Special Projects Director - Project

Salary : $145,910.56 - $177,363.46 Annually

Location : Santa Rosa, CA

Job Type : Full-Time

Job Number : 25 / 02-0849-OPROJ

Department : Department of Health Services (DHS)

Opening Date : 02 / 04 / 2025

Closing Date : 2 / 12 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Pacific

Bargaining Unit : 50

Position Information

The Department of Health Services is looking for a Special Projects Director with extensive project management experience and a passion for serving the community!

Starting salary up to $84.98 / hour ($177,363 / year) and a competitive total compensation package!

Please note : This Special Projects Director - Project position has an end date of February 27, 2029.

About the Position

The Department of Health Services is seeking a Special Projects Director to lead impactful community-focused initiatives. In this role, you will provide leadership and supervision to project staff, define team roles, and delegate decision-making responsibilities. You will effectively communicate project goals, objectives, and status to stakeholders. In addition, the Special Projects Director will :

• Manage and monitor project plans, assess procedures, and provide post-implementation support
• Identify and mitigate project risks and propose operational recommendations within the project scope
• Manage and oversee budgets, resources, procurement, and vendors
• Deliver clear and concise executive-level presentations, status reports, and project post-mortems
• Work cross-functionally with subject matter experts and department stakeholders

As the ideal candidate to join the team, you will have five or more years of project management experience, a desire to serve the community, and many of the following :

About the Department of Health Services

DHS is one of the County's largest and most complex departments. DHS consists of the Administration, Behavioral Health, Public Health, and Homelessness Services Divisions and is driven by its mission to promote, protect, and ensure access to services that support the health, recovery, and well-being of all in Sonoma County. These ideas are the basis for how DHS operates and delivers services :

For more information regarding the department, its programs, services, and partnerships, visit the .

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

This recruitment is being conducted to fill a Special Projects Director - Project position in the Department of Health Services. 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.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience : Any combination of education, training, and experience, which would likely provide for possession of stated knowledge and abilities. Normally, significant coursework in project management, management information systems, business administration, public administration, or a closely related field; and five years of experience managing large, complex projects, A Bachelor's degree in one of the stated areas and experience in a government setting is desirable.

Special Requirement : Depending upon the project scope experience related to the special project 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.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Thorough knowledge of : Principles and best practices of project management including project development, change management, risk management, organizational communications, implementation, business process re-engineering, and quality assurance; techniques and tools of project management; principles and practices of team leadership, personnel management and supervision; requirements and methods of procurement, contract negotiation, contract preparation and oversight; budgeting principles and procedures.

Considerable knowledge of : business systems and technologies; principles, methods and techniques of analysis, planning and design; methods to analyze and recommend business solutions to meet needs and requirements; training methodologies and training program development.

Ability to : Plan, organize, prioritize, coordinate and manage complex projects; analyze and evaluate information, problems, and situations and develop an effective course of action; plan, delegate, and evaluate project staff; review and evaluate project deliverables; manage and evaluate consultant and / or contractor performance; coordinate project activities with county management, elected officials, consultants and vendors; develop and evaluate project plans, identify and obtain resources necessary to meet timelines; implement new business processes and training programs; prepare and present clear, concise and accurate oral and written reports; communicate effectively orally and in writing.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

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 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 & 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 :

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 & 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 & 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 to determine the requirements for this position.

How To Apply

Applications are accepted online at 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 : SZ

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

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.

How did you first learn about this opportunity?

Please indicate if you would also be interested in future part-time or extra-help (temporary, intermittent, or seasonal employment) positions should they become available. Check all that apply.

This eligible list may be used for future bilingual (English / Spanish) positions. Please indicate if you are interested in bilingual positions, and your level of proficiency.

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 your education, coursework, or training in project management, management information systems, business administration, public administration, or a closely related field. Please list any relevant degrees, courses, training, and / or certifications you possess.

Please describe your five or more years of experience managing large, complex projects. For each position you discuss, please list :

Please describe a project you managed from start to finish. Please detail :

Required Question

Salary : $84,980 - $177,363