Engineer

Salary : $129,672.77 - $157,640.17 Annually

Location : Santa Rosa, CA

Job Type : Full-Time

Job Number : 25 / 08-1012-O

Department : Sonoma County Public Infrastructure (SPI)

Opening Date : 08 / 21 / 2025

Closing Date : 9 / 4 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Pacific

Bargaining Unit : 21

Position Information

Shape the future of public infrastructure as an Engineer with the County of Sonoma!

Use your expertise to innovate, solve complex challenges, and make a positive impact on our community.

Starting salary up to $75.53 / hour ($157,640 / year) and a competitive total compensation package!

Sonoma Public Infrastructure (SPI) is currently recruiting to fill a full-time position at either the Assistant Engineer or Engineer level. If you are interested in being considered at the Assistant Engineer level of this opportunity, you must apply to the separate concurrent recruitment being conducted for each level.

Note : Possession of a valid certificate of registration issued by the State of California Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors is required for this position.

At the County of Sonoma, Engineers work independently, perform complex calculations, site evaluations, and inspections. They perform a wide variety of difficult field and office professional-level engineering work in design. They ensure plans and specifications are compliant with county codes, standards, and regulations. As a subject matter expert, they may train and assist staff. Within SPI, this Engineer will primarily focus on road repair designs, retaining walls, drainage improvements, and a variety of projects for the department. Additional responsibilities include :

• Managing and overseeing special projects, including FEMA-related infrastructure repair
• Designing and developing multi-modal pathways for pedestrians, bikes, and community projects
• Reviewing and recommending traffic safety enhancements requested by the Board of Supervisors, as well as the public
• Collaborating with project managers and external partners on diverse infrastructure projects
• Conducting field inspections and monitoring the progress

The ideal candidate will possess multiple years of experience in engineering, have the ability to shift gears quickly, and thrive in a fast-paced environment. In addition, you will possess intellectual curiosity, an interest in research, have a logical mindset, and possess many of the following :

Engineer's occasionally work in the evening, on weekends and rarely on holidays. Fieldwork site evaluations and inspections will occasionally be performed outdoors and year-round in various weather conditions.

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

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 education and / or training which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, graduation from a four year college or university with major coursework in engineering and three years of full-time engineering experience would provide such an opportunity.

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 requires possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Professional License : Possession of a valid license as a Professional Civil Engineer Professional Traffic Engineer, or Professional Mechanical Engineer issued by the State of California Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, depending upon assignment.

Special Requirement : Engineers in the Plan Check Section of Permit Sonoma are required to obtain and maintain certification as a Building Plans Examiner within one year of hire.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Civil : Considerable knowledge of : the principles, practices, and techniques of civil engineering; statistics and advance mathematics including algebra and analytic geometry; topographic and construction surveying, stress analysis, analytical mechanics and the strength, properties and uses of construction materials; building codes; construction materials; common methods and equipment utilized in engineering construction and of inspection methods used in reviewing such work; real property descriptions; civil engineering design and drafting methods and equipment and computer-aided design (CAD) software.

Traffic : Considerable knowledge of : the principles, practices, and techniques of traffic engineering; the California vehicle code, the uniform manual of traffic control devices, traffic systems management, land development, trip generation, and level of service analysis for project level and cumulative level development, engineering mathematics, and statistical analysis for modeling future traffic, accident analysis in its relationship to project development and project warrants, and traffic engineering design, and drafting methods and equipment.

Working knowledge of : the principles, practices and techniques of supervision and training; project cost estimating.

Ability to : layout and review the work of other staff; prepare designs and make accurate drawings and maps; make accurate mathematical calculations and neat and accurate field notes; perform site evaluations; understand, interpret, and explain various California building and residential code requirements; 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 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; write clearly and concisely in order to prepare technical reports, correspondence, and maintain records.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

Please visit 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. Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria :

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 to determine the requirements for this position.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at 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 : RR

Important Note : Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

County of Sonoma Benefits : General

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

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 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 For specific information about health and welfare benefits, including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts, go to or contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at or (707) 565-2900.

How did you first learn about this opportunity?

Please indicate if you would also be interested in future part-time or extra-help (temporary, intermittent, or seasonal employment) positions should they become available. Check all that apply.

This eligible list may be used for future bilingual (English / Spanish) positions. Please indicate if you are interested in bilingual positions, and your level of proficiency.

Do you hold any of the following certificates? If so, please place a check by the certificate(s) you hold and note the expiration date and any other pertinent details in the Certifications section of your application.

A valid certificate of registration issued by the State of California board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors as a :

For this question and all subsequent questions, please provide sufficient information to allow for a thorough evaluation of your qualifications. Responses to supplemental questions may be scored using specific criteria and may be reviewed by hiring managers.

Please detail how you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, which normally includes a combination of :

For your years of experience, include your job title(s), employer's name(s), dates of employment (mm / yy - mm / yy), and a description of your responsibilities.

Please describe a complex engineering project you worked on. Detail your specific role and responsibilities, the challenges you faced, who the stakeholders were, and the outcome.

Please describe your experience taking the lead on an engineering project. Include details regarding the number of staff and type of positions (e.g., clerical, technical, professional) you led / supervised, the scope of duties you performed, and the project outcome.

Required Question