Program Specialist II

Salary : $70,925.49 - $95,998.50 Annually
Location : Riverside
Job Type: Regular
Job Number: 26-79819-04
Department: Housing and Workforce Solutions
Opening Date: 10/28/2026
Closing Date: 11/4/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

ABOUT THE POSITION
The County of Riverside's Department of Housing and Workforce Solutions (HWS), Office of Homeless Services (OHS), is seeking a qualified Program Specialist II to join the team in Riverside
The Program Specialist II will support the department by coordinating and administering federal and state homeless programs and services. Duties include, but are not limited to, administering and monitoring homeless programs such as outreach, case management, advocacy, and housing services for adults, youth, and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. These services are delivered by subcontracted service providers. The incumbent will work with external agencies and service providers to effectively deliver needed services to clients. The incumbent may also assist with encampment coordination, which includes on-site surveying of homeless populations, site clean-ups, and connecting individuals experiencing homelessness to appropriate services. This position works under the guidance of the Senior Program Specialist and under direct supervision of the Supervising Development Specialist, may serve as a technical resource for temporary employees and/or interns, and may perform additional duties as assigned.

The department is seeking candidates with experience in grant administration, including, but not limited to, tasks such as preparing federal and state grant proposals, preparing and issuing requests for proposals for local competitions, monitoring grant budgets, ensuring compliance with funding requirements, tracking project deliverables, submitting progress or financial reports, coordinating with funding agencies, and providing technical assistance to subcontracted service providers, as well as prior experience with homeless service programming. Candidates should also have experience using the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), demonstrate professional customer service, communication, organizational, and analytical skills, and have the ability to work effectively amid changing priorities and tight timelines. Bilingual ability in Spanish is not required, but it is highly desired.
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Analyze new and revised legislation which govern social services programs to determine impact upon operations; analyze existing operations and procedures within an assigned area.
• Conduct studies and make recommendations for procedural or organizational changes including staffing requirements and costs; plan and coordinate the implementation of program changes with systems (EDP) and other departmental areas.
• Oversee general complaint function: investigate complaints involving various homeless and social services programs.
• Develop and review departmental policies and procedures to ensure compliance with state and federal legislation, regulations, and directives.
• Compose, organize, and revise departmental policy and procedure manuals; may plan and coordinate the development of new and revised programs, contracts, and interagency agreements with department staff, other County departments, and community agencies.
• Act as a technical expert or resource person to department staff and other interested individuals regarding social services, and homeless program policies, and procedures.
• Research, analyze, and prepare recommendations regarding special projects assigned by the the Directors, managers, or other administrative staff.
• Compose selected correspondence, reports, and directives for use by the division/department and designated staff members.
• Correspond with and act as a department liaison with various state agencies and departments; may serve as a department representative on various homeless and social services assistance committees.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
OPTION I
Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in social welfare, social or behavioral sciences, social/human services, counseling, or a closely related field.
Additional caseworker experience in the program for which the position is being filled may be substituted for the required education on the basis of one year of experience for 30 semester or 45 quarter units of college level coursework.
Experience: One year of lead or supervisory caseworker experience in a human services program.
OPTION II
Experience: One year of experience comparable to a Program Specialist I in a Department of Social Services.
Knowledge of: Principles, philosophies, and operations of social services and/or child support programs; the federal, state, and local social services and/or child support programs and their supporting legislation; available sources of social services rules and regulations; principles of organization, planning, research and analysis.
Ability to: Interpret new and revised regulations and project possible and/or probable impacts to the department; develop, revise, and implement departmental operating policies and procedures; define organizational, procedural, and resource allocation problems; collect, organize, and evaluate pertinent data, define and validate conclusions, identify alternative solutions and project consequences of decisions and recommendations; may perform mathematical and statistical computations required for cost analysis, reports, and record keeping; prepare clear, concise, and complete reports, correspondence, directives, and manuals; speak effectively in groups and individual situations; establish and maintain effective line of communication and working relationships at all organizational levels; give and follow oral and written instructions; work in the presence of changing priorities and tight time schedules; operate a microcomputer and use a variety of applications software packages.
Other Requirements

License: Possession of a valid California Driver's License is required.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
For questions regarding this recruitment

Contact Danilo Lozano at or 951-955-1605. Please allow 1-2 business days for a response to general inquiries.
APPLICATION INFORMATION

Veteran's Preference
The County has a Veterans Preference Policy applicable to new hires. To qualify, attach the required documents to your job application. Documents include a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service. For spousal preference, and as applicable, the following documents: a copy of your marriage certificate, spouse's death certificate, a letter of spouse's disability and/or letter of service-related death (if available) from the U.S. Veteran's Administration. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. For complete details and documentation requirements, please review the Veterans Preference Policy, C-3 here:
Reasonable Accommodations
The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at:
Schedule, Overtime, Standby/On-Call, and Travel Obligations
The County of Riverside offers a variety of alternative work schedules, dependent upon department operations and needs. Certain assignments may involve overtime, standby/on-call shifts, and/or travel; however, scheduling, shift assignments, overtime work, standby/on-call duty, and travel obligations are subject to management approval, operational needs, and/or may be modified or discontinued at any time. Applicants should contact the assigned recruiter for additional information regarding the schedule, overtime and standby/on-call expectations, and travel obligations.
Proof of Education
If using education to qualify or when requested by the recruiter, upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account at the time of application and before the closing date. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted.

If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services () or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. ().
Work Authorization Requirement
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. The County of Riverside does not participate in visa sponsorship programs, including H1-B visas, and will not provide sponsorship for any employment-based visas.
BENEFIT PROGRAM: SEI
MEDICAL/DENTAL/VISION INSURANCE: A choice of different medical, dental and visions plan are available to elect. The County provides a Flexible Benefit Credit contribution as governed by the applicable SEIU Memorandum of Understanding to contribute towards the cost of these plans.

Note: Employees on assignment through the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) receive different benefits. See the list
MISCELLANEOUS RETIREMENT: County of Riverside has three retirement Tiers through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).

• Tier I (Classic Member - Formula 3% @ 60): Applicable to current and former County of Riverside local miscellaneous employees hired prior to 08/24/2012 and did not withdraw CalPERS contributions. The employee contribution is eight (8%) percent.
• Tier II (Classic Member - Formula 2% @ 60): Applicable to local miscellaneous employees 1) hired after 08/23/2012 through 12/31/2012; 2) Previously employed with another CalPERS contracting public agency or a reciprocal retirement system, with a break in service of less than six months between the separation date with the previous employer and the appointment date with the County of Riverside. The employee contribution is seven (7%) percent.
• Tier III (PEPRA New Member - Formula 2% @ 62): Applicable to CalPERS local miscellaneous new members hired on or after the implementation of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) which took effect January 1, 2013. Effective July 1, 2023 employee contributions are 7.25% and will increase to 7.75% effective July 1, 2024.

A new member is defined as any of the following:

1. A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1,