Creative Sonoma Program Officer

Position Information

Use your creativity, project management skills, and grant expertise to make an impact - join the Economic Development Collaborative as theCreative Sonoma Program Officer!

Starting salary up to $56.10/hour ($117,087/year) plus a competitive total compensation package*

Working with the Director of Creative Sonoma at the Economic Development Collaborative, this role will strategize, design, and execute programs and services that align with Creative Sonoma’s mission, fostering and promoting the creative community throughout Sonoma County. The position will manage the grant and capacity-building programs offered by Creative Sonoma, including grantmaking, professional development, peer networks, and serve as a one-on-one consultant to creative individuals, nonprofits, and businesses. Additional responsibilities include:

• Participating in research and development of potential grant opportunities and the development of narrative and budget documents
• Representing Creative Sonoma as appropriate with constituents, the public, funders, etc. for community outreach and engagement
• Implementing surveys of existing and future participants in Creative Sonoma programs for program development, marketing, and research activities
• Managing workshops and trainings, including contributing to speaker/presenter ideas, logistics, contracts, and invoice collection
• Developing and managing the editorial calendar and content for communications with constituents (newsletter, social media, etc.), including maintaining the website and general communication strategies
• Researching and reporting on best practices and model programs from similar organizations across the region and country, and recommending options for Creative Sonoma, including potential funding streams
• Developing and maintaining operations and systems, including program budgets, data collection and management, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) operations and/or other programs and services
• Participating in the development of special initiatives and collaborations

As the Creative Sonoma Program Officer, you will have prior arts administration experience, including grant management, with both program development and implementation. You will also possess many of the following:

• Professional level staff experience related to arts administration, public administration, program planning, implementation and evaluation, including budgetary analysis and reporting
• A strong familiarity and/or established network with local, regional, and national arts agencies, arts and culture organizations, artist networks, and funders
• Experience in event production, newsletter/communication development, and marketing of arts activities
• Experience with the Microsoft Office Suite, Submittable grant software, HubSpot, general website development and maintenance, Canva, Adobe Acrobat and social media platforms
• A bachelor's degree or higher in arts administration or a related field is desired, but not required

ABOUT CREATIVE SONOMA

Creative Sonoma is a division of the Sonoma County Economic Development Collaborative, designed to support and advance the creative community of Sonoma County. The creative community is defined as individuals, organizations and enterprises whose primary work is creative, including for-profit and not-for-profit companies. Programs and services focus in four key areas: professional development and networking; marketing and outreach; grantmaking; and partnerships and collaborations.

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 being conducted to fill a Creative Sonoma Program Officer position in the Economic Development Collaborative. 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 Department Analyst.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: Work experience which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, one year of full-time professional level staff experience related to general administration, accounting, budgetary analysis, or human resources work including research, analysis, and preparation of written reports and recommendations would provide such an opportunity.

Education: Any combination of course work and training which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, academic course work in public administration, business administration, management, accounting, political science, economics, statistics, English composition, psychology or closely related courses 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.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Working knowledge of: principles and practices of business and public administration as pertinent to area of assignment; principles, practices and political implications of decisions regarding budgeting, fiscal management, human resources and contract management; principles and methods of work planning, staffing analysis and project management; techniques and practices of research methodology, data collection, and analysis; report writing; application and use of basic statistics; the use of electronic information equipment and specific systems as used within the department.

Knowledge of: operations and functions of county government and the structure and function of the assigned department; modern supervisory management and human resources practice; modern office methods and procedures.

Ability to: plan, organize, and conduct research, analysis and statistical studies related to the various aspects of administration, budget and general management matters; collect, compile and analyze qualitative and quantitative data; review and implement changes in work methods, systems and procedures; understand, interpret and explain laws, regulations and policies governing program operations; prepare budgets, grant applications, service contracts and complex narrative and statistical reports; communicate effectively orally and in writing, and present conclusions and recommendations before advisory and policy bodies; establish and maintain effective working relationships with management, employees, clients, and the public in carrying out sound management policies; understand program objectives in relation to departmental goals and procedures; organize and prioritize work assignments; persuade, examine, and project consequences of decisions and/or recommendations; analyze administrative problems and budget requests; use of electronic information equipment and specific systems as used within the department; effectively supervise the work of technical and office support staff.

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 & 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 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 & 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: RR

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 generousCounty 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 https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/human-resources/divisions-and-units/employee-relations/labor-agreements-and-salary-resolution . For specific information about health and welfare benefits including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts go to https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/administrative-support-and-fiscal-services/human-resources or, contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonoma-county.org or (707) 565-2900.

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

Closing Date/Time: 5/19/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

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• County of Sonoma

• 707-565-8059

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