Chief Deputy Agricultural Commissioner

Position Information

The Agriculture/Weights and Measures Department is seeking an experienced, collaborative leader to serve as the next Chief Deputy Agricultural Commissioner!

Starting salary up to $65.52/hour ($136,748/year) and a competitive total compensation package!*

Reporting to the Assistant Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures, the Chief Deputy Agricultural Commissioner manages the Agricultural Division, directly supervises three Deputy Agricultural Commissioners, and oversees twelve inspectors. This position plans and reviews the workload for the Agricultural Division and collaborates with other managers in the department to align division work with department priorities to meet overall department mandates, goals, and objectives.

The Chief Deputy Agricultural Commissioner is also responsible for:

• Planning the distribution of workload, assigning responsibilities, and providing feedback to Deputy Agricultural Commissioners and inspectors
• Meeting one-on-one with Deputy Agricultural Commissioners to communicate expectations and provide feedback, plan self-development opportunities, and maintain accountability for staff
• Collaborating with Agricultural Commissioner staff from other counties and state agency partners
• Planning and monitoring contracts and budgets for the division
• Managing enforcement actions that result from inspections
• Receiving and coordinating responses to community complaints related to Agricultural Division programs
• Using technical knowledge in agricultural inspection to train and support inspection staff
• Continuing professional development to remain knowledgeable on topics pertinent to the Agricultural Division

This role is primarily office-based, with occasional fieldwork that includes driving county vehicles in all weather conditions to support training or mentoring. While the position typically follows standard office hours, evening or weekend availability may be required for meetings, trainings, or outreach events.

Please note: This position requires possession of a valid Deputy County Agricultural Commissioner License issued by the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

The ideal candidate is operationally agile and can shift gears quickly as the position requires, and will possess many of the following:

• Extensive knowledge of agricultural laws, regulations, inspection procedures, and equipment
• Previous training from the California Department of Food and Agriculture and from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation
• The ability to identify opportunities for improvement and efficiencies to stay ahead of regulatory changes
• Experience in training and mentoring others to grow in their career
• The ability to effectively collaborate with other department managers, external department managers, and representatives of state agencies
• Interest in continued growth as a leader, with a leadership style that fosters trust, respect, and innovation
• A strong sense of public duty and a commitment to serving our diverse community
• Experience giving empathetic feedback/constructive criticism with the ability to manage and resolve conflicts
• Experience with public speaking to large groups or the press
• Possession of good communication, critical thinking, decision-making, and writing skills.
• The ability to use Outlook, Word, and Excel at an intermediate level
• Possession of valid County Agricultural Commissioner and Deputy County Sealer of Weights and Measures licenses are desirable

Agriculture/Weights and Measures Department

The Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures enforces the laws and regulations of the California Food and Agriculture Code, California Business and Professions Code, California Code of Regulations, Health and Safety Code, Uniform Fire Code, and County Code. Sonoma County's Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures employs a staff of thirty-nine people and has its main office in Santa Rosa, with a small satellite office in the city of Sonoma.

The Agricultural Division

The primary goal and purpose of County Agricultural Commissioners statewide is “To Promote and To Protect” agriculture and to protect the public health, safety, and welfare. Agriculture is one of the main industries in Sonoma County, and it provides a very significant base to the county's economy. The department promotes and protects agriculture through educational outreach and enforcement. The Agriculture Division conducts field inspections and regulatory functions related to several programs, including: pesticide use enforcement, pest prevention and detection, nursery regulation, egg quality, farmers' markets, hazardous materials storage, and cannabis regulation.

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:

• 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
• Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• Staff Development/Wellness - Annual benefit allowances of up to $2,000 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• 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 health insurance/benefits
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Incentive Retirement Savings Plan (IRSP) and 457 Voluntary Deferred Compensation - 3% of salary County contribution to a 401(a), in addition to the County matching up to 1% of base salary in 401(a), based upon employee contribution
• 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 Public Service Loan Forgiveness 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 Salary Resolution (SalRes) and our Employee Benefits Directory .

This recruitment is being conducted to fill a Chief Deputy Agricultural Commissioner position in the Agriculture/Weights & Measures Department. 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 to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Any combination of education and work experience which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed herein. Normally, graduation from a four-year college with major work in agriculture or the biological sciences or other degrees approved by the California Secretary of Food and Agriculture or another related field which would qualify to obtain the Deputy County Agricultural Commissioner License, and either two years of full-time paid experience in a position comparable to Deputy Agricultural Commissioner or three years in a position comparable to Senior Agriculture/Weights and Measures Inspector.

Licenses: Possession of a valid California driver 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 does require possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

Special Qualification Requirement: Possession of a valid Deputy County Agricultural Commissioner License issued by the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Desirable Qualifications: Possession of valid County Agricultural Commissioner, Deputy County Sealer of Weights and Measures, and County Sealer of Weights and Measures licenses.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Thorough knowledge of : the California Food and Agricultural Code, California Code of Regulations, Business and Professions Code, County Municipal Code, Health and Safety Code, and the Uniform Fire Code as they pertain to regulating agricultural producers.

Considerable knowledge of: supervisory principles and techniques including personnel management, training, staff supervision; management principles and techniques including program planning, office procedures, effective budgetary practices, and records management; research methodology and sampling; report writing; basic statistics and their application; and techniques of investigation and rules of evidence.

Working knowledge of: effective written and oral communication techniques, including language mechanics, and syntax; common office technology and software (including Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and others); the use of databases and other software products used by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and the County of Sonoma to carry out regulatory programs.

Ability to: effectively supervise, direct, train, and evaluate full-time and seasonal staff; set priorities, goals, and objectives for staff and assist with formulating departmental procedures and policies; establish and maintain harmonious public relations while enforcing laws, rules and regulations firmly, tactfully, and impartially; analyze situations accurately and take effective courses of action; make decisions on routine enforcement problems, act as an advocate for the department or hearing officer for administrative actions in accordance with department policies and procedures; understand, interpret, and apply rules, regulations, and ordinances and Federal, State, and local legislation; analyze and interpret statistical information; use principles of inductive and deductive reasoning to validate conclusions and recommendations; and effectively use computer equipment and systems.

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 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. 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 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: KK

HR Technician: VH

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 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: 1/13/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

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• County of Sonoma

• 707-565-8059

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