Program Specialist I/II

The Position

Do you care deeply about strengthening your community?

Are you driven to produce high quality, meaningful work that helps vulnerable residents attain and maintain housing?

The City of Santa Rosa is seeking qualified applicants to join a team of committed, compassionate housing specialists working to build community and preserve the quality of life for Santa Rosa residents.

The City of Santa Rosa is committed to building a workforce reflective of our community and establishing a lasting culture of equity and belonging within our organization. Our collective talents and expertise contribute to high-quality public services that support a vibrant, resilient, inclusive City for our community and visitors. We celebrate a diverse workforce and welcome all qualified candidates to apply.

The Benefits of City Employment In addition to offering a challenging, rewarding work environment and excellent salary, the City of Santa Rosa provides a generous suite of benefits, including retirement through CalPERS, a competitive leave accrual package, your choice of health plans, a flexible spending program, employer contributions to a Retiree Health Savings plan, and top of the line employer paid (free to you) vision and dental coverage. More information regarding benefits associated with this position can be found on our Miscellaneous Employee Benefits Page.

Additional Benefits Include

• 12 paid holidays annually, plus 2 to 3 "floating" holidays per year depending on years of service
• $500 annually for wellness
• The City is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) Employe r
• Paid Family Leave
• 4% General Salary Increase - July 2026

Examples of Duties and Responsibilities

The following is a list of examples of duties and responsibilities of all Program Specialists in the City. Specific duties will vary by assignment. Professional work assignments of a Program Specialist II are performed more independently.

• Research, analyze, develop and administer economic development, affordable housing and community services related policies, programs and procedures
• Analyze and apply Federal, State and local regulations and policies to new or existing programs and projects
• Update staff and public regarding changes in Federal, State or local regulations and policies
• Prepare and administer Requests for Qualifications, Requests for Proposals and/or contracts or agreements for public and private development and professional or technical services
• Prepare development agreements
• Represent the department at meetings of neighborhood, community and/or policy groups;
• Plan, schedule and assign work
• Address personnel-related issues, such as hiring, training, evaluation, discipline and career development of subordinates
• Review and check accuracy of subordinates' work and serve as a resource to assist them in solving problems
• Administer debt and financial management programs
• Prepare a wide variety of reports, memoranda and correspondence
• Manage public improvement and/or private development and rehabilitation projects from conception through completion of construction
• Provide financial and technical assistance to parties seeking financing
• Analyze financial pro formas, project budgets and operating expenses, negotiate deal points, negotiate with parties for program or funding support, and make related recommendations to policy making bodies
• Provide information to homeowners, landlords, developers, financial institutions and others; conduct appropriate levels of environmental review
• Prepare and present information to policy making bodies and other Boards, committees and/or community groups as required
• Track funding commitments
• Maintain an awareness of business needs, community needs and political issues as they relate to assignment
• Prepare and present loan packages in accordance with applicable underwriting standards

Required Qualifications

Knowledge of: Federal, State and local laws, policies, regulations and procedures relating to assignment; financial and real estate procedures, methods and practices; underwriting methods and procedures; methods used in developing cost estimates; building codes and zoning laws; principles of supervision, training, and evaluation. Ability to: Understand economic development, local affording housing and community services issues and problems; develop and implement possible solutions; plan and organize workload; analyze and compile technical and statistical data; read, understand and interpret federal, state and local laws, policies, regulations and procedures; understand building specifications, drawings and other construction documents; establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; negotiate with building owners, contractors and developers; maintain clear and concise records; communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; produce written documents with clearly organized thoughts using proper sentence construction, punctuation and grammar; enter data or information into a terminal, personal computer or other keyboard device; comprehend and draw inferences from written material; work under pressure and meet established deadlines. The ability to speak Spanish is desirable. Experience and Education: Any combination equivalent to experience and education that could likely provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: Experience - Sufficient years of experience in a professional capacity in a housing, economic development or similar program, or in an urban or municipal planning, architecture or development finance environment, or in a federal or state assistance program, to demonstrate possession of the required knowledge and abilities; Education - Equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in planning, architecture, public administration, or a related field. LICENSE OR CERTIFICATE This classification may require the use of a personal or City vehicle while conducting City business. In order to drive, individuals must be physically capable of operating the vehicles safely and must possess a valid, Class C, California driver's license OR be able to demonstrate the ability to travel on scheduled or unscheduled visits to various locations in the City which may or may not be reachable by public transportation.

Additional Information

See the full job description for working conditions and more information: Program Specialist I Program Specialist II Working Conditions: Incumbents in this classification communicate orally with customers, clients, or the public in a face-to-face, one-to-one or group setting, and by telephone, giving instructions, providing information and responding to questions. Program Specialists I review or check the work products of others to ensure conformance to standards. They produce and/or use graphic instructions, such as schematic drawings or other visual aids, when making presentations, analyzing proposals and monitoring construction progress. Incumbents learn new, job-related material through oral and/or written instruction in an on-the-job setting, and through structured lecture and reading in a classroom setting. When completing paperwork at a desk, incumbents sit for extended periods of time with the ability to change positions, e.g., stand, stretch and move about, at will; and they operate a variety of standard office equipment requiring continuous or repetitive arm-hand movements.

Santa Rosa - A Wonderful City to Call Home The City of Santa Rosa is nestled in the center of famous Sonoma Wine Country, located just 55 miles north of San Francisco and 30 miles east of the Pacific Ocean with a population of approximately 180,000. Santa Rosa serves as the County seat and the center of trade, government, commerce, and medical facilities for the North Bay. The surrounding area is home to over a hundred wineries and vineyards and many beautiful parks and recreational facilities, including golf courses. Santa Rosa is in the center of a nationally recognized cycling area. We boast many attractions associated with large cities, including a symphony, performing arts center, theater productions and internationally recognized restaurants, yet still retain the warmth and small town feel of decades past. Santa Rosa has been named one of the 50 greenest cities in the United States with one of the top five mid-sized downtowns in California.

The City of Santa Rosa is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. The City does not discriminate on the basis of disability in employment. Requests for reasonable accommodations needed to participate in the recruitment process may be made by submitting a Request for Reasonable Accommodation Form within five (5) business days of being noticed that an event requiring accommodation is occurring. You may also contact the Human Resources Department at View phone number on click.appcast.io or View email address on click.appcast.io.