These are entrance requirements to the exam process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list.
EDUCATION, TRAINING and EXPERIENCE
Any combination of experience and education that would likely produce the required knowledge, skills and abilities of the respective classification.
Water Resources Specialist I
Some experience in hydrography or water quality analysis which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities. This can be obtained by at least one (1) year of technical field and/or office experience in the specialty area.
Water Resources Specialist II
Considerable experience in hydrography or water quality analysis which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities. The required knowledge, skills, and abilities also can be obtained by at least three (3) years of technical field and/or office experience in the specialty area; OR, two (2) years of experience comparable to a Water Resources Specialist I.
Substitution (WRS I & II): Completion of an Associate's degree in one (1) of the physical sciences or two (2) years of related college work may be substituted for a maximum of one (1) year of the required experience.
Water Resources Specialist IIIExtensive experience in hydrography or water quality analysis which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities. The required knowledge, skills, and abilities also can be obtained by possession of a Bachelor's degree in a science or engineering field AND one (1) year of technical field and/or office experience in the specialty area; OR two (2) years of experience comparable to a Water Resources Specialist II.
Water Resources Specialist IV
Progressively responsible experience in hydrography or water quality analysis which has led to the acquisition of the required knowledge, skills and abilities. The required knowledge, skills, and abilities also can be obtained by possession of a Bachelor's degree in a science or engineering field AND two (2) years of technical field and/or office experience in the specialty area; OR one (1) year of experience comparable to a Water Resources Specialist III.
Substitution (WRS III & IV): Additional progressively responsible experience in hydrography or water quality analysis may be substituted for the Bachelor’s degree (year for year).
- Must possess and maintain a valid California driver's license;
- Must be able and willing to travel to work sites independently;
- Must be able and willing to perform work under physically demanding conditions outdoors, in rugged terrain, in confined areas such as wells and in inclement weather (rain);
- Must be able and willing to lift, push and/or pull objects weighing up to 50 pounds;
- Must be able and willing to work successfully independently and as a team, at remote field sites and in an office environment; and
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal. Skills must be demonstrated in the completion of the employment application and supplemental questionnaire.
DESIRED
Groundwater
- Some knowledge of geology and hydrology, well construction and destruction methods and well operations;
- Some knowledge of sampling protocols and basic water-quality chemistry;
- Some experience calibrating and operating water-level and water-quality monitoring equipment and dataloggers;
- Some experience collecting groundwater quality samples for laboratory analysis; and
- Possession of a Bachelor's Degree in Geology, Earth Science, Soil Science or Engineering.
Water Quality
- Some knowledge of and experience with electronics and construction, water quality/quantity measuring equipment'; and surveying equipment;
- Some experience in building, installing, maintaining and troubleshooting water quality equipment and instrumentation;
- Some experience using databases for data analysis and report writing;
- Some experience with operating peristaltic pumps, multi-meters, soldering, hand tools, hammer drills, data loggers, pressure transducers, tipping bucket rain gauges, pipe conduits and fittings; and
- Some experience in leading the activities of subordinate staff.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES
Some (I), considerable (II), extensive (III/IV) knowledge of: principles, practices, and techniques used in watershed management such as flood control hydrographic procedures; the operation and maintenance of various types of recorders and equipment used in connection with stream flow, evaporation and precipitation; the collection, processing and analysis of hydrologic data; local hydrology and drainage response to various sized storm events; interpreting multiple weather forecasts and response curves to create local storm intensity predictions; Federal, state, County regulations/ordinances (NPDES) pertaining to water quality and other environmental issues; NPDES permit requirements, adopted TMDL monitoring and reporting requirements; sampling protocols and methods, water quality monitoring methods and equipment, chain of custody procedures, invasive species precautions, holding times, sample preservatives, etc.; geography, geology, hydrology and/or environmental sciences; math/statistics in order to perform mathematical computations and statistical procedures; designing and fabricating equipment (e.g., rain and/or stream gauges that are used to measure water); Geographic Information Systems (GIS), databases, spreadsheets, word processing and graphics programs; safety methods, procedures and devices used while working in the field; the use and operation of peristaltic pumps, multi-meters, soldering, hand tools, hammer drills, data loggers, pressure transducers, tipping bucket rain gauges, pipe conduits and fittings; and the use and operation of different types of flowmeters and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) (Fox Canyon).
Some knowledge of (IV): the basic principles associated with lead supervision of staff.
Skill in: using survey equipment for determining water levels; working and interacting effectively with other employees, representatives from other agencies/departments and the public; report writing in order to produce various reports containing data that is used by both internal staff and external customers; and data analysis for the purpose of interpreting and communicating data; and leading the activities of subordinate staff (IV).
Ability to: operate, calibrate, troubleshoot, and repair hydrographic and water quality instruments; maintain accurate logs and records; communicate orally and in writing for the purpose of sharing data/information with other agencies/departments and/or the public; work independently and at times, in remote areas; work and interact with representatives from other agencies/departments and the public; and assist in training the lower-level Water Resources Specialists (III).
FINAL FILING DATE: Your application must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, 2024.
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.
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.
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.
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 (including Temporary, and Fixed-term), Extra-Help and Intermittent vacancies. There are currently three (3) Regular vacancies.
Note: If appointed at the lower level, incumbents may be promoted to the higher level without further examination upon meeting the minimum requirements, demonstrating satisfactory performance, and in accordance with business needs of the department.
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 Kelli Fitzgerald by email at kelli.fitzgerald@ventura.org.
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.
