Senior Public Works Inspector

Description

WHAT WE OFFER.

• Educational Incentive: An educational incentive of 2.5% for completion of an associate degree, 3.5% for completion of a bachelor's degree OR 5% for completion of a graduate degree.
• Bilingual Incentive: Proficiency levels by exam are $.69 per hour (Level I); $1.00 per hour (Level II); or $1.32 per hour (Level III).
• Vacation Accrual: New regular, full-time employees shall accrue approximately 14 days of vacation a year for the first 10,400 hours or 5 years of service; vacation accruals increase at 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 20 years of service topping out at 26 days a year and 400 hours of vacation hours banked.
• Vacation Redemption: After 14,560 hours of continuous service an employee may elect to "cash in" or redeem up to 80 hours of vacation accrued in the same year after using 80 hours of vacation in the preceding 12 months.
• Sick Leave: Full-time Regular employees accrue 3.08 hours of sick leave per pay period with an advance at hire of 40.04 hours which will be balanced at the completion of 13 bi-weekly pay periods.
• Deferred Compensation: Eligible to participate in the County's 401(k) Shared Savings Plan and/or the Section 457 Plan. This position is eligible for up to a 3% match on your 401(k) contributions.
• Health Plans: Full-time employees are afforded a flexible credit allowance for purchasing medical, dental, and/or vision insurance from a group of authorized plans: Tier One for employee only is $509 per biweekly pay period, Tier Two for employee plus one is $779 per biweekly pay period and Tier Three for employee plus family is $983 per biweekly pay period.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Choice of participation in the Flexible Spending Accounts which increase spending power through reimbursement of pre-tax dollars for IRS approved dependent care and health care expenses.
• Pension Plan: Both the County and employees contribute to the County's Retirement Plan and to Social Security. If eligible, reciprocity may be established with other public retirement systems, such as PERS.
• Holidays: 12 paid days per year which includes a scheduled floating holiday.

The PUBLIC WORKS AGENCY, Engineering Services (ES) Department is responsible for a wide range of engineering services to clients within the County of Ventura organization and the public. The ES Department is comprised of three (3) divisions: Project Services, Land Development Services, and the Surveyor’s Office. Services include project and construction management for vertical projects, contract administration, land development services, floodplain development permitting, and land surveying services.

The PUBLIC WORKS AGENCY, Watershed Protection (WP) District operates and maintains 216 miles of improved channels, 55 dams, 4 coastal pump stations and 148 rain and stream gauges with a $2.7B current replacement value; and is responsible for planning, design (hydrology and hydraulic and structural), and construction of flood conveyance assets, and permitting authority for 950 miles of jurisdictional watercourses. The Department also provides staff to the Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency.

THE POSITIONS
There are currently two (2) Regular vacancies: one (1) within the Engineering Services Department and one (1) within the Watershed Protection District. Under direction, this position:

• Inspects large and complex building construction projects, such as hospitals, office buildings, and fire stations; and performs related duties as required (ES).
• Inspects WP capital improvement, flood control infrastructure, maintenance and development projects, and other service facilities in support of County operations; and performs related duties as required (WP).
• Provides supervision and oversight of two WP Inspector III positions and coordinates with the other WP Senior Inspector to balance workload. WP Inspector provides mentorship and development training to the Inspector under them (WP).

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES
The successful candidates not only possess the minimum requirements of the positions but also have significant experience performing on-site inspection for various types of construction projects; and have significant experience with public works projects, prevailing wage requirements and special inspections. The successful candidates may also possess multiple building inspector certifications.

Examples Of Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Supervises and participates in the inspection of several major/difficult capital improvement and development projects and is responsible for a major project individually to ensure compliance with plans, specifications and codes; and assists Public Works Inspectors with clarifying difficult/complex plans, construction drawings, solving field issues and performing specialty type of field inspections.
• Prepares a variety of written reports and photographic records of construction activities using digital equipment and computers.
• Works closely with a variety of contractors, project stakeholders, other public entities, developers and/or contract employees.
• Reviews, interprets, and provides comments on construction/remodeling plans, specifications and codes.
• Trains and supervises other departmental inspectors; establishes inspection processes and procedures.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Senior Public Works Inspectors are represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and are eligible for overtime compensation.

Typical Qualifications

These are entrance requirements to the examination process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.

EDUCATION, TRAINING and EXPERIENCE
Any satisfactory combination of progressively responsible experience and training which would demonstrate the required knowledge and abilities. The required knowledge and abilities may be obtained by at least six (6) years of progressively responsible experience in construction inspection, construction trades, materials testing, field surveying or other directly related Public Works construction experience with two (2) years working at a level equivalent to Public Works Inspector III.

Completion of an associate degree in engineering, construction technology or other related physical sciences or 24 units of college coursework in such courses as engineering, algebra, trigonometry, physics, chemistry, soil mechanics, land surveying or other related physical sciences may be substituted for up to one (1) year of the required experience. NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must possess and maintain a valid California driver's license.
• Must be willing and able to travel extensively throughout the County.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal. Skills must be demonstrated in the completion of the employment application and supplemental questionnaire.
• Field work requires incumbents to walk long distances on uneven surfaces and climb ladders on construction sites as well as above or below grade on falsework or in trenches.
• Work is performed both in an office environment and outdoors. Incumbents may be required to perform strenuous tasks; be exposed to hazardous conditions on highways and rugged terrain; work in dust; work in close proximity to construction equipment.

DESIRED

• Some vertical construction inspection experience (ES).
• Certification from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development to inspect hospital facilities and/or certification as a Division of State Architect (DSA) Class 1 Inspector and/or ICC Commercial Building Inspector certification or equivalent (ES).
• Some experience related to construction inspection of flood control projects such as reinforced concrete channels and boxes, earthen levees, floodwalls, and earthen dams (WP).
• Some knowledge of NPDES and associated BMPs.
• Some supervision experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES
Thorough knowledge of: standard specifications and various codes governing a wide variety of public works construction projects; prevailing wage requirements; the methods, materials, and standards for construction in a wide variety of projects; principles of supervision; engineering plans, maps, and specifications; and the application of construction inspection techniques and procedures to practical field problems.

Ability to: understand, interpret and apply specifications and plans; inspect construction on complex and more difficult projects and to enforce compliance with plans, specifications, codes; review and evaluate unusual field conditions not specified in the plans and specifications; maintain records and prepare accurate written reports; communicate effectively orally and in writing; establish and maintain effective working relationships with contractors, engineers, co-workers and the general public; supervise and coordinate the work of others; meet and consult with engineers, contractors, etc., on difficult construction matters; and effectively resolve and coordinate problems with construction and engineering personnel.

Recruitment Process

FINAL FILING DATE: Your application must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 10, 2025.

To apply online, please refer to our web site at www.ventura.org/jobs. A paper application can be obtained by calling (805) 654-5129. Our address is County of Ventura Human Resources Division, 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009.

Applicants must provide sufficient information under the Education/Work experience portion of the application and supplemental questionnaire to thoroughly and accurately demonstrate your qualifications in order to determine eligibility. A resume may be attached to supplement your responses in the above-referenced sections; however, it may not be submitted in lieu of the application.

NOTE: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please click here for additional information.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE - qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this exam at the time of filing. This questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in removal of the application from further consideration.

APPLICATION EVALUATION - qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether the stated requirements are met. Applicants meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the recruitment process.

TRAINING and EXPERIENCE EVALUATION: A Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process.

NOTE: The selection process will likely consist of an Oral Examination, which may be preceded by or replaced with a score from a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool. In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questions within the application are completed with care and diligence. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

ORAL EXAMINATION - 100%: A job-related oral examination may be conducted to evaluate and compare participating candidates' knowledge, skills, and abilities in relation to those factors which job analysis has determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. Candidates must earn a score of seventy percent (70%) or higher to qualify for placement on the eligible list.

Candidates successfully completing the examination process may be placed on an eligible list for a period of one (1) year. The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill present and future regular, temporary, fixed-term, intermittent and extra-help vacancies.

If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an examination will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each application, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: The selected candidate may be subjected to a thorough post-offer, pre-employment background investigation which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information, and driving record.

For further information about this recruitment, please contact Sylvia Campos by email at sylvia.campos@venturacounty.gov .

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The County of Ventura is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

YOUR BENEFITS AS A COUNTY OF VENTURA EMPLOYEE

Service Employees International Union (LOCAL 721)

(SEIU)

To learn more about Benefits, Retirement, and the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), see links below.

• Benefits website or you may call (805) 654-2570.
• Retirement FAQ's
• Memorandum of Agreement

Union Codes: UPA, UPC, UPE, UPH, UPI, UPJ,UPT, UWS

Closing Date/Time: 11/10/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

• 

• County of Ventura

Show more