Probation Department Program Manager

Position Information

The County of Sonoma Probation Department is seeking an experienced Department Program Manager!

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

Probation Department staff invite you to view a short video showcasing how their Department changes lives.

Probation Full-Length Video (English) Probation Full-Length Video (Spanish)

About the Position

As a Department Program Manager for the Probation Department, you will be assigned to work on an array of special projects. While tasks will vary, primary responsibilities will be to coordinate the department's implementation of the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal ( CalAIM) program, to provide leadership and coordination for Probation’s community engagement efforts, and to manage the development of procedures and training for a new case management system. Other tasks include:

• Developing expertise on new legislative or other mandated requirements
• Working in collaboration with stakeholders from Probation, the community and other County departments
• Developing implementation plans, policies and procedures to adhere to new requirements
• Understanding and implementing County procurement processes and leading competitive procurement processes
• Developing memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with partners
• Monitoring project-specific budgets
• Developing and implementing change management strategies associated with new processes/procedures, inclusive of new IT applications
• Developing relationships with the community and enhancing relationships with stakeholders to help shape and guide the department's work
• Creating and managing the department’s social media presence
• Developing culturally responsive materials that are easy for the target audience (department staff/community members) to understand and digest
• Providing support to department staff to effectively communicate with the public on the work of the Probation department
• Preparing educational presentations regarding department activities and initiatives to various public stakeholder groups

What You Bring

The ideal candidate will be a team player who is able to work independently. They will have a keen interest in learning how the Probation department and its related systems work, how Probation staff do their jobs, and ways to make the work more effective and equitable for all. They will also possess many of the following:

• Leadership experience
• A background in legislative analysis
• Experience building and maintaining relationships with community-based organizations or other governmental entities
• Knowledge of change and project management
• Experience in public sector contract management
• Strong communications skills, including writing and presenting
• The ability to build strong relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications
• Experience with publishing software and/or website development
• English/Spanish bilingual skills are desired, but not required

Working Conditions: This position may be expected to work occasional evenings and weekends, particularly for projects that are focused on enhancing community engagement.

Please visit the Probation Department to learn more about its commitment to Changing Lives, Reducing Crime, and Restoring Community.

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

This recruitment is being conducted to fill a Department Program Manager position at the Probation Department. 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.
*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 to 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.

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 closely 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 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. 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

It is the policy of law enforcement and legal offices and departments, in the County of Sonoma, that candidates complete a thorough background investigation process prior to employment. This policy is imperative to keep the department’s employees and the public safe and to maintain high standards in the law enforcement community. 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.

The background investigation will include a thorough assessment of a candidate’s personal, employment, educational, criminal, and credit history. The investigation may include but is not necessarily limited to: the use of prescription and/or other drugs, reports from former employers, friends, family members, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, credit reports, court reports, public records search, and/or other relevant sources. Candidates must be honest and forthcoming about information that may arise during the background process. Deception during any portion of this process is grounds for disqualification, even after employment.

All candidates will be required to take a pre-employment medical examination. The pre-employment medical examination will include drug testing as part of the medical examination for all applicants and for all current employees who are offered employment with the Offices/Departments. Additionally, candidates may be required to take a pre-employment psychological examination. The results of these examinations and the background investigation shall be confidential and shall not be available to the candidate for review. Failure to pass the background investigation will eliminate a candidate from the employment process. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

Issues that arise during the investigation process will be assessed, and judgment and discretion will be used to determine the employability of the candidate. Where there is evidence of a candidate’s past use of controlled substances, many factors shall be used to determine the employability of the individual such as a pattern of use, kind of drug used, circumstances of the start of the drug use, treatment, behavior, and attitude since discontinuance, etc. Please note that a history of using controlled substances does not result in automatic disqualification from the selection process. Prior to disqualifying any candidate whose profile falls within the provisions of the policy, the candidate shall be given the opportunity to present any and all evidence of mitigating facts that the candidate feels should be considered by the hiring authority.

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: JL
HR Technician: KK

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: 10/16/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

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• County of Sonoma

• 707-565-8059

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