Salary : $103,334.40 - $125,195.20 Annually
Location : City of San Diego, CA
Job Type: Varies by Position
Job Number:
Business Area: N/A - Multiple Departments
Opening Date: 09/04/2026
Closing Date: 9/14/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

JOB INFORMATION
See NOTE(S) below for future wage increases and/or additional compensation opportunities.
Community Development Specialist IV positions...

1. Manage complex programs and projects and supervise subordinate professional and administrative staff.

2. Negotiate, implement, manage and/or monitor budgets, policies, programs, projects, grants and contracts that include community development, business development and assistance, land development, climate action, sustainability planning and development, business finance and loans, community revitalization, housing development and rehabilitation, data research and analysis, workforce development, public infrastructure and public services.

3. Collaborate, coordinate, and engage with business and community groups, advisory boards, the community at large, private sector stakeholders, other City staff, other governmental entities, and elected officials through interpersonal interactions and public presentations.

4. Participate in the development and/or analysis of plans, reports, studies, feasibility assessments, and metrics for community development and HUD programs, climate and equity, and economic development.

5. Perform other duties as assigned.

NOTES:

• The following general wage increase is scheduled to take effect for Community Development Specialist IV: 2% effective 6/30/27.
• Eligible benefited employees originally hired on or after July 10, 2021, will be automatically enrolled in the San Diego City Employees Retirement System (SDCERS).
• Although different assignments involve varying levels of guidance and supervision, Community Development Specialist IVs typically exercise a considerable amount of initiative and independent judgment in developing, updating, and implementing programs, projects, and policies.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
You must meet the following requirements on the date you apply, unless otherwise indicated.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's Degree or equivalent education (i.e., minimum completed college units = 120 semester/180 quarter).

NOTE:

• Additional qualifying professional-level experience may be substituted for education lacked on a year-for-year basis. One year of full-time experience = 30 semester/45 quarter college-level units.

EXPERIENCE: Four years of full-time professional-level experience as described below. Qualifying experience must include performing the full range of professional-level duties in at least ONE of the following areas:

1. GRANT, CONTRACT AND/OR PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Grants management and administration, including managing and monitoring grants, subrecipient agreements, and ensuring compliance for programs, such as for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) entitlement programs; special assessment district formation and management (authorized under California or local law); contract or project management, with for-profit or nonprofit entities.

2. BUSINESS ASSISTANCE: Development, implementation, management, and/or marketing of: Business assistance, attraction, expansion, and/or retention programs; workforce development programs; state or federal incentive programs or resources (e.g., Foreign-Trade Zones, EB-5, Opportunity Zones, EDA); business finance and lending programs.

3. COMMUNITY SERVICES AND PROGRAMS: Program development, implementation, management, monitoring, community engagement, and/or marketing of: Community service programs; government-assisted or affordable housing programs; homeless and shelter programs and services; neighborhood revitalization programs.

4. PLANNING, PERMITTING, AND DEVELOPMENT: Land development entitlement processing and building permitting; sustainability planning and development; community development and neighborhood infrastructure project implementation.

5. FINANCE, COMMERCIAL LENDING AND BUDGETING: Program or project financial, budgetary, or data development, management, and/or analysis of: Business finance and commercial lending programs; infrastructure/public facilities financing; contract administrative/budgetary analysis; data collection and analysis (e.g., econometric modeling).

6. SUSTAINABILITY/CLIMATE ACTION AND EQUITY: Community engagement best practices and application; development of metrics related to climate action and equity; development and/or implementation of programs supporting climate equity; tracking and application of local, state, and federal funding that relates to climate and equity.
NOTES:

• A Master's Degree in Public or Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Planning, Management, or a closely related field may be substituted for a MAXIMUM of one year of the required experience.
• City of San Diego employees using an Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA) experience to qualify must submit written documentation, signed by their appointing authority or payroll specialist, detailing the work performed, dates, and the total number of qualifying OCA hours. OCA experience without the required documentation will NOT be considered.

HIGHLY DESIRABLE: Depending upon the specific Community Development Specialist IV position available for recruitment, one or more of the following may be highly desirable:

• Intermediate or higher skill with any of the following: Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS), Geographic Information System (GIS), Salesforce, Tableau, or similar software.
• Bilingual (English/other).

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (MUST SUBMIT WITH APPLICATION):

• Proof of degree/transcripts, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.
• For City of San Diego employees, proof of Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA), if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.

Required documents should be attached electronically to your application. If you are unable to attach at the time of application submittal, you must submit them as soon as possible via fax: (619) 533-3337; or to the Employment Information Center: City of San Diego Personnel Department, 1200 Third Avenue - Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92101. Include your name and the title of the position for which you are applying.

SCREENING PROCESS
Please ensure all information is complete and accurate, as the responses you provide on the supplemental questions will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in this initial screening process, your application will be reviewed for applicable education, experience, and/or training to ensure all minimum requirements have been met. Successful candidates will be placed on a list which will be used to fill position vacancies during the next six months (180 days). For each vacancy, only those candidates with the most appropriate qualifications will be contacted by the hiring department for an interview.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

I understand that failure to respond to the following questions in the spaces provided may result in the rejection of my application. In addition, I may miss out on employment opportunities. Resumes are NOT reviewed for assessing the minimum requirements, qualifications will be determined from the answers provided to the supplemental questions.

• Yes
• No

02

Are you a current or former City of San Diego government/municipal employee?

• Current city employee
• Former city employee
• Current & former city employee
• None of the above

03

If you have previously worked or are currently working for the City of San Diego, please enter your PERNR.
04

The minimum age for this job is 18, unless you are 17 and a high school graduate. Do you meet the minimum age requirements for this job?

• Yes
• No

05

Specify which ONE of the following options you are using to meet the education requirement. NOTE: Attach proof of degree/transcripts to your application.

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent education (i.e., minimum completed units = 120 semester/180 quarter).
• Master's Degree or higher in Public or Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Planning, Management or a closely related field.
• None of the above.

06

If you are using a combination of experience and education to qualify, which of the following best describes your level of education?

• 0 to 29 semester/44 quarter units
• 30 semester/45 quarter units to 59 semester/89 quarter units
• 60 semester/90 quarter units to 89 semester/134 quarter units
• 90 semester/135 quarter units to 119 semester/179 quarter units
• 120 semester/180 quarter units or more

07

Specify the total number of years of full-time professional-level experience you have obtained performing grant, contract and/or project management; business assistance; community services and programs; planning, permitting and development; finance, commercial lending and budgeting; and/or sustainability/climate action and equity.

• None
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year to less than 2 years
• 2 years to less than 3 years
• 3 years to less than 4 years
• 4 years to less than 5 years
• 5 years to less than 6 years
• 6 years to less than 7 years
• 7 years to less than 8 years
• 8 years or more

08

In which of the following areas do you have full-time professional experience?

• Grant, contract and/or project management
• Business assistance
• Community services and programs
• Planning, permitting and development
• Finance, commercial lending and budgeting
• Sustainability/climate action and equity
• None of the above

09

For each area you indicated in question #8, specify from which employer the experience was gained, your title, level of responsibility, percent of time spent on each area and the total length of your experience. If you do not have any experience in a specific area, write "None."
Required Question