Job Description

Job Description and Duties

Health Program Specialist II (HPS II)

If new to California state service, you will need to have taken and passed the examination for this classification in order to be hired for this position. If you are a current state employee, but do not have transfer eligibility or list eligibility, you will need to have taken and passed the examination for this classification in order to be hired for this position. Please go to CalHR’s website to review the exam bulletin:

This position supports the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) mission and strategic plan by promoting health and wellness, incorporating health equity strategies in programs and practices, and mobilizing partnerships to strengthen collective impact. The position serves as part of a multidisciplinary team that implements local and statewide maternal morbidity and mortality surveillance reviews to improve the health and wellbeing of mothers, infants, children, adolescents, and children and youth with special health care needs and their families.

The incumbent works under the general direction of the Health Program Manager II (HPM II), Chief of the Maternal Mortality/Morbidity and Local MCAH Program Support (MMPS) Section. The incumbent supports Local Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) programs to address the needs of California’s diverse populations through an array of programs, partnerships, and initiatives, and the MMPS team supports the California Omnibus Act (SB 65) which aims to promote health and equity, inform and translate data-into-action, integrate community-informed prevention opportunities, and enhances the development of strategies to reduce preventable maternal mortality and morbidity.

The Health Program Specialist II position collaborates closely with teams at the State MCAH Division, Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs), and partners in other programs at the Federal, State, and local levels, as well as other interested parties such as friends and families. 10% in-state travel is required to attend conferences, meetings, and trainings

This position may be eligible for telework. The amount of telework permitted is at the discretion of the Department and is subject to change, consistent with CDPH’s Telework Program. All employees who telework are required to be California residents in accordance with Government Code 14200. Candidates who reside outside of the state of California may be interviewed; however, the selected candidate must have a primary residency in the state of California prior to appointment (and continue to maintain California residency) as a condition of employment. Failure to meet this requirement may result in the job offer being rescinded.

Travel may be required for this position. Reimbursement for travel takes into consideration an employee’s designated headquarters, as reflected in the duty statement, and is subject to regulations and bargaining unit contract provisions. All commute expenses to the designated headquarters office will be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

The headquarters office location for this position is identified in the attached duty statement.

Please let us know how you heard about our position by taking this brief survey:

In July 2025, the State of California implemented the Personal Leave Program (PLP) 2025. This program temporarily reduces employees’ monthly base pay in exchange for paid leave credits. This position is subject to PLP 2025 and will have a monthly base pay reduction of 3% in exchange for 5 hours of leave credits through June 2027. The salary ranges shown on this job posting do not reflect the salary reduction.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Special Requirements

For experience/education to qualify during the application screening process, and to ensure that minimum qualifications can be determined, applicants should include all employment history on the Employment Application (STD 678) and/or Resume, including detailed job descriptions,  hours worked per week , and  start/end dates (MM/DD/YYYY) .  Application packages without this information will experience delayed processing times and your eligibility for this position may be impacted.

A completed State application (STD. 678) and any other relevant documents (e.g., unofficial transcript, copy of degree, resume, etc.) should be submitted electronically via your CalCareers Account. Please reference  Job Control # 498166  and indicate the basis of your eligibility in the Examination(s) or Job Title(s) section. SROA and surplus candidates should submit a copy of their letter with their application. Please remove any confidential information (i.e., social security number, date of birth) from your documents prior to submission.

Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareers Account at Submitting an electronic application through your CalCareers account is strongly recommended since electronic applications will be received/processed faster than other methods of filing. Please submit only one application.

If you are unable to submit your application electronically through your CalCareers account, please email  apply@cdph.ca.gov for assistance and a CDPH Human Resources Division staff member will contact you to assist with the online application process or, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method as explained in the How to Apply section below. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of public health, preferably in maternal and child health.
• Knowledge of and experience with local communities in California; including experience with or at local health jurisdictions.

Skills:

• Skill in presenting information verbally and in writing.
• Competency in the use of virtual meeting platforms.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.

Abilities:

• Ability to prioritize, monitor, and complete complex assignments.
• Ability to lead workgroups, projects, or teams.
• Ability to adapt and be flexible in the work environment.
• Ability to work independently and be a self-starter.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Supplemental Questionnaire

Please submit your Supplemental Questionnaire along with your application. The Supplemental Questionnaire must be no more than three pages total, one question per page, in Arial 12-point font. Please include the questions with your responses.

1. Describe your experience working with various partners, organizations, and multidisciplinary teams regarding sensitive issues, and how you build and maintain partner support and community engagement. Include any experience you have working with Local Health Jurisdictions.

2. Describe your understanding of the root causes of health inequities and how racism affects families and communities of color.

3. Describe your experience understanding data and using findings to inform policy and action and develop programs to improve health outcomes.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Other -

  Please see Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ) instructions below at end of posting . Applications received without a written response to the SQ may be rejected.

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