Program Specialist

Program Specialist

This position is grant-funded for a period of up to three years. Continued employment is contingent upon the availability of grant funding. This Program Specialist position will support contract monitoring, performance tracking, data collection and reporting, stakeholder coordination, community engagement efforts, and special projects designed to advance the City's violence prevention goals. This position is grant-funded for 42 months, ending no later than September 30, 2029.

The City of Sacramento seeks a highly motivated, collaborative, and results-oriented professional to serve as a Program Specialist within the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP). The ideal candidate will possess strong program coordination, stakeholder engagement, and administrative skills, with experience supporting grant-funded initiatives, community-based programs, public safety, public health, social services, or related fields. They will assist in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of violence prevention and intervention programs while supporting compliance with local, state, and federal grant requirements. The ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to build and maintain effective partnerships with community-based organizations, government agencies, schools, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders.

Under general direction the Program Specialist plans, directs, and supervises all of the activities of a major department or Citywide program or project with moderate visibility and impact; conducts studies and makes recommendations; monitors program compliance; represents the department in contacts with media, internal and external agencies, and organizations.

This advanced journey level class in the professional series is populated with multiple incumbents. The Program Specialist is distinguished from the next lower class of Program Analyst in that the Program Specialist manages multiple programs or moderately visible programs with greater department or Citywide impact. This class is distinguished from the next higher classification of Program Manager in that the Manager is responsible for administration and management of programs and projects with high visibility and substantial Citywide impact. This class is distinguished from the class of Administrative Officer in that the latter is responsible for all internal administrative functions for a department.

General direction is provided by a department or division head. Some assignments require responsibility for direct or indirect supervision of lower level professional, technical, and clerical personnel. Some positions function as internal consultants and require coordination among multiple divisions in a department.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Plans, coordinates, and administers, a project or program with department or Citywide impact; supervises, trains and evaluates the work of professional, technical and clerical staff.
• Confers with department heads, division managers, members of professional staff, and other officials concerning the administrative needs and requirements related to the program or project; represents the program in contacts with news media, business and civic organizations, other City departments, and various outside public and private agencies.
• Interprets new policies, procedures, and regulations, and develops new or amended programs or projects as need dictates, monitors program objectives to assure compliance with State and administrative regulations and program guidelines.
• Conducts studies and surveys, performs research and analysis and prepares recommendations for department management; monitors and evaluates program effectiveness and outcomes; creates and implements program policies and procedures; develops guidelines, forms and related documents.
• Reviews grant opportunities; compiles and analyzes information for preparation of grants, contracts and agreements; negotiates terms; implements, monitors and prepares reports on conduct and performance of grants.
• Identifies program, project or system enhancements; selects and coordinates installation of new and revised programs and systems.
• Provides exceptional customer service to those contacted in the course of work.
• Other related duties may also be performed; not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual holding this classification.

Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of public administration and governmental finance, budgeting, and accounting.
• Procurement methods.
• Research techniques, methods and procedures.
• Methods and practices of modern office management.
• Principles and practices of program management and administration.
• Technical report writing.
• Methods of analysis.
• Principles and practices of supervision.

Skill in:

• Managing multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Customer service, including dealing with people under stress, and problem solving.
• Use of computers, computer applications, and software.

Ability to:

• Effectively plan, develop, and implement a comprehensive program with a broad scope and high degree of complexity.
• Supervise and direct professional, technical, and clerical staff.
• Analyze fiscal problems and make sound policy and procedural recommendations.
• Make effective presentations to public officials, committees, and outside agencies.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees and the general public.
• Prepare technical and analytic reports.
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing.
• Make program or project changes based on analysis of results, new legislation, or departmental changes.
• Meet multiple deadlines.

Experience and Education: Four years of progressively responsible professional-level administrative experience -AND- A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in business or public administration or a closely related field. Note: It is highly desirable the required years of professional-level experience be attained in a governmental jurisdiction. Substitution: Additional qualifying experience may substitute for the required education on a year for year basis.

Proof of education should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment. Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable. An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due at time of appointment.

The Selection Procedure

All applicants must complete and submit online a City of Sacramento employment application by the final filing deadline. Employment applications must be submitted online; paper applications will not be accepted. Employment applications will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified if applicants do not list current and past job-related experience in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section. Proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted online with your application. Proof of education will be required at time of appointment.

All applicants must complete and submit online responses to the supplemental questionnaire to the City of Sacramento Employment Office by the final filing deadline. Incomplete supplemental questionnaire will not pass the review process; omitted information cannot be considered or assumed. A resume will not substitute for the information required in the supplemental questionnaire.

All applications received by the final filing deadline will be forwarded to the hiring department for review. The hiring department will select the most competitive applications for further consideration. Human Resources will only evaluate employment applications for the minimum qualifications, as stated on the job announcement, for applications selected by the hiring department.

Those determined to be the most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in an interview process. If considered for appointment, candidates must pass a background investigation, which includes a criminal history check, fingerprinting, polygraph test, psychological test, credit check, and drug use history.

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