Program Development Specialist

San Diego Unified School District; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 66,000 - 81,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Job summary

San Diego Unified School District is seeking a Program Development Specialist in the Nursing and Wellness Department, San Diego, CA, to advance grant development, wellness programming, and district-wide initiatives.

You will research funding sources, prepare grant proposals, collaborate with schools and community partners, and help evaluate wellness programs. This 11-month, 40-hour-per-week role offers district health benefits and requires strong writing and collaboration skills.

Qualifications

• Degree in education, liberal arts, business or public administration and three years of related experience.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on potential grant/funding sources and government initiatives.
• Prepare or assist in preparing grant proposals and business plans for assigned programs.
• Support planning, implementation, and evaluation of District wellness initiatives, with focus on Employee Wellness and Staff Well-being.
• Develop and coordinate health promotion and employee well-being initiatives; collaborate with District departments, schools, and community partners.
• Assist with grant development, implementation, and evaluation; train and support Wellness Center Coordinators; monitor and evaluate wellness programs.

Skills

grant writing

grant management

research & evaluation

collaboration

Education

Degree in education, liberal arts, business or public administration

Graduate level coursework in education, curriculum or policy studies; statistics and research methods

Job description

San Diego Unified School District Nursing and Wellness Department - San Diego, California Open in Google Maps

Program Development Specialist

San Diego Unified School District Nursing and Wellness 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: 5882728
• Application Deadline: Oct 05, 2026 11:59 PM (Pacific Standard Time)
• Re-Posted: Sep 21, 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 Program Development Specialist. This promotional/ open opportunity is open to all interested candidates.

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 Program Development Specialist will conduct research on potential grant/funding sources, reform strategies, and government initiatives; prepare or assist in preparing grant proposals and business plans for assigned programs.

VACANCY / POSITION SPECIFICS:

• Working Location: Nursing and Wellness Department - 4100 Normal Street, San Diego, CA 92103 (Area E)
• The Program Development Specialist within the Nursing and Wellness Department will support the planning, implementation, and evaluation of District wellness initiatives, with a primary focus on Employee Wellness and Staff Well-being. Responsibilities will include developing and coordinating health promotion and employee well-being initiatives, collaborating with District departments, school sites, and community partners, supporting communications and engagement strategies, and assisting with grant development, implementation, and evaluation. Additional areas of responsibility will include training and supporting Wellness Center Coordinators, monitoring and evaluating assigned wellness programs, and supporting implementation of Districtwide and school-based wellness initiatives.
• Work Schedule: 11 months per year / 40 hours per week.
• Salary: This position is paid on the OTBS Salary Schedule. Grade 058. To view the Salary Schedule, click here.
• Positions 20 hours per week or greater qualify for District-paid health and wellness benefits for the employee and their eligible dependents.
• Vacancies that require the incumbent to be Bilingual 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 application requires you to respond to position-specific questions in your submitted online application. These questions are identified in the APPLICATION INFORMATION section below.

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).

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience:

Any combination of training, experience, and/or education equivalent to a degree in education, liberal arts, business or public administration, or other appropriate field and three years of recent, related experience, preferably in educational program planning, including preparation of government documents and grant proposals. Graduate level coursework in education in the areas of curriculum or policy studies and statistics and research methods is desired.

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

Licenses and Other Requirements:

None

Position-Specific Questions (Required)

• To be considered for this position, you must answer every position-specific question. Failure to answer each position-specific question will result in your application being considered incomplete and disqualify you from further consideration for this recruitment.
• QUESTION 1: Describe your experience with grant writing and/or grant management.
• QUESTION 2: Describe your experience collaborating with school staff, community partners, healthcare professionals, or other stakeholders to support wellness initiatives.
• Do not upload your answers as an attachment. You will be required to answer each question in the online application.

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: $48.12 to $58.47 Per Hour

Job Categories: Organization-level Positions > Specialist

Job Requirements

• Citizenship, residency or work visa required

Contact Information

• Human Resources
• Email: [e-mail]