Waste Management Associate Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $95,442.48 - $116,030.16 Annually
Location : Sacramento, CA
Job Type: Permanent Full-Time
Job Number: 29300-A
Department: Waste Management & Recycling
Opening Date: 08/11/2026
Closing Date: 9/8/2026 5:00 PM Pacific
The Position
This is a continuous filing exam. Next filing cut-offs are at 5:00 pm on:
8/25/2026, 9/8/2026 (Final)
Under general supervision, the Waste Management Program Associate performs professional planning work and develops, coordinates, and promotes programs related to solid waste management, source reduction, recycling, composting, transformation, public awareness and education, and household hazardous waste and collection.
Examples of Knowledge and Abilities
Knowledge Of

• Applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations related to solid waste and recycling
• Operational characteristics, services, and activities of assigned programs and functions
• Principles, practices and techniques of solid waste and recycling facility and program planning
• Solid waste and recycling principles, practices, and techniques as related to the environment, energy conservation, and the economy
• Local environmental, political, and planning issues related to solid waste disposal
• Current trends and statistics affecting solid waste and recycling facility and program planning
• Municipal, commercial and industrial solid waste and recycling programs
• Materials, equipment and methods used in solid waste and recycling operations
• Principles and practices of outreach program and educational materials development
• Local environmental, political, and planning issues of concern to solid waste and recycling
• Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and other specialized applications related to area of assignment
• Principles and practices of mentoring and training
• Principles and practices of budget development and monitoring

Ability To

• Collect, analyze, interpret, and evaluate data relating to planning for solid waste facilities and program development
• Make effective presentations, both verbally and in writing
• Use applicable computer programs and systems to prepare narrative and statistical reports, to enter, maintain, and extract information, to perform research, etc.
• Monitor and interpret budgets and other financial documents
• Read, write, and speak English at a level necessary for satisfactory job performance
• Organize and coordinate the activities of public and private recycling groups
• Write logical, comprehensive and concise reports and correspondence
• Represent the County in dealings with other agencies, the news media and the general public on solid waste and recycling issues
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with other agencies, contractors, co-workers and the public

Employment Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
A Bachelor's Degree, or higher, from an accredited college or university.
AND
Two years of full-time, paid experience with primary responsibilities related to technical support, planning, outreach, or promoting solid waste and/or recycling/recovery programs.
Note: Additional full-time paid experience with primary responsibilities related to technical support, planning, outreach, or promoting solid waste and/or recycling/recovery programs may substitute for the required education on a year-for-year basis. (2080 hours = 30 units)
Note: If the minimum qualifications include an educational or certificate/license requirement, applicants must submit proof of requirements with the application. Failure to submit proof of requirements may result in disqualification from the examination. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. For guidelines on submitting acceptable proof of educational requirements, please click or speak to someone in our office before the cut-off date listed in this notice.
Note: If the word "experience" is referenced in the minimum qualifications, it means full-time paid experience unless the minimum qualification states that volunteer experience is acceptable. Part-time paid experience may be accumulated and pro-rated to meet the total experience requirements.
General Qualifications
Criminal History and Background Checks: The County may access criminal history information on candidates who have accepted a conditional offer of appointment for this class consistent with the provisions of Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 82-602, Personnel Policies, and applicable federal and state laws. The County shall not consider for employment any candidate who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that relates to or impacts the candidate's ability to perform the job duties of this class unless it is determined that mitigating circumstances exist. For purposes of accessing criminal history information, the candidate will be fingerprinted. A subsequent arrest notification may be obtained.
The County may also conduct a background check on the candidate prior to appointment to a position within this class. The background check may include personal and professional reference checks, credit history checks where authorized by Labor Code section 1024.5, Social Security Number verification, professional license/registration verification, military service information and driving history. Information obtained in the course of this background check will be considered by the appointing authority in the selection process. In obtaining such information, the County will comply with applicable consent and disclosure practices in the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act.
Driver's License: A valid California Driver License, Class C or higher is required at the time
of appointment. Failure to obtain or maintain the appropriate California Driver License may constitute cause for personnel action in accordance with Civil Service Rules or applicable bargaining agreement. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Physical Requirements: Positions in this class require the incumbents to be able to:

• Stand and walk for extended periods of time.
• Lift up to 25 pounds without assistance.

Individuals who do not meet these requirements due to disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Working Conditions: Positions in this class require the incumbents to:

• Work non-routine hours, including attending meetings and participating in community and public relations events at night, on the weekends, and on holidays.
• Work in all neighborhoods within Sacramento County, including potentially dangerous or high crime areas.
• Work outdoor in all types of weather conditions.
• Be exposed to hazardous or dangerous environmental conditions including loose animals, insects, and traffic.

Probationary Period
The probationary period for this classification is six (6) months.
Application and Testing Information
APPLICATION
Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. All applicants must complete and submit an online County of Sacramento employment application by 5:00 PM on the posted cut-off date. Click here to apply.
County of Sacramento
Department of Personnel Services
Employment Services Division
700 H Street, Room 4667
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone (916) 874-5593; 7-1-1 California Relay Service
Email EmployOffice@Saccounty.net
Inter-Office Mail Code: 09-4667

• Employment applications and all documentation requested in this announcement must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• Your application should highlight all relevant education, training, and experience, and clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position as of the cut-off date.
• Application information must be current, concise and related to the requirements in this job announcement. You may only apply for this recruitment once. Duplicate and incomplete applications will be disqualified.
• A resume may be included with your application, however it will not substitute for the information requested on the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE
Applicants are required to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question. The Supplemental Questionnaire is located in the tab marked "Supplemental Questions". Please be descriptive in your response.
Note: Responses of "See Resume" or "See Application", or copy and paste of work experience are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.

• Supplemental Questionnaires must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• 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.
• Please provide place of employment, pertinent dates, and concise, descriptive and detailed information for each question.
• 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.
• For many individuals, it is more efficient to develop responses to the supplemental questions in a word processing document and then paste them into the final document to be submitted. Changes or corrections to your Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be made once your application packet has been submitted.
• If the Supplemental Questionnaire is used in the Formula Rate exam, failure to complete all of the questions or incomplete responses will result in a lower score. While scoring the Supplemental Questionnaire, the candidate's application and/or attachments will not be reviewed, therefore, a candidate's responses to the questions should be accurate, thorough, detailed, and complete.

FORMULA RATE EXAMINATION (Weighted 100%)
All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications by the cut-off date will have their Supplemental Questionnaire scored in the Formula Rate Examination.
This examination will evaluate the relevance, level, recency, progression and quality of candidate's education, training and experience. The candidate's application or other materials will not be included in this examination. Therefore, the candidate's responses to the supplemental questionnaire should be thorough, detailed and complete. The score from the Formula Rate Examination will determine the ranking on the eligible/employment list for this job.
All candidates competing in the testing process will receive written notice of their examination results by email. Notices can also be accessed in their governmentjobs.com inbox. Applicants achieving a passing score will be placed on the eligible list in rank order. The rank is determined by the test score attained from the examination.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Click here for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
For information regarding County jobs:
Sacramento County is about enriching communities to thrive. We strive to create inclusive workplaces that reflect the communities we serve. We value and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, abilities, and diverse dimensions of our employees and residents. Through transparency, courage, innovation, and trust we are committed to advance equity and transformational change.
We are a proud equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability for any phase of the hiring process, please contact our Disability Compliance Office at or 916-874-7642, CA Relay 711.
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
At Sacramento County, we strive to provide benefit programs designed to meet our employees' current and future needs and help them as they balance their careers and personal life. County of Sacramento employees have a variety of benefits available. These benefits include:

• Dental Insurance
• Vision Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Health Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Life Insurance
• Critical Illness
• Retiree Health Savings Plan (RHSP)
• Deferred Compensation

More information can be found on the
TEMPORARY POSITIONS:
Most benefits do not apply to temporary positions.
VACATION:
Generally, vacation with pay begins at 10 days annually. With increase over a period of years, the maximum annual vacation with pay is 25 days.
HOLIDAYS:
14.5 holidays per year as recognized by the Board of Supervisors.
SICK LEAVE:
Equivalent to 15 days annually, unlimited accumulation.
TUITION REIMBURSEMENT:
Regular County employees may be elig