Program Coordinator-Behavioral Health Services-26243706BHS
Salary
$98,945.60 - $135,491.20 Annually
Location
County of San Diego, CA
Job Type
Regular - Full time
Job Number
26243706BHS
Department
Behavioral Health Services
Division
Behavioral Health Services
Opening Date
07/02/2026
Closing Date
7/13/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Job Summary
Behavioral Health Services is currently accepting applications for:
Program Coordinator
(Behavioral Health Services)
Interviews will take place beginning the week of August 3 and 10, 2026.
Job offers will take place beginning the week of August 24 and 31, 2026.
Future Salary Increases
June 2027 - 4.49% increase to base pay (3% Across-the- Board + 1.49% Market Adjustment)
The Program Coordinator is a professional management level classification that provides administrative, analytical, planning, and management support for programs and projects where substantive administrative, policy and/or technical issues require specialized analysis, recommendation, and implementation. Current vacancies are in Behavioral Health Services (BHS) Community Engagement & Outreach and Departmental Communications teams; however, the list established from this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies in other departments.
Community Engagement & Outreach
The ideal candidate is a highly organized, proactive professional who is passionate about advancing community engagement, partnerships, and strategic initiatives that strengthen the behavioral health system and improve connections with the communities we serve. They thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment and enjoy leading implementation efforts, bringing structure to complex work, and helping shape work in a dynamic, evolving organization. Successful candidates communicate effectively, build strong relationships with community organizations, contractors, healthcare partners, educational institutions, public agencies, and internal County staff, and exercise sound judgment, political acumen, professionalism, diplomacy, and discretion when supporting high-visibility initiatives. General skills and abilities include exceptional project and program management, strong initiative, the ability to organize and prioritize complex work with minimal direction, navigate competing priorities and perspectives, and bring people together to move work forward. Highly desirable experience includes leading community engagement, behavioral health, public health, or other strategic community-based initiatives and programs; leading and developing professional staff; managing complex, multi-faceted initiatives from planning through implementation; administering or overseeing County or other public sector contracts; coordinating cross-functional teams and partnerships; and preparing reports, presentations, and recommendations for executive leadership. A master's degree in public health, public administration, public policy, or similar is desirable.
Departmental Communications
The ideal candidate is a highly organized, proactive professional who can support the growing scope of departmental communications to external and internal audiences. They thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment and are skilled at coordinating complex projects, managing multiple priorities, maintaining exceptional attention to detail, and helping shape communications in a dynamic, evolving organization. Successful candidates possess excellent oral and written communication skills, understand the wide breadth of BHS services at a high level, build productive relationships with internal County staff to distill complex concepts into clear public messaging, effectively lead collaborative meetings with County leadership, and provide thoughtful communications guidance on high-visibility initiatives. General skills and abilities include exercising sound judgment, political acumen, strong project management with minimal supervision, balancing competing priorities, and discretion when supporting high-visibility initiatives. Highly desirable experience includes demonstrated success leading high-level communications projects, creating innovative approaches to develop and improve processes, and serving as a leader on a strategic communications team responsible for executive communications, rapid response work, and organizational change. Highly desirable qualifications include a bachelors degree in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, public administration, or a closely related field, as well as experience supporting executive leadership within a large, complex organization.
Please click here for a complete job description of Program Coordinator, including essential functions, examples of qualifying education/experience, working conditions, etc.
For information about Behavioral Health Services, please click here.
Hiring and Timeline
If you are not selected for this interview process, you may have the opportunity to compete for future vacancies.
Minimum Qualifications
A bachelors degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or certified foreign studies equivalency, AND, four (4) years of professional experience performing analysis, budget management, program administration, engineering, or closely related work in a program performing planning and analysis; OR a combination of education and/or experience as stated above.
Blind Applicant Screening
The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, hides a candidate's personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process helps contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application.
Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application Work History and/or supplemental questionnaire.
Condition of Employment
As part of the County of San Diego's pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening prior to beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position. Current County employees may be excluded from this process.
Evaluation Process
Qualified applicants will be placed on a six (6) month employment list based on scores received during the evaluation of information contained in the supplemental questionnaire. Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental application form will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in the initial screening process, your application will be reviewed individually to confirm that the information you provided is accurate and qualifying.
Accommodation
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job, on a case-by-case basis.
As an employer of over 19,000 employees, the County of San Diego is an organization committed to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. We recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by our veterans and value the unique expertise and leadership qualities they bring to our workforce. We strive to provide veterans with the resources and tools necessary to maximize their employment opportunities, and to assist veterans with their transition into civilian life by applying the valuable skills, knowledge and training acquired in service to positions and career paths at all levels within our large organization. Click on the resource links below to learn more about how the County of San Diego supports its veterans.
Veteran's Preference Policy
The County of San Diego offers preferential credits for military service to assist qualified applicants in transitioning from military to civilian careers with the County of San Diego. Please read the Veterans Preference Policy for additional information.
Military Skills Translator
Do you need assistance translating your military experience into civilian experience? This tool can help! Please read the Military Skills Translator to access the tool.
Strategic Plan
The County of San Diego and its employees embrace the vision of: a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all. Our values include: integrity, equity, access, belonging, excellence, and sustainability. Each of which are infused throughout our operations. While also embracing a mission of strengthening our communities with innovative, inclusive, and data driven services through a skilled and supported workforce. Click here for more information on our Strategic Plan (sandiegocounty.gov)
Disaster Service Worker
Under California Government Code Sections 3100 - 3109, public employees are designated as disaster service workers. The term "public employees" includes all persons employed by the state or any county, city, state agency, or public district. Disaster service workers are required to participate in such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their employer or by law.
Diversity & Inclusion
The County of San Diego is committed to valuing diversity and practicing inclusion because our diverse workforce is our greatest asset and our customers are our number one priority.
Click here to see the Management Benefits Summary (MGT)
01
Please be sure to answer the following questions in a thorough and complete manner and include this experience in the work history section of the application. Note that if you are invited to the selection interview phase of this recruitment, you may be asked to provide additional detail on your work experience in order to verify your responses.
Do you understand this information?
02
Please select from the following the one that best describes how you meet the minimum qualifications.
Note: Make sure the experience you are using to qualify is reflected in the employment history of your application in order to be considered.
Note: If using education to qualify you MUST submit a copy of your college transcripts/diploma or foreign studies U.S. equivalency report with this application.
03
Please select the areas in which you have experience. Select all that apply. Please ensure this experience is included in the Work History/Experience section of your Employment Application.
04
For each area selected in QUESTION 3, please explain your experience. If you answered, "None of the above," please indicate "N/A."
05
Do you have experience preparing communications, presentations, talking points, briefing materials, or correspondence for executive leadership or elected officials?
06
Do you have experience planning, facilitating, or presenting at public meetings, advisory groups, community meetings, or executive-level work groups?
07
Do you have experience serving as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or administering public sector contracts or grants? Please ensure this experience is included in the Work History/Experience section of your Employment Application.
08
Do you have experience implementing new programs, organizational changes, or major initiatives that required coordinating multiple stakeholders? Please ensure this experience is included in the Work History/Experience section of your Employment Application.
09
Do you have professional experience supporting behavioral health, public health, healthcare, or other human services programs? Please ensure this experience is included in the Work History/Experience section of your Employment Application.
10
Do you have experience directly supervising staff, including coaching, performance management, and staff development? Please ensure this experience is included in the Work History/Experience section of your Employment Application.
11
Where did you first hear about this job opportunity?
12
If you answered "Other" to the question above, please indicate where you first heard about this job opportunity. If this does not apply, please indicate "N/A" below.
Required Question
Employer County of San Diego
Address 5500 Overland Ave., Suite 370
San Diego, California, 92123
Phone (619) 236-2191
(866) 880-9374
Website http://www.SanDiegoCounty.gov
We are committed to provide and retain a skilled, adaptable, and diverse workforce for County departments so they may deliver superior services to the residents and visitors of the County of San Diego.