Description

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is currently hiring for a C.E.A Level B, Division Chief, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Division (C.E.A) within the Center for Family Health (CFH).


About the Center for Family Health at CDPH:  

Are you seeking a dynamic career with a purpose that advances the health and well-being of California families? Are you skilled in establishing collaborative relationships, fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, and serving as a leader in your organization? If so, then the California Department of Public Health, Center for Family Health’s Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Division has a career opportunity for you. 

MCAH supports pregnant people and healthy birth outcomes, as well as the development of infants, children, and adolescents, while fostering well-being and equity across the reproductive life course. The division oversees programs that serve California's diverse populations, as well as specialized collection and analysis of data related to reproductive health, pregnancy, child health, equity, and more. 

MCAH has an immediate opening for the CEA B, MCAH Division Director in our Sacramento Office with hybrid teleworking available. 


Every day in MCAH is a new and exciting adventure. Along the way, you will:

Lead, engage, and motivate diverse teams in a fast-paced environment. Collaborate with internal and external partners and the local, state, and federal level. Coordinate and develop strategies and objectives in alignment with Center and Department strategic goals, mission, and vision. Provide leadership that promotes inclusion and belonging, and ensures that race, gender, and other equity-related considerations are infused and foundational in the workplace. 

If this position sounds exciting and you are interested in joining an organization with a culture that centers on our purpose and values, come join MCAH. 


About the Role: 

Applicants applying for this job control, are applying for the exam and job vacancy simultaneously.

This position supports the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) mission and strategic plan by promoting health and wellness, empowering the public health workforce, enhancing services through agile operations, and optimizing data collection and performance measures. 

The MCAH Division Director is responsible for the management, oversight, and policy direction of the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Division in the Center for Family Health. The MCAH Division Director serves as California’s Title V MCAH Director and provides direction to the programs and projects related to the federal Title V Block Grant program. The MCAH Division Director fosters a collaborative relationship with local health departments to implement MCAH programs and the Department’s mission to advance the health and well-being of California's diverse people and communities.  

The MCAH Division Director has an active role in the Department’s executive leadership team and works within the Center for Family Health to communicate and collaborate on public health program activities and the delivery of services and programs that achieve maternal, child, and adolescent health and well-being and eliminate health inequities in partnership with other Department programs and other agencies. The incumbent keeps apprised of current and innovative literature – including policy, systems, and environmental change strategies – as well as advances in the field that would impact the work and direction of the Division. The incumbent serves as a spokesperson and a liaison to key partners, including MCAH program participants, about the goals and objectives of MCAH. 

The incumbent works under the general direction of the Deputy Director of the Center for Family Health. The Center includes three divisions: MCAH, Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC), and Genetic Disease Screening Program (GDSP). 


Telework Information    

This position may be eligible for telework. The amount of telework permitted is at the discretion of the Department and is subject to change, consistent with CDPH’s Telework Program. All employees who telework are required to be California residents in accordance with Government Code 14200. Candidates who reside outside of the state of California may be interviewed; however, the selected candidate must have a primary residency in the state of California prior to appointment (and continue to maintain California residency) as a condition of employment. Failure to meet this requirement may result in the job offer being rescinded.

Travel may be required for this position. Reimbursement for travel takes into consideration an employee’s designated headquarters, as reflected in the duty statement, and is subject to regulations and bargaining unit contract provisions. All commute expenses to the designated headquarters office will be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

The headquarters office location for this position is identified in the attached duty statement.


Please let us know how you heard about our position by taking this brief survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CDPHRecruitment


Responsibilities (please see Duty Statement within the job posting for full details):

• Provides leadership and guidance to supporting managers and staff in the design, development, and implementation of statewide strategies, policies, and for directing all projects, programs and systems related to MCAH programs and activities.
• Oversees the planning, development, and measurement of performance across the Division. Develops and mentors subordinate managers through a combination of performance reviews, regular 1:1s, feedback loops, goal setting, and clear and effective communication.
• Collaborates with other divisions, agencies, and community partners on public health programs and activities to reduce health disparities and maintain the confidence and cooperation of staff, local health jurisdictions, health care professionals, research and university groups, and other groups involved in implementing, evaluating, and developing standards for maternal, child, and adolescent health services.

The deadline to apply is: 05/17/2026 at 11:59pm PST


Link to Apply: 

https://calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPosting.aspx?JobControlId=515336


Link to Minimum Qualifications: 

https://eservices.calhr.ca.gov/enterprisehrblazorpublic/Public/ClassSpec/ClassSpecDetail/7500 


This position does not have a Classification Specification. Requirements and qualifications for this position can be found in this announcement. For additional questions, please contact the hiring department listed below.


Examination Qualification Requirements

All applicants must possess the knowledge and abilities, and any other requirements, described in this announcement.

Note: Eligibility to take a CEA examination does not require current permanent status in the civil service.


Minimum Qualifications

CEA examinations are open to all applicants who possess the knowledge, skills and abilities, and any other requirements as described in the examination bulletin. Eligibility to take a CEA examination does not require current permanent status in civil service.


General Qualifications

State civil service employees must possess essential general qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, and ability to work cooperatively with others.


Knowledge and Abilities

Applicants must demonstrate the ability to perform high administrative and policy – influencing functions effectively. Such overall ability requires possession of most of the following more specific knowledge and abilities:

1.    Knowledge of the organization and functions of California State Government including the organization and practices of the Legislature and the Executive Branch; principles, practices, and trends of public administration, organization, and management; techniques of organizing and motivating groups; program development and evaluation; methods of administrative problem solving; principles and practices of policy formulation and development; and personnel management techniques; the department’s or agency’s Equal Employment Opportunity Program objectives; and a manager’s role in the Equal Employment Opportunity Program.

2.    Ability to plan, organize, and direct the work of multidisciplinary professional and administrative staff; analyze administrative policies, organization, procedures and practices; integrate the activities of a diverse program to attain common goals; gain the confidence and support of top level administrators and advise them on a wide range of administrative matters; develop cooperative working relationships with representatives of all levels of government, the public, and the Legislature and Executive branches; analyze complex problems and recommend effective courses of action; and prepare and review reports; and effectively contribute to the department’s or agency’s Equal Employment Opportunity objectives.

These knowledge and abilities are expected to be obtained from the following kinds of experience with substantial participation in the formulation, operation and/or evaluation of program policies (experience may have been paid or volunteer; in State service, other government settings, or in a private organization):

CEA Level A - Responsible for broad administrative and program activities, including the execution and/or evaluation of program policies.

CEA Level B - Responsible for extensive managerial and program administration or broad program manager experience with substantial participation in the formulation, operation, and/or evaluation of program policies.

CEA Level C - Responsible for extensive highly professional influence and contributes to program, policy, and the methods to provide professional services needed to set policies, to meet the mission of the State department and often exercising technical and or professional skills that are required at this level.


Examination Information

The responses to the Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) should not exceed five pages, be written in Arial font and no smaller than 12 point. This SOQ is required to be considered for this CEA position. Please answer each question below separately and indicate the corresponding question number for each response. 

1.    Describe your executive level experience leading, directing, and evaluating multidisciplinary management and staff. Provide examples of your experience in organizational leadership, oversight and accountability, service delivery and innovation, and the lifecycle of program design, implementation, administration, and evaluation, in each case advancing the strategic goals and objectives of the organization. 

2.    Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are Departmental priorities as we work toward reducing health inequities for birthing parents, infants, adolescents and young adults, and children, as well as improve the internal working environment to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive for employees. Describe your executive level experience implementing and measuring DEI in programs with cross-functional, multidisciplinary teams. Provide specific examples of how you have created a sense of belonging for all employees and addressed inequities in the workplace and in public health programs. 

3.    Describe your knowledge of and experience with maternal, child and adolescent programs or initiatives in California, that work to achieve health equity and eliminate health disparities throughout the state. 

4.    Describe your experience and approach to working with partners – including community groups, internal and external policy makers, local health jurisdictions, state agencies, and/or other governmental entities. 

5.    Describe your experience implementing change management strategies and workload management strategies. To the extent possible, highlight examples where you had to create strategies and systems for new programs or programs in transition and describe the internal and external communication strategies utilized. 

If you meet the requirements stated in this announcement, you may take this competitive examination. Possession of the Examination Qualifications requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination will be compared with the performance of others who take this examination, and all successful candidates will be ranked according to their scores.

A minimum rating of 70% must be attained in the Examination to obtain list eligibility for this position. All candidates will receive written notification of their examination results.

The results of this examination will only be used to fill this position. Applications will be retained for twelve months.

Hiring interviews for the Job may be conducted with the most qualified candidates.

The examining Department reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service law and rules and all competitors will be notified.


Special Testing Arrangements

If you have a disability and need special testing arrangements, answer the Reasonable Accommodations question appropriately on your Application (STD 678). You will be contacted to make specific arrangements. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this announcement.


New to the State application process? To be considered for this role, you must follow the directions below. We do not accept applications from external platforms. 

Create a CalCareer account by going to https://calcareers.ca.gov/.

Confirm that you meet the minimum qualifications for the position you are wanting to apply for. A link to view minimum qualifications is listed on each job posting. 

After confirming that you meet the minimum qualifications, take, and pass the corresponding examination. Most exams are available online and can be found on CalCareers under the exam/assessment search tab. 

Apply! Follow all directions and be sure to submit all requested documentation. 


If you are more of a visual learner, you have the option of checking out our How to Get a State Job Video Series on YouTube. If you prefer a presentation and interactive approach, you might consider signing up for one of our Career Connects. We host Career Connects via Zoom every 3 to 4 weeks. Candidates participate in a How to Get a State Job presentation geared toward specific pathways; afterwards there is an interactive session in breakout rooms, where candidates can speak with HR representatives to answer any questions they may have.


Please reach out to apply@cdph.ca.gov with any questions.


At CDPH equity, diversity, and inclusion are at the core of our mission to advance the health and well-being of California’s diverse people and communities. We are genuinely and strongly committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness where we can grow and learn together with a diverse team of employees. In recruiting for team members, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring to us and the work we do.