Occupancy Specialist II - Promotional

County of Sonoma (CA); Santa Rosa (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Sonoma (CA) is recruiting for an Occupancy Specialist II in a time-limited role. You will manage caseloads, verify household data, and prepare re-certifications in line with the Housing Authority Plan.

Strong communication and empathy are essential to assist households navigating program requirements. The position emphasizes independent work, accurate documentation, and collaboration with the Occupancy Team to resolve issues and support vulnerable populations.

Qualifications

• Reviewing and verifying financial documentation and performing income and expense calculations
• Conducting client interviews, assessing information, and managing an assigned caseload
• Explaining policies, procedures, and program requirements to clients
• Working with people experiencing homelessness or other vulnerable populations
• Problem-solving skills and the ability to identify and address discrepancies
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications
• Working independently and collaboratively as part of a team
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with client households

Responsibilities

• Manage caseloads of client households and process annual and interim recertifications in accordance with established procedures
• Review and verify household and financial information
• Communicate regularly with clients regarding documentation, program requirements, and changes in household circumstances

Skills

Empathy

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Microsoft Office

Client interviewing

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Caseload management

Education

Public administration coursework

Business coursework

Accounting coursework

Tools

Housing Authority systems

Job description

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 Community Development Commission (CDC) has requested a department promotional certification to fill a Time-Limited position at either the Occupancy Specialist I or II level, which are currently funded through June 30, 2027. If you are interested in being considered at the I level, you must apply to the separate, concurrent recruitment being conducted at that level. Only qualified Community Development Commission 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 positions as they occur during the active status of the list.

As an Occupancy Specialist II, you will manage caseloads of client households and process annual and interim recertifications in accordance with established procedures and the Housing Authority Administrative Plan. You will review and verify household and financial information, perform income and medical expense calculations, and communicate regularly with clients regarding documentation, program requirements, and changes in household circumstances. Working independently while collaborating with the Occupancy Team, you will identify and resolve case-related issues and provide responsive service to client households.

The ideal candidate is someone who communicates effectively, demonstrates empathy, and exercises sound judgment when assisting clients with housing program requirements. The ideal candidate will also possess many of the following:

• Reviewing and verifying financial documentation and performing income and expense calculations
• Conducting client interviews, assessing information, and managing an assigned caseload
• Explaining policies, procedures, and program requirements to clients
• Working with people experiencing homelessness or other vulnerable populations
• Problem-solving skills and the ability to identify and address discrepancies
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications
• Working independently and collaboratively as part of a team
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with client households

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.

Experience and Education: Any combination of education and work experience which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed herein. Normally, this would include academic coursework in public administration, business, accounting, or related fields and one year of work experience equivalent to performing duties as an Occupancy Specialist I.

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 does not require possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

Bilingual Designation: Designated positions may be required the ability to speak, read, and write a language in addition to English.Knowledge of: basic mathematics; English grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, and composition; methods and techniques used in researching, proofing, evaluating, and gathering information; customer service methods and techniques; organizing and presenting data in a report format to the public; the purpose and processing of a diversity of forms and documents related to federally assisted housing programs; the use of computerized equipment and specific systems used within the Commission; applicable policies, procedures, and regulations.

Ability to follow oral and written instructions; establish, organize, revise, and maintain program and project files; establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, other employees, supervisors, community organizations, and the general public; analyze situations and adopt effective courses of action within established procedures; communicate effectively verbally and in writing with individuals from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds; perform assigned technical tasks and routines; maintain confidentiality of restricted information; maintain records and prepare reports or correspondence; use electronic information equipment and Commission specific systems; enter data accurately; work independently in performing assignments and in resolving problems within established procedures; function effectively in a system with strict guidelines and constant changes; monitor standard contracts for service, including processing reimbursement requests; effectively organize and manage assigned workload.

• 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.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to 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.

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 candidates.

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.

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: CA

HR Technician: VH