| Location | Santa Rosa, CA |
Real Estate Project Specialist
Salary
$112,892.32 - $137,207.27 Annually
Location
Santa Rosa, CA
Job Type
Full-Time
Job Number
26/10-0762-O
Department
Sonoma County Public Infrastructure (SPI)
Opening Date
10/29/2026
Closing Date
11/16/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Bargaining Unit
50
Position Information
Are you a Real Estate Professional Looking for a New Challenge?
Join Public Infrastructure as a Real Estate Project Specialist!
Starting salary up to $65.74/hour ($137,207/year) and a competitive total compensation package!*
Under the direction of the Real Estate Manager, the Real Estate Project Specialist performs real property acquisitions, dispositions, and leasing transactions. They lead cross-functional project teams and direct retained consultants within approved scopes. The Real Estate Project Specialist prepares and reviews agreements for real property transactions, ensures that facilities are maintained according to contract obligations, conducts financial feasibility and market studies, and prepares and reviews resolutions and staff reports for the Board of Supervisors. Additional duties also include:
Assisting the Real Estate Manager in County-wide facility planning, space utilization, and financial analysis
Developing and clearly explaining comparative analyses of lease versus purchase options, rent and escalation structures, net versus full-service costs, tenant improvements, operating expenses, property value, and transaction timelines
Managing property acquisitions for County use, including due diligence, appraisal and title coordination, negotiations, agreements, and closing support
Representing the County as the landlord or licensor of County-owned property, including handling negotiations, renewals, revenue terms, and coordinating operational and maintenance obligations with Facilities Management
The ideal candidate for the Real Estate Project Specialist position will be able to read and critically assess commercial leases, purchase and sale agreements, licenses, MOUs, rights of entry, and telecom agreements, and effectively identify business risks, missing terms, and issues for County Counsel. They will also possess many of the following:
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 youre working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits* including:
About the Department
Sonoma Public Infrastructure (SPI) plans, builds, manages, and maintains the County of Sonomas investment in critical services and quality infrastructure. SPIs multiple Divisions are dedicated to providing construction and maintenance services throughout the community, including:
About Sonoma County
The County of Sonoma offers a rare and compelling array of scenic, recreational, and geographic characteristics that include over 200 award winning wineries, majestic redwoods, inspiring coastline and beaches, and the vibrant Russian River. Encompassing over one million acres of land and water, rich with agriculture, parks, campsites, lakes, and open spaces, the County is home to over 500,000 residents and offers a wide variety of art and music festivals, farmers markets, and concert venues. Local schools continually rank high on Californias Academic Performance Index, and the Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University offer higher education opportunities.
Please visit sonomacountyconnections.org for more information about Sonoma County, the place to live, work, and build your career.
This recruitment is being conducted to fill a Real Estate Project Specialist position in Sonoma Public Infrastructure. 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 be completed.
Minimum Qualifications
Experience and Experience: Any combination of education and work experience which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed herein. Normally, this would include coursework in real estate, business administration, public administration, economics, law, or a closely related field and two years of professional experience in the leasing, management, acquisition, and/or disposition of commercial real estate assets and interests. A Bachelors or Masters degree, or equivalent, in a related field is highly desirable.
License: Possession of a valid drivers 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 in this announcement does not require possession of a valid California Driver's License.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Considerable knowledge of: principles, practices, and techniques of property appraisal, acquisition, leasing, and disposition; negotiation techniques and strategies; state, federal, and local laws and regulations applicable to the acquisition, disposition, and leasing of real property assets and interests; principles and practices of project management; the principles of research methodology, data collection, and analysis; effective written and oral communications, including language mechanics, syntax, and English composition, modern office practices and procedures, including computers and related software.
Working knowledge of: principles and practices of County policies and procedures related to procurement, contract development, and insurance; the appropriate forms and terminology used for real property transactions; local real estate and relocation service providers; statistical and financial analysis; presentation skills.
Ability to: organize, plan, schedule, budget, and coordinate real estate projects; collect, interpret, and analyze data and make recommendations based on that analysis; plan, coordinate, initiate, and complete actions necessary to implement project plans; analyze situations and select appropriate course of action; act as a liaison between departmental clients and other parties such as property owners and contractors; develop and maintain effective working relationships with those encountered in the course of work; present detailed technical data clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.
Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying
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 to 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 applicants 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, drivers 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:
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 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 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 theJob Classification Screening Scheduleto determine the requirements for this position.
How to Apply
Applications are accepted online atwww.yourpath2sonomacounty.org. Paper applications may be submitted in person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job announcement 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: JT
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.
01
How did you first learn about this opportunity?
02
Please indicate if you would also be interested in future part-time or extra-help (temporary, intermittent, or seasonal employment) positions should they become available. Check all that apply.
03
For this question and all subsequent questions, please provide sufficient information to allow for a thorough evaluation of your qualifications. Responses to supplemental questions may be scored using specific criteria and may be reviewed by hiring managers.
Please detail how you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, which normally includes a combination of:
For your years of experience, include your job title(s), employers name(s), dates of employment (mm/yy - mm/yy), and a description of your responsibilities.
04
Please describe in detail your experience writing real estate-related documents, i.e., reports to governing bodies, real estate contracts, appraisal reports, consultant agreements, requests for proposals, project status reports, policies and procedures, letters, memorandums, transmittals, etc.
05
Please describe your experience conducting financial analysis and preparing complex financial reports, highlighting your experience calculating fair market rental rates, managing tenant accounts, preparing financial forecasts, and maximizing rates of return.
Required Question
Employer County of Sonoma (CA)
Address 575 Administration Drive, Suite 116B
Santa Rosa, California, 95403
Phone (707) 565-2331