Local Service Senior Program Specialist

The Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC) has been part of the nation’s nutrition safety net for 50 years.

Extensive research has found WIC to be a cost-effective investment that leads to healthier infants, more nutritious diets, health care for children, and subsequently higher academic achievement for students. WIC helps families receive healthy food, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to healthcare and other community services.

Like other divisions within the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), WIC builds its program by addressing social determinants of health. WIC impacts the life course by promoting health practices that can ultimately improve life outcomes often experienced by vulnerable communities.

WIC serves babies and children up to age five, pregnant women, and new mothers. Dads, grandparents, foster parents of young children, and working families are welcome at WIC too!

Monthly, nearly one million WIC participants can find support at one of 84 local agencies which offer services at more than 500 sites throughout California. WIC participants can redeem their food benefits at approximately 3,800 grocers that are authorized to serve WIC families.

In 2019 - 2020, the WIC Division implemented an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card called the California WIC Card and a new management information system known as WIC WISE, that allows WIC participants to be served more efficiently. The CDPH WIC Division works continuously to improve its operations and system to better support families and its partners.

About the CDPH/WIC Family

Over 200 state staff work at CDPH’s WIC Division, headquartered at the Natomas campus in Sacramento.  WIC is committed to a hybrid workforce and the state provides a modest stipend for those who fully and partially work from home. Staff are provided with a computer or laptop, camera, and large screen to conduct their work. We build our unit teams virtually and maintain contact with stakeholders by being on camera to solidify our relationships.

The WIC Division is led by senior managers administering a Local Policy and Health Programs Branch, Local Services Branch, Vendor Management Branch, Communications, Food, and Vendor Policy Branch, Data and Integrity Branch,  Systems Integration Branch, and the Operations team.  Through these branches, our support staff, analysts, specialists, researchers, and nutritionists serve the needs of WIC families, supports our program partners, and ensures the California WIC Program is administered appropriately and effectively.

This position supports the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) mission and strategic plan by advancing the health and well-being of California’s diverse people and communities.  As an employee of the Local Services Branch, the incumbent serves as part of a team that provides monitoring, training, support for and collaboration with regional local agencies that serve the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program participants.  

The candidate works under the general direction of the Chief, Local Services Branch, Staff Services Manager III (SSM III). The Health Program Specialist II (HPS II) functions in a consultant capacity and is independently responsible for Continuous Improvement in leading, coordinating, collaborating, and project managing activities related to enhancing the health outcomes of participants in the WIC program. This position serves as a highly skilled, technical program consultant to multi-disciplinary teams focused on the implementation of strategies and systems to support the program goals of WIC. In addition, this position ensures compliance with federally mandated activities in the WIC Division. Statewide travel up to 10% of the time, with possible overnight stay(s).

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:

1. Ability to work both independently and in a team environment

2. Ability to handle sensitive and confidential issues

3. Ability to communicate effectively with staff at various levels, external agencies, and the general public

4. Demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills including reviewing and editing documents

Experience In:

1. Writing, editing, and formatting various written communication to include analyzing complex program implementation problems to develop effective courses of action to solve them.

2.Analyzing and evaluating the impact and effectiveness of program, policies, regulations, and/or procedures.

3. Managing, prioritizing, and meeting multiple deadlines in a fast-paced work environment

4.  Leading workgroups, projects or teams

Knowledge Of:

1. State and federal policies and regulations

2. Data-driven decision- making techniques.

3. Project management methodology

How To Apply

Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included

At the California Department of Public Health (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.