Program Specialist

Salary : $89,981.78 - $126,613.40 Annually
Location : Sacramento, CA
Job Type: Full-Time Career
Job Number: 001799-25-CC
Department: City Clerk
Division: City Clerk
Opening Date: 11/11/2025
Closing Date: Continuous

THE POSITION
THIS POSTING WILL BE OPEN UNTIL FILLED

Application cut-off dates are weekly, every Tuesday

With supervisor approval, incumbents may be eligible for intermittent remote work; however, they must physically reside within the Sacramento region or have the ability to regularly report to a City of Sacramento physical worksite with little notice.
IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT

This position calls for a candidate who is committed to public service, continual learning, and excellence in civic administration. The ideal professional will be curious, resourceful, and comfortable conducting research to inform sound recommendations and apply best practices to evolving municipal operations. They will communicate with confidence, clarity, and professionalism, exercising political acumen and strong analytical skills to navigate sensitive issues and provide balanced, well-reasoned advice.

The successful candidate will demonstrate exceptional attention to detail, the ability to remain calm, flexible, and composed under pressure, and a deep understanding of good governance, open meeting requirements, and public transparency. They will be thoroughly familiar with the Ralph M. Brown Act and adept in all aspects of governmental meeting management, including agenda coordination, legislative process oversight, and public record integrity.

This individual will thrive in a highly collaborative environment, working effectively with elected officials, executive leadership, staff, and community members to build trust and ensure the highest standards of legislative and administrative support. Experience as a supervisor who leads with integrity, mentorship, and accountability is essential.

A Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) designation is highly desirable, and experience with Granicus/Legistar is a valued asset. The ideal candidate will be an expert user of Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat, producing polished, accurate, and professional materials that reflect the City's commitment to excellence. This role requires frequent evening and after-hours work in support of City Council, committee, and community meetings.

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.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

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.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

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

Experience:

Four years of progressively responsible professional-level administrative experience.

-AND-

Education:

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 education be used to qualify for this position, then proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees 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.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Driver License:

Possession of a valid California Class C Driver's License is required at the time of appointment.
For positions where ability to drive is not an essential function, the employee must be able to arrange reliable and timely transportation through private or public transportation for attendance at off-site meetings, events, and trainings.
THE SELECTION PROCEDURE
Please note, the City of Sacramento's preferred method of communication with applicants is via e-mail. As such, please ensure you verify the e-mail address on your application, and check your e-mail frequently, including your spam and junk folders. All e-mail notifications can also be accessed through the governmentjobs.com applicant inbox.

1. Application: (Pass/Fail) - All applicants must complete and submit online a City of Sacramento employment application for further consideration by the next posted cut-off date;

• 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. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).
  • If "see resume" is noted in the "Work Experience" section; a resume will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section.
• Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position.
• 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.

2. Supplemental Questionnaire: (Pass/Fail) - In addition to the City of Sacramento employment application, all applicants must complete and submit online responses to the supplemental questionnaire to the City of Sacramento Employment Office as part of the application process;

• Responses to the supplemental questionnaire must be submitted online; paper questionnaire will not be accepted.
• 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.
• Possession of the minimum qualifications is not necessarily a guarantee for further advancement in the selection process.

3. Screening Committee: (Pass/Fail) - All applications received will be forwarded to the hiring department for review until the position is filled. 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.

4. Interview Process: Human Resources will forward applications to the hiring department. Those determined to be the most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in an interview process.

5. Conditional Hire: Upon receipt of a conditional offer, the selected candidate must complete and pass Live Scan/fingerprinting. If applicable, candidates may also need to pass a pre-employment medical exam, controlled substance and/or alcohol test, and possess any required licensure or certification prior to receiving a start date from the Department. Failure to meet these prerequisites will be grounds for withdrawal of your conditional offer of employment.

QUESTIONS: For questions concerning this job announcement and the application process:

• Please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/Home/ApplicationGuide for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the application process.
• For technical support between 6 AM - 5 PM PT, contact Live Application Support at 855-524-5627.
• Visit the City of Sacramento Human Resources Department website at https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/employment;
• Send an email to employment@cityofsacramento.org; or
• Call the Human Resources Department at (916) 808-5726

Bilingual Pay
Did you know that the City offers bilingual pay? That's right, most labor agreements offer the option of providing employees with bilingual pay if the department deems it to be operationally necessary.

Pension Reform Act
The City of Sacramento is covered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System, and as such, must adhere to the California Public Employee's Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013. Please note that the provisions within this act may affect or impact an applicant's eligibility and/or selection for open vacancies at the City of Sacramento.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Sacramento 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.

Additional Information

Civil Service Rules:

Union Contracts:

Salary Schedule:
01

APPLICATION: I understand my application must meet the minimum qualifications for consideration of employment with the City of Sacramento. The experience I list in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section of the employment application will be used to determine if I meet the minimum qualifications as stated on the job announcement. A resume, responses to the supplemental questions requiring a narrative response, employment history listed elsewhere in the application or attachments will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section of the employment application. Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).Please refer to the City of Sacramento's Applicant Resources Page for Screening Instructions: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/employment

• Yes

02

PROOF OF EDUCATION: To qualify for this classification you may use education or experience as listed in the substitution option to provide required knowledge, skills, and abilities.I understand proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with my application and will be required at the time of appointment if I am using education to qualify for this position.Please refer to the City of Sacramento's Proof of Education Requirements (https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/employment) for information on accepted documentation.

• Yes

03

EDUCATION CONFIRMATION: If I am using education to qualify for this position, I attest I possess or will possess the following level of education major coursework in business or public administration or a closely related field by time of appointment if I am selected for this position

• No units from an accredited college or university
• Less than 30 semester or 45 quarter units from an accredited college or university
• 30 semester or 45 quarter units from an accredited college or university
• 60 semester or 90 quarter units from an accredited college or university
• Associates Degree
• 90 semester or 135 quarter units from an accredited college or university
• Bachelors Degree
• Masters Degree
• Doctorate

04

DRIVER'S LICENSE CONFIRMATION: I attest I possess or will possess a valid California Class C Driver's License by the time of appointment if I am selected for this position.

• Yes
• No

Required Question

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