Salary : $139,936.16 - $169,303.68 Annually
Location : San Jose Metropolitan Area, CA
Job Type: Full-Time/Part-Time
Job Number: 26-Y09-B
Department: Santa Clara Valley Health Care - Valley Medical Center
Opening Date: 07/15/2026
Closing Date: 7/29/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Bargaining Unit: 01

Description
Under general supervision, to counsel, support, educate, and inform individuals and families with or at risk of inherited genetic disorders and birth defects about the medical, scientific, and psychological resources available to them; to promote an understanding of birth disorders so that individuals and families can adapt to the risk or condition and make informed choices.

Because we serve patients throughout multiple hospitals and clinics, you may have to work at different sites. We will meet any obligations we may have when this occurs.

Typical Tasks

The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Each individual in the classification does not necessarily perform all duties listed.

• Establishes a agreed upon genetic counseling agenda with the patient and their family;
• Elicits and obtains family history and medical information, including pregnancy development;

• Provides professional psychosocial genetic counseling to individuals regarding hereditary conditions posing potential risks to their children;

• Recommends medical or genetic testing to individuals/families at risk for genetic diseases or birth defects;

• Educates and explains technical and medical aspects of diagnostic and screening methods and reproductive options, including associated risks, benefits, and limitations;

• Coordinates communication between patient and multi-disciplinary medical team in the diagnosis and evaluation of birth conditions;

• Provides direct in-patient and out-patient care, including at satellite clinics;

• Charts, reports, coordinates, and categorizes clinical testing and test results that are approved by the specialty clinician;

• Supervises and teaches genetic counseling interns;

• Educates medical students, nurses, residents, and fellows through research, community outreach, and multi-disciplinary clinic development regarding genetic counseling and treatment services and current medical genetic updates;

• Responds to individuals/families in a timely manner;

• May be assigned as a Disaster Service Worker (DSW), as required*;

• Performs other duties, as required.

Employment Standards
Sufficient education, training, and experience to demonstrate the ability to perform the above tasks, plus the possession and direct application of the following knowledge and abilities:

Training and Experience Note: The required knowledge and abilities are attained through possession of a Master's Degree in Genetic Counseling/Human Genetics or closely related field;

and

Two (2) years of full-time experience working as a Genetic Counselor equivalent to Genetic Counselor I with the County of Santa Clara.
Special Requirements

• Possess and maintain a Genetic Counselor license issued by the California Department of Public Health, in good standing, for the duration of employment in this classification.

• Possess and maintain a valid certification by the American Board of Genetic Counseling, for the duration of employment in this classification.

• Ability to travel to alternate locations in the course of work. If driving, possession of a valid California driver's license prior to appointment and the ability to qualify for and maintain a County driver authorization.

• *As a condition of employment, pursuant to California Government Code Sections 3100-3109 and Local Ordinance, all County of Santa Clara employees are designated Disaster Service Workers (DSWs), including extra help. A DSW is required to complete all assigned DSW-related training, and in the event of an emergency, return to work as ordered.

Knowledge of:

• Principles of supervision and training and methods of instruction;

• Clinical expertise in area of specialty;

• Inherited disorders and detectable conditions;

• Effective counseling technique and session structure;

• Benefits and risks of noninvasive screening and invasive diagnostic testing;

• Effective techniques for individual case management and collaboration with multidisciplinary health professionals to promote patient care;

• Relevant community agencies and available public and private support services;

• Age-specific competencies required for effective counseling on cases involving infants, children, adolescents, adults, and geriatrics;

• English usage, style, grammar, punctation, and spelling;

• Common computer systems and applications.

Ability to:

• Supervise and assign the work of interns;

• Obtain and interpret family medical histories to assess the chance of disease occurrence or recurrence;

• Work in collaboration with health professionals to assist families facing prenatal genetic abnormalities and birth defects;

• Identify and respond to issues and problems effectively and in a timely manner;

• Maintain confidentiality; listen and obtain clarification to ensure that instructions/requests are fully comprehended;

• Educate individuals, families, and medical professionals about inherited genetic disorders or birth defects and the medical testing, scientific research, clinical trials, psychological resources, and other options available;

• Counsel patients and families to promote informed choices on various treatment options and adaptation to the risk or birth health condition;

• Counsel patients and families with sensitivity toward those at risk of genetic defects or birth disorders;

• Translate complex language of genetic medicine into understandable terms;

• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures;

• Establish and maintain effective relationships with those contacted in the course of work, at all levels, including colleagues, the public, and representatives of other agencies.
  
  Special Requirement
• Travel to and provide services at satellite clinics as required.

The County offers comprehensive first-class medical, dental, and vision benefits plans for County employees and their dependents, including plans with no deductibles, no co-pays, no co-insurance, and no prescription drug co-pays. Learn more

The County also offers generous paid time off with significant vacation, sick time, and 13 paid County holidays annually! Details are included in the with the bargaining unit applicable to the job classification.

In addition to the amazing perks above, the County also offers the additional benefits below.

Retirement Benefits
The County offers robust retirement plans including a (similar to the private sector's 401(k) plan) and the In addition to lifetime retirement income available through the CalPERS pension plan, the 457(b) Deferred Compensation plan provides a great way to save for retirement and supplement the defined benefit pension available to employees. These plans help our employees build a plan for their future and contribute to their family's long-term financial well-being.

Health Flexible Spending Account
The empowers employees to manage healthcare expenses efficiently with tax-free contributions (up to $3,200 for the 2024 calendar year). Secure tax-free solutions for your healthcare expenses and enjoy the flexibility to manage your healthcare finances effectively with the HFSA.

Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP)
The enables employees to utilize tax-free funds for dependent care services, facilitating a convenient and cost-effective approach for managing your dependent care expenses. The County also offers the , an employer-funded DCAP, for employees with annual income under $120,000.

Life and AD&D
The County offers life and disability benefits including , Insurance, These benefits ensure financial security and income support when you and your family need it most.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The County prioritizes employee mental health and well-being and offers a top-tier through Concern providing confidential counseling sessions covering stress, anxiety, relationships, grief, as well as financial/legal services, personal coaching, child and elder care referrals, and comprehensive crisis support.

Employee Wellness
The offers free wellness programing, fitness classes and resources; including Elevate My Wellness an all-in-one platform designed to elevate your well-being journey.

Education Reimbursement
A generous program is available, including Education Reimbursement for employees seeking additional training and professional development.

NOTE: Benefit and Retirement information may vary from bargaining unit to bargaining unit. Due to changes in State Law, current pension provisions described in the union contracts are not automatically applied. Specific pension benefits for new hires who start on or after January 1, 2013 may be different than indicated in the union contracts.

Click here to access all Memoranda of Understanding and most recent Summary of Changes.
01

Please answer the following questions. Completion of the following supplemental questions is REQUIRED for your application and is an integral part of the evaluation process. Initially, it will be used to evaluate against the employment standards. For those applicants meeting the employment standards, this information will be critical in the subsequent competitive assessment to identify those candidates to be invited to continue in the examination process. Your responses to the questions may also be reviewed and scored in a Competitive Rating evaluation process based on pre-determined rating criteria. Your answers should be as complete as possible, as no additional information will be accepted from applicants once the Competitive Rating evaluation has begun. Please include the name of employer, job title, dates of employment and number of hours worked per week for questions asking about your experience. A response of "see resume" or "see application" will deem your application incomplete. Vague, incomplete or non-responsive answers could result in no or low scores in a competitive rating process. Do you understand this requirement?

• Yes
• No

02

Do you possess a Master's degree or higher in Genetic Counseling/Human Genetics or closely related field?

• Yes
• No

03

If you marked yes please list the type name of degree, the level, and where it was obtained. If you do not have any write "none."
04

Do you possess board certification by the American Board of Genetic Counseling or are eligible for certification?

• Yes
• No

05

Do you possess a Genetic Counselor license issued by the California Department of Public Health?

• Yes
• No

06

If you marked yes please list your California Department of Public Health Genetic Counselor license number and the expiration date. If you do not have any write "none."
07

How many years of experience do you possess working as a Genetic Counselor?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five years or more

08

If you answered yes, please describe your Genetic Counselor experience in detail. Please include the name of employer, job title, job duties, dates of employment and number of hours worked per week. If you do not have any write "none."
09

Please select all of the competencies in which you have work experience:

• General genetics including both pediatric and adult patients
• Prenatal genetics
• Pediatric cancer genetics
• Neurogenetics
• Other
• None

10

Describe your experience in each competency that you selected in the previous question. Include the name of the competency, name of employer(s), job title(s), dates of employment, the number of hours worked per week, job duties performed. If you do not have any write "none."
11

How did you find out about this job? If "Other" is selected: Please describe how you heard about this job.
Required Question