Health Information Specialist II - Promotional

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. The Department of Health Services has requested a department promotional certification to fill a Health Information Specialist II position. Only qualified permanent and/or probationary Department of Health Services employees on the eligible list may be eligible for referral to the department for the advertised position . 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 HIS Role in Tobacco Prevention and Compliance

This position supports the implementation of the tobacco prevention and enforcement program. This work involves developing expertise in understanding the health effects of tobacco use, the variety of tobacco products on the market, their use patterns and prevalence including knowledge of demographic, geographic, income and other equity-based levels of analysis so that prevention and intervention methods can be applied more effectively. The position will gain a deep understanding of the fast-evolving tobacco policy environment at the federal, state and local levels. Reporting to a Health Program Manager, the position works closely with Senior HIS for Tobacco Compliance and Enforcement Work but has no direct reports. Responsibilities for this HIS II position include:

• Informing and educating the community and policy makers on the nexus between health outcomes and tobacco policy
• Working with the business/retail community to inform them how tobacco laws impact their business operations
• Conducting field inspections and educating retailers on how to maintain compliance with all laws
• Participating various administrative tasks such as contract development and monitoring, and supporting the development of grant proposals, grant reporting, and budget development
• Coordinating and delivering trainings and presentations to the community on retail policy
• Overseeing contracts to support retail compliance efforts with law enforcement and local contractors
• Performing and leading tasks involved with administering and conducting compliance activities, including conducting compliance visits with tobacco retailers in the county.
• Coordinating and training adults to perform purchase surveys though decoy and observation operations
• Developing and updating data collection tools, collecting data and providing analysis to produce salient messages, findings, and materials to educate the public and inform policy makers
• Supporting communities and city staff on the implementation of tobacco retail policy
• Administering and issuing annual tobacco licenses
• Maintaining a database related to tobacco retailers past and present in Sonoma County
• Developing, selecting, and posting educational materials and media

No uniform is required, however, a shirt will be provided with a county logo to wear during inspections. The position may work occasional evenings and weekends. The primary hours of work are Monday-Friday 8am-5pm. The work involves driving and visiting retailers all over Sonoma County, so a driver’s license is required.

The ideal candidates will enjoy public speaking, working in a fast-paced environment, and strive for continuous learning. In addition, they will possess many of the following:

• Significant experience working in the health prevention, promotion, and/or education field
• Knowledge of social determinants of health and equity concepts
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to document all retail visits data in a complete and efficient manner
• The ability to research, analyze, and present data in the form of reports, articles, and social media
• An understanding of tobacco laws, especially in the retail arena, would be beneficial
• The ability to represent the County to the public and with retailers, to work effectively at gaining respect from retailers, and providing good customer service
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Intermediate Microsoft Office skills
• Experience conducting compliance visits would be helpful
• Experience using Accella is a plus!

This recruitment is being conducted to fill a Health Information Specialist II position in the Department of Health Services. 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.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: Any combination of experience that would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, two years of experience equivalent to the level of Health Information Specialist I with Sonoma County would fulfill this requirement.

Or

Two years of on-the-job work experience in prevention, health promotion and/or health education. Work experience in a public health education environment involving training and instructing various age groups and special target populations is highly desirable.

Education: Possession of a Bachelor's degree with major coursework in health education, community health, social services or closely related field. On-the-job experience in prevention, health promotion and/or health education experience, especially dealing with diverse populations, together with academic coursework in health education, community health, social services or a closely related field may be substituted for a Bachelor's degree on a year-for-year basis. Graduate level coursework is desirable in health education, community health, social services or a closely related field. Possession of a Master's degree is desirable.

Special Qualifications: Some positions may require the ability to fluently speak and write a language other than English.

Working Conditions: Duties may require exposure to hostile, emotionally disturbed or mentally ill persons and/or confrontational interpersonal situations; exposure to communicable diseases; stand for long periods of time; stoop, lift articles in accordance with accepted safety standards; perform physical tasks as required; may work in high risk areas of the community; may be required to work a flexible schedule.

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: health education principles, practices and methods including those dealing with substance abuse, health promotion, health maintenance and disease prevention; principles, methods and techniques of community organization, group work, program planning; techniques for outreach to and collaboration with diverse groups and communities; public, non-profit, and private community resources and service agencies; State laws and regulations appropriate to a specialized area; methods, principles and techniques of instruction, training and teaching in structured and unstructured situations; research, survey, data compilation and evaluation methods and procedures; techniques in preparing written materials and other education aids; and facilitation and presentation skills.

Knowledge of: principles, methods and techniques of community organization, group work, program planning, program evaluation, grant writing, budget preparation and contract management; health education resources and materials; automated systems and programs utilized in the development and dissemination of documents and graphic materials; and State laws and regulations appropriate to a specialized area.

Ability to: Plan and implement health information and health promotion programs and services; apply statistical and survey methods to identify future program and community needs and evaluate programs and services; write and speak effectively and prepare and maintain clear and concise records and program reports; prepare public information materials and reports; make presentations to community and professional groups; exercise independent judgment, analyze and evaluate situations independently and take appropriate actions; plan, organize, conduct and oversee a variety of instruction and training activities; build coalitions of diverse organizations and individuals to facilitate the delivery of health education services; develop and maintain effective relations with clients, staff, community groups and organizations; work effectively with diverse groups; conduct research to identify sources of grant and other funds and assist in the preparation of proposals necessary for their acquisition; utilize mass media communication resources such as newspapers, radio, television and graphic arts; and utilize a variety of automated systems and programs to develop documents and graphic materials for use in program activities.

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 Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma 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 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 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.

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 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 Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org . 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: DP

HR Technician: VH

Important Note: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

County of Sonoma Benefits:*

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 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 https://scretire.org/active-/-deferred/when-you-are-hired .

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 Public Service Loan Forgiveness 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 Labor Agreements & Salary Resolution . For specific information about health and welfare benefits, including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts, go to Human Resources or contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonomacounty.gov or (707) 565-2900.

*Important Notes: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Closing Date/Time: 12/22/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

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• County of Sonoma

• 707-565-8059

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