Occupational Therapy Specialist

San Diego Unified School District; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 148,399,000 - 180,349,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Career advancement opportunities

Job summary

The San Diego Unified School District is seeking an Occupational Therapy Specialist to provide assessment, consultation, and direct OT to students in or referred to special education. This promotional/open opportunity creates an ongoing eligibility list for future hires and includes a salary schedule with district benefits.

Working locations vary across the district, with 10- or 11-month schedules. Bilingual skills may apply for differential pay; training and tests may be part of the process as

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited school of occupational therapy.
• Current California license to practice OT.
• Experience in pediatrics or educational settings desirable.
• Related education/experience must be clearly shown in application.

Responsibilities

• Provide assessment and direct occupational therapy to students.
• Collaborate with general and special education staff and parents.
• Identify instructional strategies and patterns of support.

Skills

Communication with staff

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Pediatrics experience

Educational settings familiarity

Education

OT degree

California OT license

Job description

Occupational Therapy Specialist

San Diego Unified School District Related & Specialized Services Department - San Diego, California Open in Google Maps

This job is also posted in San Diego Unified School District Job Opportunities

Job Details

Job ID: 5770039Application Deadline: Dec 20, 2026 11:59 PM (Pacific Standard Time)Re-Posted: Jun 20, 2026 7:00 AM (UTC)

Starting Date: To Be Determined

Job Description

The San Diego Unified School District is currently accepting applications for the position of Occupational Therapy Specialist. This promotional / open opportunity is open to all interested candidates.This is a continuous recruitment which will be used to establish an ongoing eligibility list for future hiring purposes.

OVERVIEW:

San Diego Unified School District, the second largest district in California and one of the top largest urban school districts in the United States, is looking for professionals who care deeply for students and are committed to the communities in which they serve.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT:

Because each person is born with inherent worth and dignity, and because equitable access and opportunity are essential to a just, educated society, San Diego Unified employee commitments include being respectful of differences and diverse perspectives, and being accountable for one’s actions and the resulting impact.

BASIC FUNCTION:

The Occupational Therapy Specialist will provide assessment, consultation, and direct occupational therapy to students enrolled in or referred to special education programs. The Occupational Therapy Specialist also collaborates with general and special education staff and parents, to identify strategies, methods, and patterns of instructional support.

VACANCY / POSITION SPECIFICS:

• Working Location: Related & Specialized Services Department supports various locations throughout the District.
• The District covers a large portion of San Diego County. Refer to the District Area Map at this Link and make sure to identify any and all specific area(s) you are interested in working in. The area(s) you identify in your application will be used for any future vacancies filled using the eligibility list from this recruitment.
• Work Schedule: Positions typically work 10 months (220 days) or 11 months (242 days) per year.
• Salary: This position is paid on the OTBS Salary Schedule. Grade061. To view the Salary Schedule, clickhere .
• Positions greater than 20 hours per week qualify for District-paid health and wellness benefits for the employee and their eligible dependents.
• Vacancies that require the incumbent to be Bilingual in English/Spanish will be noted. Candidates considered for positions that require bilingual skills will be invited to a Performance Test (Qualifying Only) for oral and written fluency. Bilingual positions qualify for a 5% bilingual differential.

This is a PROMOTIONAL/OPEN opportunity, which means that current monthly salaried employees receive precedence over other candidates on the eligible list. For a promotional/open posting, the top ten internal candidates will be provided unless there is an insufficient number of internal candidates and then the list will be supplemented with the top external candidates to make up the list of ten (Employment Regulations for the Classified Service of the San Diego Unified School District: Article IV, Section 9).

TRANSFER REQUESTS:

If you are currently working in this job title as a monthly (not hourly) District employee and wish to transfer DO NOT submit an online application through this posting. Instead, complete a Transfer Request Form.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience:

A combination of training, experience, and/or education equivalent to graduation from an accredited school of occupational therapy and California license as an Occupational Therapist; clinical affiliation in pediatrics is desirable; experience working with children in an occupational therapy or educational setting is highly desirable.

NOTE: Your related education and experience must be clearly represented in the work history and education section of your application.

Licenses and Other Requirements:

A current and valid license issued by the California Board of Occupational Therapy to practice occupational therapy.

Examination Process

The examination process includes an application screening and evaluation based on the applicant's education, work history, and responses to the application questions. Only applicants whose application packet demonstrates a combined education and experience which meets the minimum requirements for the position will be considered qualified and advance in the process. Some positions require applicants to pass additional components which may include one or more of the following: a multiple-choice, oral, written, or performance exam specific to the position. NOTE: Most exams are conducted remotely utilizing an online testing platform. For these exams, access to the internet and the use of a camera-ready desktop/laptop with a microphone is required to participate in these processes.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

If you have questions about your application, please email [e-mail].

The San Diego Unified School District communicates information regarding the hiring process via email. Please be aware that the District is not responsible for messages blocked by your email service. In an effort to allow our emails through your personal spam filter, you can try to add the [e-mail] and [e-mail] to your safe senders list.

San Diego Unified School District is committed to equal opportunity for all individuals in education. District programs and activities shall be free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying by reason of the following actual or perceived characteristics: age, ancestry, color, mental or physical disability, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, immigration status, marital or parental status, medical condition, nationality, national origin, actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, or on the basis of a person's association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

For more information about equity in employment, contact:

Title II Coordinator & Uniform Complaint Compliance Officer Eric Rico: [phone], [e-mail] / Title IX Coordinator Anna Ward: [phone], [e-mail] / 504 Coordinator Eri Nall: [phone], [e-mail]

Position Type: Full-Time

Salary: $51.79 to $62.94 Per Hour

Job Categories

Student Services > Occupational Therapist

Contact Information

• Human Resources , Classified Recruitment
• Email: [e-mail]