Santa Barbara County is one of the most desirable places in the world to live and work with a spectacular natural setting that includes 50 miles of scenic coastline, beautiful valleys, and rugged peaks to 6,800 feet. The County's 1.6 million acres include a national forest, Vandenberg Air Force Base, seven cities, and half a million acres of open space preserves. The County boasts strong economic bases in both high technology and agriculture, including a rapidly expanding vineyard industry that produces some of the world's finest wines. Nestled between the mountains and the sea, the city of Santa Barbara serves as the County seat. With its palm tree lined beachfront and charming Mediterranean architecture, the city is renowned as the American Riviera. Santa Barbara offers a vibrant Old Town, with pedestrians, bicycles, and electric shuttles bringing life to outdoor cafes and beautifully landscaped paseos. Santa Barbara is located 92 miles northwest of Los Angeles and 332 miles south of San Francisco.

Santa Barbara County government is a service-oriented organization with a $600 million budget. The County has 22 departments and a workforce of approximately 4,600 employees in over 700 different jobs. Whatever your career interests, you can use your talents to improve the lives of the 407,900 people of diverse socioeconomic and cultural background who live in the County. In addition to interesting opportunities to do meaningful work, the County offers competitive salaries, superior benefits, and job security unrivaled in the private sector. The County is an equal opportunity employer with an affirmative action plan. Women, members of minority groups, persons with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply; requests for accommodation by people with disabilities will be given thorough consideration.

Career Opportunities
As a local government entity, the County of Santa Barbara provides services such as sheriff's patrol and fire protection; road design, construction, and maintenance; planning, zoning, and building permits; solid waste recycling and disposal; and a housing program. Other services include flood control, parks, and the assessment, collection, and distribution of property taxes to all local governments including cities and schools.

The County offers a challenging work environment with opportunities for personal development in a variety of management, administrative, technical, and clerical jobs. You can learn about county government, develop skills needed for any departmental capacity, or enhance skills you may already possess.

For recent college graduates, the County has a wide variety of entry-level jobs with long-term career potential: social worker, agricultural biologist, probation officer, and land-use planner, to name just a few.

For those with more work experience, the County offers opportunities for those with a general business background, such as clerks and accountants, as well as specialists like nurses, civil engineers, legal secretaries, and psychiatric technicians.

Compensation And Benefits
The County offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive package of employee benefits such as medical plan options including mental health, vision, prescription drug and chiropractic coverage; dental plan options which include both HMO and fee -for-service type plans; an employee assistance program; a flexible spending plan with five benefit options to provide additional employee benefits with the maximum tax savings allowed under the law; a benefit cash allowance that can be used to purchase employee benefits such as medical and dental insurance or the flexible spending plan options or to take as cash; a retirement plan under the 1937 County Retirement Act; paid time off; and a credit union. The County also offers term life insurance, long term disability, and a retirement contribution offset.

Special Employment Opportunities
The County provides internship opportunities on an informal basis. Call the Human Resources Department at (805) 568-2800 for internship opportunities.

©2005 Santa Barbara News-Press