
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Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
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Considerable knowledge of: techniques of writing and editing engineering specifications and technical reports; legal and regulatory requirements associated with public construction contracts; contract principles and roles of participants; civil, mechanical, structural, and electrical engineering principles, practices, and terminology; public contract law; written and oral communications, including language mechanics, syntax, and English composition; English grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, and composition; basic mathematics; document structure and formatting techniques; organizational techniques; and interviewing and listening techniques.
Working knowledge of: team dynamics; work flow techniques; interpersonal communication methods and techniques; methods of maximizing productivity in a team environment; and interviewing, negotiating, and influencing techniques.
Knowledge of: basic insurance requirements and risk mitigation techniques for agreements and contracts; modern office methods and procedures; word processing applications.
Skill in: checking detailed drawings, specifications, and site conditions.
Ability to: organize a constant workflow with competing priorities; develop effective working relationships with all levels of Agency employees; obtain and interpret engineering and other technical material and information by interview, in writing, or through research; read and prepare engineering specifications, and read and interpret construction drawings; make mathematical calculations; analyze situations and adopt effective courses of action; analyze and evaluate insurance requirements; observe and work with fine details; select essential elements of a problem; write effectively and use good judgment in assembling, evaluating, and using information; understand the implications of new project information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making related to agreements and specifications; determine contractual requirements for professional service agreements to ensure performance by consultants; interpret regulations, policies, and agreement provisions; communicate and listen effectively, giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, and asking questions as appropriate; follow established procedures; and establish and maintain effective working relationships with other staff and the public.
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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 may
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
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County of Sonoma
$117,630.08 - $142,988.59 Annually
medical insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, parental leave, vacation time, paid time off, paid holidays, sick time, retirement plan
May 19, 2026