The Napa Valley
Napa County is home to 140,000 residents who share a strong sense of community and a legacy of preserving and protecting our rich agricultural heritage.
Located in the heart of California's preeminent wine region, the Napa Valley is also part of the dynamic San Francisco Bay Metropolitan Area. With its sunny Mediterranean climate and proximity to the mountains and ocean, the Valley offers residents easy access to virtually unlimited shopping, dining, cultural and recreational opportunities.
The Napa Valley's strategic location, natural and cultural resources, history of responsible land use planning and attractive quality of life provide the ideal mix of small town living and big city amenities.
Napa County as an Employer
As an organization, Napa County is dedicated to improving the lives of our citizens and reflecting the best of the community's values: Respect, Accountability, Dedication, Integrity and Innovation. Learn more https://www.countyofnapa.org/721/Working-for-Napa-County.
The Position
The Department of Planning, Building, and Environmental Services (PBES) serves our community by enforcing a fair, efficient, and open process that balances the diverse needs of agriculture, the economy, health and safety, and the environment. As a member of PBES you will work alongside employees from the following PBES Divisions: Planning, Building, Code Enforcement, Engineering, Environmental Health, Natural Resources, Parks, and Staff Services.
Learn more about PBES https://www.countyofnapa.org/589/Planning-Building-Environmental-Services.
About the Position
The Principal Planner for Sustainability will work in the Natural Resources Division of Planning, Building, and Environmental Services Department (PBES) and provide highly complex staff assistance to the Natural Resource Conservation Manager and the Director of PBES. The selected individual will serve as lead staff to the Climate Action Committee (CAC), a Brown Act body consisting of two elected officials from the County and each of its four incorporated cities and one town. The CAC was formed in 2020 in recognition of the necessity to respond proactively to the challenges of climate change and to embodies the County’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the effects of a changing climate.
The Principal Planner for Sustainability will lead junior staff, consultants, municipal staff and the public in the development of a Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (RCAAP) currently under development by the CAC (expected completion in 2025) and facilitate its adoption by the Napa County Board of Supervisors and city/town councils of the other five municipalities. The selected individual will provide input on all elements of the RCAAP and direction to the consultant team in consultation with members of the CAC. Following completion of the RCAAP, the Principal Planner for Sustainability will lead and coordinate implementation of various measures and actions identified in the adopted RCAAP which are specific to unincorporated Napa County and act as coordinator for implementation of measures and actions that are common to all Napa County municipalities. This will involve close and frequent communication with other County department heads (e.g. Public Works) and their staff and will require the selected candidate to develop and foster relationships with staff with a diverse set of job functions that do not primarily involve climate change adaptation.
The selected candidate will play an integral role in the County's update to the Baseline Data Report and General Plan Update scheduled to begin in 2025. The Principal Planner for Sustainability will also lead other climate action initiatives and serve as subject matter expert and provide analytical support for policy briefs related to climate change, renewable energy, energy efficiency, decarbonization and sustainability to County departments, the CAC, Board of Supervisors, external stakeholders, community groups and the general public. A competitive candidate should have an awareness of political sensitivities that may exist around the implementation of the RCAAP and the ability to successfully negotiate them and must apply a high degree of emotional intelligence in their interactions.
This recruitment is being conducted to fill one full-time vacancy in the Planning, Building, and Environmental Services Department. The list established by this recruitment may also be used to fill future full-time, part-time, limited term, and extra help vacancies for up to one year.
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities would be:
Experience:
Four (4) years of increasingly responsible professional experience in planning. natural resource management or related field. Note: A master’s degree in planning or closely related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience.
Education:
A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in city, county, or regional land use planning, environmental science, geology, natural resources or related field is required. Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for two (2) years of the required college education on a year-for-year basis.
License or Certificate:*
Possession of a valid California Driver's License.
*Any license, certification, or registration required for this position shall be maintained (i.e. active and in good standing) at all times during employment with Napa County. For continued employment with Napa County, you must maintain such license, certification, or registration to meet the minimum qualifications of this position.
The Recruitment Process
Application Deadline:5:00 pm (PST) on August 23, 2024
Application Screening & Supplemental Questions Scoring Week of August 26, 2024
Supplemental questions will be scored by the subject matter experts. Only the most qualified applicants from the scoring of the supplemental questions will be invited for an Oral Panel Interview.
Oral Panel Interview Tentatively scheduled for the week of September 16, 2024
Establish Eligibility List: By September 27, 2024
Only the most qualified candidates from the oral panel exam will be placed on the eligibility list and may be considered to fill positions for up to one year.
The Human Resources Department reserves the right to change the recruitment process at any time.
Example of Duties
To view the full job description, including the example of duties, please click https://apptrkr.com/5488318
Napa County employees automatically become Disaster Service Workers. This means that when Napa County experience emergencies (earthquakes, wildfire, power outage, etc.) you may be asked to pivot from your regular duties to provide critical services to those affected by the emergency (Cal. Gov. Code § 3101.) BenefitsLearn more about the benefits package for this position https://www.countyofnapa.org/750/Benefit-Plan-Summaries.
ADA Accommodation
Applicants requiring accommodation during the application and/or selection process pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act should contact County of Napa Human Resources at (707) 253-4303.
Napa County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.