Performance Management Project Manager

Position Information

Bring your expertise in developing employee performance criteria and talent for implementing automated solutions to the County of Sonoma.

Starting salary up to $61.52/hour ($128,399/year) and a competitive total compensation package!*

If you’re motivated by intellectual challenges, working in a fast-paced environment that can change daily, and being part of a supportive team, come join us!

Please note that this recruitment is for a Project* classification that is currently funded through June 30, 2028, and experience related to developing and improving employee performance evaluation standards and tools is required for this position.

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 - 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

Join Our Team

The Human Resources Department (County HR) is a team of 69+ employees who provide human resources and risk management services to 32 agencies, departments, and special districts that employ 4,700+ positions. These diverse services include employee benefits, classification plan management, recruitment and examination, countywide training, employee and labor relations, equal employment opportunity, HR information systems, occupational health and safety, risk management, and workplace violence prevention. Our mission is to be a trusted partner, providing our clients with HR services that work to effectively recruit, develop, and retain an outstanding workforce committed to providing quality public service. We value customer service, collaboration, professionalism, consistency, proactive planning, flexibility, and innovative problem-solving. County HR is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where everyone who works with, for, and/or receives services from the County of Sonoma is welcomed, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential.
In collaboration with County HR's Employee and Labor Relations team, the Performance Management Project Manager (Perform PM) will enhance employee performance management policies and procedures county-wide. They will implement Perform, a configurable automated system designed for government agencies that centralizes feedback for HR visibility and supports multiple approval layers, union environments, and audit-ready compliance. The implementation of Perform will enable HR to meet its objectives of simplifying reviews, increasing accountability, and fostering employee engagement and growth throughout all County organizations. Additional responsibilities of this new position will include:

• Developing and evaluating policies and procedures in alignment with County Administrative Policy 4-1 Performance Evaluations and current employee performance management best practices
• Collaborating with HR liaisons and leadership across multiple departments to identify their specific performance management needs, developing core competencies, and assessing how Perform can be configured and implemented to meet those needs
• Designing workflows, evaluating operational efficiencies, and training department stakeholders on how to implement evaluation processes utilizing Perform
• Gathering, analyzing, and presenting statistical information to County HR leadership teams on the implementation timeline and success rates
• Proposing updates to Policy 4-1 to ensure county-wide compatibility and effectiveness of the system

What You Bring
While maintaining a calm, courteous, and approachable demeanor, our ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to swiftly identify and resolve issues with a customer-centric, solution-oriented approach. They are a collaborative team player and highly proficient in current HR best practices, laws, and regulations related to employee performance management and engagement. Additionally, they have experience in developing employee performance core competencies and:

• Have strong technical and data management skills, with experience working with Human Resources-related content and information management systems, database tools, and the Microsoft Office Suite
• Exhibit excellent communication skills and can effectively interact with vendors, staff, department heads, County officials, and union representatives
• Possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, expert judgment, and a commonsense approach to addressing daily challenges and opportunities
• Have a passion for process improvement and experience recommending creative solutions
• Demonstrate proficiency in researching, tracking, analyzing, synthesizing, and interpreting data, and presenting technical information clearly and compellingly, to a variety of audiences
• Are capable of coordinating services for different internal and external stakeholders, addressing inquiries efficiently, and fostering collaborative partnerships with a wide array of clients

Diverse lived experiences are valued, and a sense of humor is a must! While the HR topics we work with are consequential, often confidential, and support critical community services, we find opportunities and reasons to enjoy our time together.

We are interested in finding the best candidate for our position and will consider any equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, abilities, experience, education, and training to meet the minimum qualifications described below. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and transferable skill set and how they set you up to be the best candidate for this position .

Bring Your Commitment to Public Service to the County of Sonoma

The County of Sonoma is the place to live, grow, and build your career legacy. When you join the County of Sonoma, you'll have the freedom to explore the beauty of our county - its picturesque coastline, majestic redwoods, historic towns, fine dining, award-winning wineries, and a wide variety of entertainment and cultural activities. For additional information about the beauty of our community and the valuable services and support that the County provides our communities, please visit sonomacounty.gov and sonomacountyconnections.org .

We are currently recruiting to fill the Performance Management Project Manager 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. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment. The Civil Service (CS) title of this position is Department Program Manager - Project.

* Individuals hired into this Project class are limited in their employment to a maximum of 60 months from the date that this class is allocated. This is a CS classification, and as such, individuals in this class have CS rights and also receive County benefits where qualified. The 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 .

Application Submissions Require The Supplemental Questionnaire Be Completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: Any combination of training and experience which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities stated herein. Normally, three years of experience supervising or coordinating a program including some responsibility for program coordination, planning, analysis and administration, including at least one year leading or supervising staff would provide such opportunity. Specific experience related to the assigned position may be required for designated positions and will be stated as such in recruitment materials.
The position advertised on this announcement requires experience related to developing and improving employee performance evaluation standards and tools.

Education: Any combination of education and training which would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities stated herein. Normally, significant college coursework in business or public administration, finance, economics or a closely related area would provide this opportunity. For some assignments, college coursework in social work, psychology, sociology or a closed related field may be desirable.
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.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Considerable knowledge of: the principles and practices of program management including planning and program analysis; data collection, research methodology and application of basic statistics; report writing; legislation, laws, current issues and trends, and techniques and principles for the assigned program area.

Working knowledge of: the principles and practices of personnel management, employee supervision, and training; budget development and fiscal management; grant and contract administration.

Ability to: plan, organize, coordinate and manage a specific program or group of related programs; select, train, and supervise staff; develop, evaluate, and analyze operational policies and procedures; analyze problems and complaints and identify solutions; prepare, interpret and evaluate a variety of narrative and statistical data and reports; communicate orally and in writing on a variety of issues; understand, interpret and apply procedures, laws, rules and regulations as they apply to assigned area; ensure proper compliance with federal, state and local guidelines, policies, goals, rules and regulations; develop and maintain harmonious relationships with employees, public officials, community groups, other agencies and the general public.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluatedand 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 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 beconducted 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 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: CG

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 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 benefits@sonomacounty.gov or (707) 565-2900.

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

Closing Date/Time: 9/2/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

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• County of Sonoma

• 707-565-8059

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