Job Posting: Section Chief

Department of Public Health

JC-508700
-
Section Chief
HEALTH PROGRAM MANAGER II

$7,872.00 - $9,781.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Final Filing Date: 3/12/2026

Job Description and Duties

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: https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Exams/ExamBulletin.aspx?ExamControlId=1204

The Health Program Manager (HPM) II (Supervisory), Policy Section Chief, provides policy expertise and leads the Policy Section team to perform complex projects that advance strategic public health policy and address urgent and priority public health needs. The Section Chief will lead the development of a public health policy agenda and collective action initiatives integral to the State Health Assessment and Improvement Plan (SHA/SHIP) process. This process identifies the landscape of public health and the status of California at a population and systems level and establishes shared priorities and strategies for statewide health improvement, with an emphasis on health disparities, social determinants, equity, and cross-cutting intradepartmental work.

Responsibilities
• Provide leadership and supervision for the Policy Section, including hiring, performance management, staff development, and administrative oversight.
• Lead development and implementation of a statewide public health policy agenda aligned with the State Health Assessment and Improvement Plan (SHA/SHIP).
• Manage and direct complex projects and initiatives addressing urgent and priority public health issues, ensuring alignment with CDPH goals and objectives.
• Oversee funding and resource allocation from multiple streams to support staff, programs, and contracts, ensuring compliance with laws, grants, and regulations.
• Coordinate Departmental responses to proposed legislation, policies, and reports; analyze findings and advise CDPH leadership on implications and emerging issues.
• Facilitate strategic collaborations across CDPH programs, state agencies, local health jurisdictions, and community partners to advance collective impact and equity.
• Act as liaison on key policy issues with local, regional, state, and federal agencies; represent CDPH in hearings and provide legislative testimony.
• Oversee development of policy briefs, data briefs, reports, and action plans, including contributions to legislative updates and health equity plans.
• Promote innovation and best practices by identifying emerging models and strategies to address social determinants of health and expand public health capacity.
• Monitor stakeholder and policy landscapes to identify trends and opportunities; lead engagement strategies to maintain productive partnerships statewide.
Working Conditions
• Headquarters in Downtown Sacramento; telework may be available per CDPH policy.
• Occasional travel within California for meetings, hearings, and stakeholder engagement.

Employee Benefits
As a CDPH employee, you may participate in programs and services including:
• Retirement Program (CalPERS and SavingsPlus)
• Employee Wellness Program
• Resilience and Professional Development Webinars
• Mentoring Program
• Leadership Development Program
• CliftonStrengths Engagement
• 1:1 Coaching and Teambuilding
• Lean Training
• Employee Assistance Program

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.

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:https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CDPHRecruitment



You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Additional Documents

Position Details

Job Code #:
JC-508700
Position #(s):
580-011-8428-909
Working Title:
Section Chief
Classification:
HEALTH PROGRAM MANAGER II
$7,872.00 - $9,781.00
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.
# of Positions:
1
Work Location:
Sacramento County
Telework:
Hybrid
Job Type:
Permanent, Full Time

Department Information

At the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), equity, diversity, and inclusion are at the core of our mission to advance the health and well-being of California’s diverse people and communities. We are genuinely and strongly committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness where we can grow and learn together with a diverse team of employees. In recruiting for team members, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring to us and the work we do.

The Office of Policy and Planning (OPP) promotes public health policy priorities and supports CDPH capabilities for community health improvement, informed policy development, research and analysis, integrated planning, decision intelligence, lean transformation, and grants management.  The OPP leads comprehensive assessment, long term strategic and health improvement planning to address current and emerging cross-cutting public health and equity priorities, conducts policy analysis, monitoring and impact evaluation, cultivates partnerships with health systems, academic partners and other sectors; facilitates accountability for effective and efficient public health infrastructure funding, supports organizational capacity building to foster a culture that encourages learning continuous improvement, and empowerment of CDPH staff.

CDPH is an E-Verify Employer  

The salary information listed on this advertisement may not reflect recent salary increases from salary adjustments or changes in the fiscal year.
Department Website: https://www.cdph.ca.gov

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 # 508700 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 www.CalCareers.ca.gov. 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.

Application Instructions

Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.

Final Filing Date: 3/12/2026

Who May Apply

Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply. Individuals who are eligible for a Training and Development assignment may also be considered for this position(s).

Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).

How To Apply

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 CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:

Address for Mailing Application Packages

You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:

Department of Public Health
CCAU Mailing
Attn: Classification & Certification Unit
P.O. Box 997378
MS 1700-1702
Sacramento, CA 95899-7378

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

Department of Public Health
CCAU Drop Off
Classification & Certification Unit
1615 Capitol Avenue Suite 73.430
Sacramento, CA 95814
08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

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 www.CalCareers.ca.gov. 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 required and must be included.
  • Statement of Qualifications -

    Please see Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) instructions below at end of posting. Applications received without a written response to the SOQ may be rejected.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

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:
  • Demonstrated leadership experience managing complex policy programs and multidisciplinary teams.
  • Expertise in developing public health policy and leading strategic planning efforts.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret data and drive program improvements.
  • Exceptional communication skills for diverse audiences, including experience with legislative testimony and consensus-building.
  • In-depth knowledge of California’s legislative and budget processes and ability to navigate government systems.
  • Demonstrated experience leading collaborative efforts across programs, departments, and local stakeholders to achieve collective action.
  • Proven success in policy analysis and development initiatives, including creating issue briefs and actionable recommendations.
  • Comprehensive understanding of public health principles, including health equity, social determinants of health, and primary prevention.

Benefits

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

Contact Information

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.

Department Website: https://www.cdph.ca.gov
Human Resources Contact:
Human Resources Division
(916) 445-0983
apply@cdph.ca.gov
Hiring Unit Contact:
opp.operations
(279) 667-0950
opp.operations@cdph.ca.gov

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
EEO Office
(916) 445-0938
California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Statement of Qualifications

Please number/structure your response to align with the list of Desirable Qualifications in this job posting.

 A resume or cover letter cannot replace the Statement of Qualifications, and your application may be considered incomplete without the Statement of Qualifications.

PROMPT: Considering the desirable qualifications and duty statement please describe any key qualifications, strengths and skills that would contribute to your ability to serve successfully in this position. Include relevant experience, education, and training, and thoroughly explain your answers.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

Application Methods:
Electronic (Using your CalCareer Account)
By Mail
Drop-off
Print Job