Overview
The State of California offers a variety of public administration and program management careers to support agencies across the state.
Professionals in these roles help develop and implement public programs, manage grants and contracts, oversee procurement and business operations, support policy development and coordinate services that benefit Californians. Public administration professionals may work in areas such as budgeting, program evaluation, compliance, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning and operational management.
Did you know that careers in public administration and program management are open to individuals from a wide range of educational and professional backgrounds? These professionals bring skills in leadership, communication, analysis, organization and problem-solving to support agencies across California. Whether you are a recent graduate, an experienced administrator or a professional seeking a career in public service, there are opportunities for a meaningful and impactful career in California state government.
What You Might Work On
In California state government, professionals in this field often:
- Provide oversight and organization to public-facing programs or projects
- Coordinate operations at state-funded institutions
- Coordinate across departments, state partners and contractors
Is This a Good Fit?
While roles and responsibilities vary, you might enjoy this field if you:
- Like working in an oversight or compliance role
- Want to support programs or initiatives that assist the public
- Want to use your organizational and coordinating skills for public-facing programs
Job Classifications
What are job classifications?
Job classifications map to specific job titles found across California state government. A corresponding code maps to the required exam for that classification. For example, 00105322 is the code for Personnel Program Manager.
How to use them:
You can use the job classifications to search for positions on CalCareers in the classification section within the advanced search filter. You can also use key words to find roles in the search bar on the home page. Below is a list of common examples, but additional roles and classifications can be found on CalCareers.
| Exam Code | Classification Name | Common Keywords | What You’ll Do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00105322 | Personnel Program Manager | Program manager; personnel | Develop, modify and administer program goals, policies and procedures to accomplish program mission |
| 00104019 | Project Director | Project; Director | Plan, organize, monitor, coordinate and administer the work on capital outlay projects from the planning/budget phase through completion |
| 00104746 | Procurement and Services Officer | Procurement | Plan, organize and direct the institutional service operations where the size and variety of these operations are limited; to supervise or perform the purchase of all materials, supplies and equipment used in an institution |
| 00108353 | Community Program Specialist | Community; Programs | Provide leadership and technical assistance in developing new programs serving developmentally disabled clients residing in developmental centers and publicly or privately owned facilities in the community |
| 00105630 | Associate Arts Grants Administrator | Grants; Arts | Implement arts projects and programs; provide funding advice and other technical information to arts organizations, public or private agencies, or individual artists |
Where You Could Work
State government is broad — so where do you start?
One approach is to focus on a type of role. Another is to focus on a mission area or the kind of impact you want to have (i.e., in public health, education, transportation or elsewhere).
Keep in mind: mission areas often span multiple agencies, so you may find relevant roles in places you wouldn’t expect!
Professionals in this field work across many state agencies depending on mission area, including:
- Education: California Department of Education
- Arts: California Arts Council
- Human Resources: California Government Operations Agency
Examples of California Agencies with Public Administration and Program Management
Did you know you could have a public administration and program management career at one of these agencies? Note: This is not an exhaustive list of all the options in California state government, but a helpful starting place as you begin exploring your future public administration and program management career!
| Agency Name |
|---|
| California Department of Aging |
| California Department of Developmental Services |
| California Department of Education |
| California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery |
| California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services |
| California State Controller’s Office |
Sample Positions
Analyst [01005393]
| Employer / agency | California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | Sacramento County |
| Mission context | Protect lives and property, build capabilities and support our communities for a resilient California |
In this role, you may:
- Review, analyze, process and prepare responses to a broad variety of forms, documents and correspondence pertaining to federal and state homeland security and related grant programs
- Formulate procedures, policies and grant program alternatives, making recommendations on program-related issues
Procurement and Services Officer [00104746]
| Employer / agency | California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | Kings County |
| Mission context | To facilitate the successful reintegration of the individuals in our care back to their communities equipped with the tools to be drug-free, healthy and employable members of society by providing education, treatment, rehabilitative and restorative justice programs, all in a safe and humane environment |
In this role, you may:
- Direct, supervise and review the purchase of all commodities, equipment and services for the institution
- Monitor various service functions to ensure the institution’s operational needs and goals are met
Analyst [00105393]
| Employer / agency | California Department of Developmental Services |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | Orange County |
| Mission context | Works to ensure Californians with developmental disabilities have the opportunity to make choices and lead independent, productive lives as members of their communities in the least restrictive setting possible |
In this role, you may:
- Support the completion of projects to ensure that federal compliance reporting requirements for California’s Annual Performance Report (APR) are met
- Act as lead in providing technical assistance to local programs such as the California Department of Education, local educational agencies, regional centers, family resource centers and our community regarding the service delivery of California’s Early Start Program
