Supervisor, Media and Communications Section

The California Department of Public Health is seeking to fill the position of Supervisor, Media and Communications Section within the Center for Healthy Communities (CHC).  

About the Center for Healthy Communities:

The Center for Healthy Communities aims to strengthen state and local leadership, alignment, and partnerships through public health approaches, to drive actions that influence determinants of health, eliminate inequities, and achieve positive health outcomes.

About the Role:

This position supports the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) mission and strategic plan by overseeing the Media and Communications Section within California Tobacco Prevention Branch (CTPP). The Supervisor is responsible for managing complex operations that are central to CTPP’s mission of reducing illness and premature death attributable to the use of tobacco products.

Responsibilities:

• Provides leadership to direct, oversee, and supervise a large multi-disciplinary staff responsible for the Media and Communications Section. Tasks include oversight of complex operations that are central to CTPP’s mission: 1) multi-lingual, multi-cultural paid media, public  relations, and social marketing interventions; 2) strategic planning to develop communication plans; 3) Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to identify advertising and public relations contractors; and 4) consumer websites and social media sites. Travels to and attends the production – filming of anti-tobacco use media campaign ads. These production events last several days at a time. Assigns and prioritizes all Section workload. Reviews completed assignments for thoroughness, timeliness, accuracy, and consistency with program and departmental policy. Coordinates work with the Office of Communications. Develops, evaluates program standards, policies, procedures, customer service to stakeholders, and monitors application of state and federal standards.
• Recruits, interviews, hires, assigns work, sets performance standards, establishes training requirements, supervises and prepares probationary reports, performance appraisals of all immediate subordinate staff. Oversees staff as they prepare a variety of Section documents including components of federal grant applications and progress reports, Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee Reports, Requests for Proposals, media inquiries, Public Records Act requests, advertising campaign approvals, Week Ahead Reports, special projects, and as appropriate, papers for publication. Prepares administrative and policy presentations for a variety of public, administrative, and technical forums. Participates in various internal and external work groups, including policy, evaluation, media, and other subject-matter efforts as needed.
• Coordinates and integrates CTPP’s objectives by attending, participating, and providing input at various Branch, Section and Unit-related meetings. Serves on the Branch Priorities and Policy Committee and the Senior Staff Team. Responsible for coordinating with the Community and Statewide Interventions Section to build the capacity of local partners and grantees to conduct paid media, social media, and public relations activities, and the dissemination of media and educational materials resources to locally funded agencies. Travels to and attends meetings and or training required by CTPP’s federally funded grant, both in- and out-of-state. Attend CTPP meetings to provide information related to media and public relations campaigns, such as CTPP’s Evaluation Task Force Meeting, Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee; and other media/PR meetings or training courses. Liaisons with the Evaluation and Surveillance Section to maintain in-depth knowledge of the latest tobacco use data trends and to coordinate data substantiation for advertising campaign claims.
• Completes program objectives by fostering collaborative relationships with other federal, state and local media and communication programs. Represents CTPP at local, state and federal meetings and conferences as required. Serves as a media spokesperson. Maintains current knowledge and expertise in the functional areas of media, public relations, social media, social marketing, websites, SharePoint, cultural competency and website strategies; stays abreast of new information and research in tobacco prevention, health education, public health, and government services; contributes this knowledge and information to strategic and operational plans, presentations, and reports.

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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:

• Experience with team management, project management, supervision of personnel, and fiscal planning. 
• Excellent oral communication and writing skills. 
• Experience working with and addressing populations for increased risk of tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure: African American, American Indian, Asian Pacific Islander, Hispanic/ Latino, Gender and Sexually Diverse groups, low income, and rural population.

The deadline to apply is August 20th, 2026.

Link to Apply: https://bit.ly/4hQRQIP

Link to Minimum Qualifications: https://eservices.calhr.ca.gov/enterprisehrblazorpublic/Public/ClassSpec/ClassSpecDetail/4800

New to the State application process? To be considered for this role, you must follow the directions below. We do not accept applications from external platforms. 

1. Create a CalCareer account by going to CalCareers.ca.gov.
2. Confirm that you meet the minimum qualifications for the position you are wanting to apply for. A link to view minimum qualifications is listed on each job posting.
3. After confirming that you meet the minimum qualifications, take, and pass the corresponding examination. Most exams are available online and can be found on CalCareers under the exam/assessment search tab. 
4. Apply! Follow all directions and be sure to submit all requested documentation. 

Please reach out to Apply@cdph.ca.gov with any questions.

At 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.