Executive Director of Yolo Habitat Conservancy

About the Department

The County of Yolo is recruiting to fill one at-will, full-time position as the Executive Director of Yolo Habitat Conservancy. This is a County position within the General Services Department within the newly constituted Parks & Conservation Planning Division. 

The Position 

Under the policy direction of the Yolo Habitat Conservancy Board of Directors (Board) and administrative direction of the County of Yolo, the Yolo Habitat Conservancy Executive Director serves as the administrator of the Yolo Habitat Conservancy, a joint powers agency responsible for implementing the Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan (Yolo HCP/NCCP). This position is responsible for overseeing the implementation of Board plans, policies, procedures and other Board decisions consistent with California and federal laws and regulations, developing the organizational budget and ensuring that all activities comply with funding source requirements and Yolo Habitat Conservancy Board approved principles and strategies. The Executive Director is the Board’s agent in ensuring efficient and effective organizational operations and administration. The Executive Director has Board delegated authority to enter contracts and authorize payment for Conservancy operations consistent with Board-approved policies and procedures. The incumbent will be responsible for supervising staff and consultants, performing technical, professional planning, program management, land acquisition, and project implementation work with a substantial degree of independence and judgment. This is a highly visible position that requires the incumbent to provide leadership, demonstrate political sensitivity, and develop and maintain positive working relationships with all those contacted during the course and scope of employment.

The ideal candidate will have previous experience conducting land acquisitions for conservation purposes, landscape-scale land conservation, habitat management and restoration, and a familiarity with regulatory permitting. Strong analytical, communication, customer service, and organizational skills, as well as the ability to thrive in a high-paced team environment are imperative for success in this position.

Position Duties

Click  to view the complete classification specification for Manager of Natural Resources- Yolo Habitat Conservancy Executive Director.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications 

Any combination of education and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying.  A typical way to obtain the required knowledge, skills and abilities is as follows:

Education: Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four year college or university with a degree in public or business administration, public policy, resource or environmental management, environmental studies, planning, or a closely related field; 

AND
Experience: Five (5) years of increasingly responsible experience in natural resource management, government and/or private industry performing work in one or more of the following areas:  watershed management, public administration, environmental policy administration, water policy administration, mining, resource management or environmental resource management.  At least two (2) years of qualifying experience must have been at the supervisory or management level.  Possession of a Masters Degree may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience.

License
Positions in this classification require incumbents to possess and maintain a valid California driver’s license, Class C or higher, to carry out job related duties. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to a physical or mental disability may request a reasonable accommodation. 

Knowledge of:  

• Principles and practices of governmental planning and public administration particularly in the areas of resource/habitat/environmental management, regional water resources/flood issues, and aggregate mining
• Planning laws, rules, ordinances and regulations at the County, regional, state, and federal level including the California Environmental Quality Act and the Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Communities Conservation Plan
• Principles and practices of supervision, discipline, leadership, mentoring, and training
• Team dynamics and team building
• Standard research methodology methods and procedures 
• Program and systems management
• Word processing, spreadsheet, and geographic information system programs utilized by the County

Ability to:  

• Organize work and exercise sound judgment
• Pay close attention to detail
• Research and make recommendations for policies, procedures, and regulations
• Plan, collect, analyze, interpret and apply data to various planning and resource management projects
• Organize and manage research studies
• Prepare and present concise and well organized written and oral reports of a technical nature
• Interpret and apply Federal, State, and County laws and regulations to resource management projects
• Monitor and interpret budgets and other financial documents
• Select, supervise, train, and evaluate staff
• Plan, coordinate, assign, and review the work of subordinate staff
• Investigate and resolve disciplinary issues
• Meet and deal effectively with the public and other governmental officials
• Provide assistance to various boards and commissions
• Use standard word processing, spreadsheets, data base, and presentation of graphics software
• Represent the Department as appropriate in a responsible and effective manner
• Express oneself clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing
• Work independently
• Meet established timelines
• Establish effective work relationships with those contacted in the course of work 

Other Qualifications

It is highly recommended that you print this job bulletin for future reference.  

Your application should highlight all relevant education, training, and experience, and clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. Application information must be current, concise, and related to the requirements in this job announcement. A resume may be included with your application; however, it will not substitute for the information requested on the application. Verification of education (official/unofficial transcripts or copy of diploma) must be attached to your application. Incomplete applications will be disqualified.

Additional documents may be submitted to the Yolo County Human Resources Department in any one or more of the following ways:

• As an attachment to the online application
• By e-mail to 
• By fax to (530) 666-8049
• By hand-delivery to 625 Court Street, Room 101, Woodland, CA 95695. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Human Resources is not responsible for the untimely delivery of materials sent via U.S./specialized mail, or County interoffice mail.

Selection Procedure

The selection process steps may change with or without notice.  The following is a tentative schedule of events that will occur as part of the selection process.   

• Screen for Minimum Qualifications
• Screening for Best Qualified
• Department Selection Interviews
• Reference Checks
• Conditional Job Offer, pending:
  1. Pre-Employment Exams 
• Confirmed Job Offer
• Estimated Start Date

Verification of Education

Acceptable forms of educational documentation are official/unofficial transcripts or copy of diploma that list the student's name, institution name, field of study and date the degree was awarded. For recent graduates who have not received proof of their degree, a letter from the registrar's office stating that all requirements for graduation have been met and listing the field of study will be sufficient proof of graduation.

Please do not send originals; copies of the required documents are acceptable. Any submitted documents will not be returned.

All foreign transcripts or diplomas must be in English. If the institution does not provide these documents in English, the applicant will need to provide a translation which has been done by a professional agency. The County of Yolo will accept education as equivalent to U.S. accreditation from Institutions that are listed as members of the International Association of Universities. You may check for your school by visiting the IAU web site ().

Applicants who possess a degree or completed coursework that is not from an accredited college or university, must submit one of the following: 

1. A written statement from a U.S accredited university or college that states that the applicant is qualified for entrance to a program of graduate studies for which a degree in a related field is required. 
2. An evaluation of the applicant's degree and coursework equivalency by a private organization that provides foreign credential evaluation services. The evaluation must include a comparison of comparable U.S. courses for content, credit and grade. 

Note: Foreign language documents must include a precise word-for-word English translation of all foreign language documents. It is the responsibility of each applicant to prove to the satisfaction of the County that the applicant meets the specific requirements listed on the job announcement for each specific examination. The following is a list of private organizations that provide foreign credential evaluation services. Fees range from $50 to $400 per document; processing times vary from 5-20 business days. For further information, please contact the organization(s). The County of Yolo does not endorse these business entities; this list has been developed for informational purposes only.

EDUCATIONAL RECORDS EVALUATION SERVICE
601 University Ave., Suite 127
Sacramento, CA 95825
(916) 921-0790
www.eres.com  

FOREIGN EDUCATION DOCUMENT SERVICE
P.O. Box 151739
San Diego, CA 92175
(619) 265-5810
www.documentservice.org

CENTER FOR APPLIED RESEARCH, EVALUATION & EDUCATION, INC.
P.O. Box 18358 Anaheim, CA 92817
(714) 237-9272
www.iescaree.com

GLOBAL SERVICES ASSOCIATES, INC.
409 North Pacific Coast Highway, # 393
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 828-5709
www.globaleval.org

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION RESEARCH FOUNDATION CREDENTIALS EVALUATION SERVICE
P.O. Box 3665
Culver City, CA 90231-3665
(310) 258-9451
www.ierf.org

Screening for Best Qualified

The supplemental questions are designed to elicit specific information regarding a candidate's experience, education, and training. Responses should be consistent with the information on your application and are subject to verification.  If a job included responsibilities applicable to several questions, separate the different functions of the job to answer all the questions completely.  

Resumes or referral to the application or other questionnaire responses will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question.  If you have no experience, write "no experience" for the appropriate question.  Based upon responses to the supplemental questionnaire, the applicant's education, training, and experience will be evaluated to determine those applicants that are best qualified. 

Contact Information

For questions about the position or about employment with the County, please contact Human Resources by e-mail at  or by phone at (530) 666-8055.

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is the policy of the County of Yolo to provide equal employment opportunity for all qualified persons, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, race, color, ancestry, religious creed, national origin, physical disability (Including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over), marital status, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, or any other classification protected by federal, state or local laws or ordinance. The County will comply with all of its obligations under State and Federal laws regarding the provision of reasonable accommodations to applicants.

Reasonable testing arrangements may be made to accommodate applicants with disabilities or who are unable to attend a scheduled test due to religious reasons in accordance with the Fair Employment and Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please call the County of Yolo Human Resources Office at (530) 666-8055at least five (5) business days prior to the scheduled test date to request accommodation. Documentation from a medical doctor, rehabilitation counselor, or other qualified professional will be required.