Program Specialist

City-of-Sacrament; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 72,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Sacramento is seeking a Program Specialist within the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP). This grant-funded role supports contract monitoring, performance tracking, data collection, and reporting, while coordinating with community stakeholders and guiding special projects aligned with violence prevention goals.

Ideal candidates bring strong program coordination, stakeholder engagement, and administrative skills, plus experience with grant-funded initiatives and public safety/public

Qualifications

• Four years of progressively responsible professional-level administrative experience.
• Bachelor's Degree in business or public administration or closely related field.
• Note: governmental experience is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Support contract monitoring, performance tracking, data collection and reporting.
• Coordinate with stakeholders and build community engagement efforts.
• Assist in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of violence prevention programs.
• Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal grant requirements.

Skills

Program coordination

Stakeholder engagement

Administrative support

Grant compliance

Public safety knowledge

Data reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or public administration

Job description

This position is grant-funded for a period of up to three (3) years. Continued employment is contingent upon the availability of grant funding.

Please Note: a candidate must successfully pass a thorough background investigation, including a criminal history check for job-related convictions, fingerprinting, polygraph test, credit check, and a drug use history to be considered for this position.

This Program Specialist position will support contract monitoring, performance tracking, data collection and reporting, stakeholder coordination, community engagement efforts, and special projects designed to advance the City’s violence prevention goals. This position is grant-funded for 42 months, ending no later than September 30, 2029.

IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT

The City of Sacramento seeks a highly motivated, collaborative, and results-oriented professional to serve as a Program Specialist within the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP). The ideal candidate will possess strong program coordination, stakeholder engagement, and administrative skills, with experience supporting grant-funded initiatives, community-based programs, public safety, public health, social services, or related fields. They will assist in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of violence prevention and intervention programs while supporting compliance with local, state, and federal grant requirements. The ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to build and maintain effective partnerships with community-based organizations, government agencies, schools, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders.

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.

• 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.

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.

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.