Financial Management Branch Chief

This position is being advertised in Sacramento County. The CDSS Headquarter location is 744 P Street Sacramento 95814.

This position is eligible for hybrid work in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order N-22-25 and at the sole discretion of the Department of Social Services under California Government Code Section 14200. All telework schedules are subject to change and may be re-evaluated at any time. The incumbent will be expected to report for in office work and attend work related in-person events as deemed operationally necessary. Telework does not change the terms and conditions of employment, the essential functions of job duties, or required compliance with the CDSS policies. The successful candidate must reside in California upon appointment.

Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.

Who May Apply

How To Apply

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Statement of Qualifications -

  A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required. Resumes or cover letters will not be accepted in lieu of a SOQ. Please refer to the Examination Information section for instructions regarding the SOQ. Applicants who do not submit the required items will not be considered for this recruitment.

• 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.
• 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.

The Examination will consist of a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) evaluation and screening process. A departmental evaluation panel will review and score the SOQ based on the competitive nature of each candidate's relevant knowledge, skills, and experience. Please note there is not a separate online Examination for the CEA classification. The SOQ will be the only basis for your final score and rank on the eligible list.

Applicants who do not submit a SOQ or follow the instructions will be eliminated from the Examination. The SOQ must:

• Be no more than three (3) pages in length. 
• Detail your interest in the California Department of Social Services and how your education and experience would make you a good fit for the position.
• Address the following three (3) questions in a narrative format. Please provide direct responses with specific examples addressing each of the items listed below. 

(1) Describe your experience overseeing a department’s budget development process. Provide a specific example of how you managed a complex fiscal challenge to ensure long-term fiscal sustainability and alignment with the Governor’s Budget priorities. 

(2) Describe how you have successfully advocated for resources and represented your organization’s interests in external discussions about fiscal management and resource needs, such as before the legislature or oversight/control agencies. How did you approach it?

(3) Describe your experience identifying and mitigating significant organizational risks in a public agency. How did you assess risks, help identify mitigations, and communicate, plan for and facilitate change management? What was the outcome? 

If your qualifications are competitive, you may be considered and invited to an interview.

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.