Salary : $92,292.45 - $112,182.70 Annually
Location : Santa Rosa, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 26/07-0915-O
Department: Sonoma County Water Agency (WTR)
Opening Date: 07/21/2026
Closing Date: 8/4/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Bargaining Unit: 05

Position Information
Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) is looking for an experienced educator to join their team as a Water Education Programs Specialist I.

As a Water Education Program Specialist I you will be responsible for developing, implementing, coordinating, and evaluating water and energy related educational programs for students, teachers, and community members. You will work to enhance water literacy and foster a deeper understanding of water resources, climate and energy, water conservation, and environmental stewardship through engaging hands-on learning experiences. You will also support community engagement initiatives and collaborate with partner organizations to expand the reach and impact of Sonoma Water's educational programs. Additional responsibilities include:

• Planning, developing, and facilitating Next Generation Science Standards based environmental education programs covering topics such as water-use efficiency, water quality, stormwater pollution prevention, climate change, renewable energy, fishery restoration efforts, watershed awareness, and how our community gets drinking water
• Coordinating field trips, classroom programs, teacher workshops, and other educational events or activities
• Marketing programs to eligible teachers through various methods such as social media, flyers, websites, and newsletters
• Developing and delivering professional learning opportunities for teachers and informal educators
• Training and supporting team members on the curriculum, program procedures, and best teaching practices for the educational programs
• Planning and implementing community outreach activities, workforce development initiatives and contests
• Assessing the success of educational programs and making changes to improve student learning, teacher satisfaction, equity, effectiveness, and relevancy
• Preparing program reports and public-facing documents
• Developing, updating, and maintaining educational curriculum and instructional resources
• Collaborating with schools, community partners, and internal departments to expand and strengthen educational opportunities

The ideal candidate will have excellent interpersonal, communication, organizational, and project management skills along with a collaborative, team-focused mindset and will also possess many of the following:

• A teaching credential and experience working in classroom and outdoor settings
• A Bachelor's degree with coursework in education, environmental studies, science, public relations, or a related field
• Working knowledge of curriculum development, child development, Next Generation Science Standards, basic environmental science principles, marketing and graphic design, and public outreach programs
• Experience coordinating educational programs, field trips, events, outreach activities or similar projects
• Experience building collaborative relationships with schools, educators, volunteers, community partners, and diverse audiences
• The ability to work independently while also working effectively as part of a team
• The ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities in a dynamic work environment
• Strong public speaking, presentation and written communication skills
• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Creative Cloud, website content management, graphic design and customer relationship management (CRM) software is desirable
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) speaking and writing skills are highly desirable, but not required

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
• Career Advancement - With time and good performance, the opportunity for advancement to Water Agency Programs Specialist II (annual salary up to $122,555)
• Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• 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 employee health insurance/benefits
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Paid Parental Leave - May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Additional Benefits- Excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, employee assistance program, professional development, and more
• Student Loan Debt Relief - County employees may be eligible for 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 and our

We are currently recruiting to fill a Sonoma Water Education Programs Specialist I positions. This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, or extra-help 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 formal title for this position is Water Agency Programs Specialist I.
Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Minimum Qualifications
Experience and Education: Any combination of education, training, and experience which would provide the required knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, this would include college level course work in water related science, environmental studies, environmental law, education, political science, communications, public relations, or a closely related field; and one year of experience in the implementation of water-related programs in one or more of the following areas: community relations, public outreach, media, water use efficiency technology, teaching methods consistent with state-wide educational standards, and/or legislative processes at the federal and state level.

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 requires possession of a valid California Driver's License.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Working knowledge of: principles, practices and methods of water use efficiency and natural resource conservation; strategies and methods for effective educational program programs, methods of conservation program implementation and monitoring, including plumbing efficiency, landscaping and turf, and urban and non-urban water reuse; principles and techniques of establishing and maintaining effective public relations; English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation; fundamentals of mass communication, public speaking, journalism, and social media; principles of graphic design and production; and techniques and methods of research, report writing and preparation of informational materials.

Some knowledge of: environmental principles and operation of water supply facilities and distribution systems; methods of water treatment and recycling, landscape design and installation practices; California State Science Standards; California Water Codes and related laws; environmental regulations and environmental enhancement and restoration methods related to operation and construction of water supply, flood control, renewable energy, recycled water, and wastewater treatment facilities; forecasting and statistics and their application in analysis; group dynamics as it relates to public organizations; modern office methods, procedures, and equipment, including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.

Ability to: plan, develop, organize, and implement a wide variety of water-related programs; negotiate agreements with various agencies and special interests to facilitate program activities; speak effectively and persuasively before diverse groups; establish effective working relationships with other staff and with persons possessing a wide variety of divergent views; write and edit written materials for publication; compile concise reports, letters, newsletters and other written materials; coordinate educational and informational seminars and workshops; prepare and disseminate information to media and others; prepare a wide range of clear, concise, and informative reports, correspondence, and brochures; operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications; use the internet and social media to enhance public outreach.

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 Gettingto 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 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. 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 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.