Assistant Director of Permit Sonoma - Promotional

Salary : $198,902.54 - $241,771.98 Annually
Location : Santa Rosa, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 26/10-1214-P
Department: Permit Sonoma (PRD)
Opening Date: 11/12/2026
Closing Date: 11/23/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Bargaining Unit: 50

Position Information

This recruitment is promotional only. You must presently be a full or part-time regular or probationary County of Sonoma, Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, or Sonoma County Water Agency employee in order to apply for this position.
Permit Sonoma has requested a county-wide promotional certification to fill an Assistant Director of Permit Sonoma position. Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time or part-time positions as they occur during the active status of the list.
About the Position
The Assistant Director of Permit Sonoma assists the Director in planning, organizing, and coordinating department operations and services which include building, engineering, planning, permitting, fire services, code enforcement, and environmental planning and review. This position provides administrative oversight and policy guidance to advance the department's mission and support the development and implementation of its goals and initiatives. The Assistant Director also supervises management staff and department personnel and represents and acts on behalf of the Director during absences or as assigned. Additional responsibilities include:

• Directing department operations to ensure alignment with department goals and requirements
• Developing, reviewing, and implementing of department policies, procedures, and operational improvements
• Providing oversight of permitting programs and processes to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and requirements
• Overseeing department budget planning, monitoring, and administration
• As needed, represents the department at Board of Supervisors meetings and other meetings or public forums as needed

The ideal candidate for this position will be passionate about serving the community and have thorough knowledge of and experience with County's governance structure, fiscal budgeting processes, and human resources processes. In addition, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following:

• Experience in budget planning, monitoring, and administration
• Demonstrated skill in presenting information to the public
• Experience developing, reviewing, and implementing policies and procedures to address operational challenges
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, negotiating, and oral and written communication skills
• Ability to adapt quickly and effectively lead, guide, or support a team through changing priorities
• Some experience working with or familiarity with Permit Sonoma's programs and services
• Applied knowledge and understanding of technology tools and systems relevant to the industry

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience and Education: Any combination of education, training, and/or experience that would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, graduation from an accredited college or university with academic coursework in city/urban/land use planning, public administration, architecture, engineering, environmental studies, or a field related to the work, and four years of increasingly responsible professional-related experience would provide such an opportunity. Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the college education on a year-for-year basis.

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 in this announcement does not require possession of a valid California Driver's License.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Considerable knowledge of: principles and practices related to the development and implementation of planning, environmental health, building, fire prevention, permitting, housing, and sustainable construction practices; federal, state, and local laws, regulations, ordinances, codes, and rules relating to building construction, land use, and environmental planning, social, economic, political, legal, and architectural aspects of community planning; effective supervisory and management practices and training and techniques; fiscal management and budget administration; grant management; and personnel management.

Working knowledge of: principles and practices of effective customer service in a local government environment; principles and practices of modern budget, program, and system management; performance management, conflict resolution, best practices in leadership and communication; modern principles of building and code enforcement programs; methods and techniques of code and regulation development and adoption relating to development service functions; operational administration of building, fire, construction, public health, planning, and related laws, codes, ordinances, and the methods of review and inspection to ensure compliance.

Ability to: establish and maintain effective working relationships with public officials, County management, employees, boards and commissions, agencies, and other interested parties; understand and accept differences in human behavior, particularly those with diverse ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds; assist in the development and support of strategic objectives; motivate employees and assist in fostering of an inclusive, equitable, and positive work culture; resolve difficult administrative, technical, and/or personnel problems; be decisive and work independently; manage a multi-discipline, fully integrated, customer-oriented service delivery system; assist in planning, organizing, and coordinating the activities of highly specialized and professional employees; delegate, supervise and follow-up on assigned work; organize and direct group discussions, and demonstrate communication skills in gathering, evaluating and transmitting information to a variety of stakeholders including internal staff and community groups; ensure program compliance and fiscal responsibility through subordinate staff and appropriate oversight of programs and services; analyze and review staff reports and recommendations, and give constructive criticism; work under pressure, establish priorities, and meet deadlines; be flexible and willing to work effectively under adverse conditions as needed during emergency disaster response and recovery and stressful situations.
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 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 to 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 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. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate's personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant's name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

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. 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 may be 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 candidates.

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 in person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job announcement 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.

HR Analyst: SF

HR Technician: VH
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

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.

*Important Notes: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.
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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 describe how your training, education, and four or more years of increasingly responsible professional-related experience have prepared you for the Assistant Director of Permit Sonoma position.

• List any rel