Job Description

Job Description and Duties

THERE IS ONE VACANCY BEING ADVERTISED ACROSS MULTIPLE COUNTIES. THE INCUMBENT WILL BE HEADQUARTERED IN THE COUNTY NEAREST THE RESIDENCE OF THE SELECTED CANDIDATE. THE COUNTIES ARE: * Contra Costa or Sacramento County *

This is a remote-based position.

This position is a 12-month Limited Term (LT) and may be extended up to 24 months or become permanent.

The incumbent works under the general direction of the Health Program Manager (HPM) III, Assistant Deputy Director of the Regional Public Health Office (RPHO), the Communications Specialist (Information Officer II) assists in standardizing messaging, developing materials for public consumption including social media, public service announcements, info graphics and messaging that is culturally competent in addressing the population needs of the Public Health Region. The Communications Specialist position works closely in collaboration with CDPH’s Office of Communications and other Centers as needed. The Communications Specialist team members will be directly assigned one or more of the following Public Health Regions: Rural North, Bay Area, Greater Sierra-Sacramento, Central California, Southern California, and Los Angeles; and may rotate duties as lead liaison with the CDPH Office of Communications. The Communications Specialists will work collaboratively as a team to support and provide back up to their Communications Specialist counterparts as needed.

In July 2025, the State of California implemented the Personal Leave Program (PLP) 2025. This program temporarily reduces employees’ monthly base pay in exchange for paid leave credits. This position is subject to PLP 2025 and will have a monthly base pay reduction of 3% in exchange for 5 hours of leave credits through June 2027. The salary ranges shown on this job posting do not reflect the salary reduction.

Please let us know how you heard about our position by taking this brief survey:

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Additional Documents

Special Requirements

For experience/education to qualify during the application screening process, and to ensure that minimum qualifications can be determined, applicants should include all employment history on the Employment Application (STD 678) and/or Resume, including detailed job descriptions,  hours worked per week , and  start/end dates (MM/DD/YYYY) .  Application packages without this information will experience delayed processing times and your eligibility for this position may be impacted.

A completed State application (STD. 678) and any other relevant documents (e.g., unofficial transcript, copy of degree, resume, etc.) should be submitted electronically via your CalCareers Account. Please reference  Job Control # 516022  and indicate the basis of your eligibility in the Examination(s) or Job Title(s) section. SROA and surplus candidates should submit a copy of their letter with their application. Please remove any confidential information (i.e., social security number, date of birth) from your documents prior to submission.

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 CalCareers Account at Submitting an electronic application through your CalCareers account is strongly recommended since electronic applications will be received/processed faster than other methods of filing. Please submit only one application.

If you are unable to submit your application electronically through your CalCareers account, please email  apply@cdph.ca.gov for assistance and a CDPH Human Resources Division staff member will contact you to assist with the online application process or, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method as explained in the How to Apply section below. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included.

Application Instructions

Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.

Final Filing Date: 5/21/2026

Who May Apply

Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply. Individuals who are eligible for a Training and Development assignment may also be considered for this position(s).

Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).

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 When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:

Address for Mailing Application Packages

You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:

Department of Public Health

CCAU Mailing

Attn: Classification & Certification Unit

P.O. Box 997378

MS 1700-1702

Sacramento , CA 95899-7378

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

Department of Public Health

CCAU Drop Off

Classification & Certification Unit

1615 Capitol Avenue Suite 73.430

Sacramento , CA 95814

08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Statement of Qualifications - Please see Statement of Qualifications instructions below at end of posting .  Any applications received that  do not provide a written response to the SOQ may be rejected .

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Contact Information

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.

Department Website:

Human Resources Contact:
Human Resources Division
(916) 445-0983
apply@cdph.ca.gov

Hiring Unit Contact:
Traci Wacker
(279) 217-0865
Traci.Wacker@cdph.ca.gov

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
EEO Office
(916) 445-0938

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) Instructions:

Please provide a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) for the hiring manager’s review. Your SOQ is essentially the first interview for this position. If your qualifications are competitive, you will be invited to a virtual interview.

When completing the SOQ, please include  all  relevant experience, education, and training for each question. Explain your answers thoroughly and include, if appropriate, places/dates of employment and duties performed.

Note: Your answers should be single-spaced, in a 12-point font with standard margins, and not to exceed two pages. The hiring manager will not consider notations or references to other materials, such as a resume or the application form. Incomplete or missing responses to the information requested may negatively affect the assessment of your qualifications. 

Your SOQ must address the following:

1. Your education, formal training, job, and/or personal experience that may have prepared you for this position (please review the duty statement).
2. Your experience in media relations or a related field, including writing press materials (news releases, media advisories, speeches, etc.), materials for public communication, developing key messages, preparing talking points, and responding to reporters in a timely manner.
3. Your experience with professional social media (i.e., for a business, government, and/or nonprofit agency), and/or your experience in digital media, graphic design, and newsletter production.
4. Your experience representing an organization, working with a local entity (city and/or county) partnering with other people in a multi-agency project, and how you ensured adequate communication and rapport-building across disciplines.
5. Describe why you are interested in supporting in one or more of the following Public Health Regions: Rural North, Bay Area, Greater Sierra-Sacramento, Central California, Southern California, and Los Angeles.

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time, Work at office, Local area, Remote work

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