Community Program Specialist

Job Description and Duties

The Community Program Specialist independently coordinates a variety of complex technical, administrative, and analytical activities for the federal grant SCDD receives for California (Basic State Grant, BSG), focused on intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) communities and the systems that impact them.

The incumbent performs full journey level analytical duties, utilizing the California State Plan, to develop, identify and update accessible information tools, training, and resources for the purpose of regional and statewide systems change, advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and leadership development for people with I/DD, their families, professionals, and other stakeholders.

This office serves the five-county catchment area: San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties.

This position is designated bilingual and requires the incumbent to perform essential job functions in Spanish at least 10% of the time. Responsibilities include providing written translation and/or oral interpretation between English and Spanish as part of daily duties.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

• This position is eligible for hybrid telework under California Government Code Section 14200 for eligible applicants residing in California. All telework schedules are subject to change and may be reevaluated at any time. Specific telework arrangements may be discussed in more detail with the respective hiring manager.

• This position requires frequent travel in-region (the Bay Area's five counties) and occasional travel out of region using a personal vehicle for official state business; mileage reimbursement will be provided in accordance with state regulations. Must possess and maintain a valid California driver’s license and carry adequate vehicle insurance as required by state policy.
  

• Personal Leave Program:  Effective July 1, 2025, state employees are subject to temporary salary reductions ranging from 2% to 4.62% in exchange for Personal Leave Program (PLP) hours. Please note that the salary ranges listed in this Job Control may not reflect these reductions associated with the 2025 Personal Leave Program. Please follow the link for more information regarding the 2025 Personal Leave program : 
  

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 of and experience working with individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD), their families, disability-related federal and state legislation, and the statewide service systems which support people with I/DD.
• Oral and written fluency in Spanish.
• Demonstrated ability to perform varied and complex technical, analytical, or consulting duties.
• Service oriented, experience in multi-disciplinary environments, and in developing cooperative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including policy makers.
• Conflict resolution skills and the ability to interact effectively with diverse groups of individuals, at all levels and across organizations and sectors.
• Knowledge and experience working within social / human service systems to uphold rights and to obtain financial benefits, housing, healthcare, and other benefits available to underserved populations.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, research, analyze, and report on systemic issues, patterns/trends impacting people/communities.
• Proficient in developing and conducting presentations/trainings, facilitate meetings, analysis-based reporting, and/or coordinating community outreach events.
• Knowledge of the socioeconomic and sociocultural dynamics and service systems of the community in the assigned region.
• Knowledge of various Microsoft Suite applications, Adobe, Zoom, Qualtrics, or other data collection platforms.

Benefits

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

Statement of Qualifications

A ll applicants must provide a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) to be considered. When preparing your Statement of Qualifications, you are required to follow these guidelines:

• The SOQ must be typed, using an Arial font size, no smaller than 12 point.
• The SOQ must be no more than two (2) pages, single sided
• The SOQ must be clearly identified at the top of the page, along with your name.
  
• The evaluation criteria on the SOQ must be addressed and numbered in the same order as is listed below:

1. Describe your process when developing a training or webinar series that will both inform and engage the audience and provide them with new policy, or promising practices on a topic such as inclusion, employment, housing, or other topic relevant to people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD).
2. Describe an experience where you have employed approaches, e.g. community organizing, to identify common interests and objectives across multiple community groups or demographics, and how you were able to achieve success accomplishing a targeted objective.
3. Explain your experience in analyzing legislation, regulations, or policies that impact people with I/DD, including underserved or marginalized communities. How have you used this analysis to inform program decisions or advocate for systemic improvements?
4. Provide an example of a complex project you managed from start to finish. Describe the steps you took to organize, prioritize, and overcome challenges to achieve successful outcomes.
5. Discuss your experience communicating / working with diverse audiences, including individuals with I/DD and those from underserved or marginalized communities. How have you ensured cultural, linguistic, and accessibility inclusivity in your work?

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 required and must be included.
• Statement of Qualifications -

  A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required. Failure to submit an SOQ as directed below, may  eliminate your application from the screening process. A resume in lieu of the SOQ responses will  disqualify an applicant from consideration.