Program Manager I – Volunteer Program

Under general direction, to plan, organize, direct and control the activities and staff of a County program.

This position in the Santa Clara County Parks Department is responsible for planning, organizing and directing the Volunteer Program. The Program Manager I leads strategic program development, trains and motivates staff, implements and assesses the annual work plan, and will oversee the implementation of a new volunteer management software program. The position is located in San Jose, California.

In addition to the employment standards, a qualified candidate would have knowledge or experience in volunteer management. An ideal candidate would possess a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in a Social Sciences such as, Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work, Parks and Recreation, Tourism or similar, with course work related to Volunteer Management Programs and experience developing and managing a volunteer program for a parks, open space agency, public agency or a non-profit organization.

TYPICAL TASKS

Plans, organizes and directs a County program that provides direct service to the public or other agencies;

Determines program objectives in light of established goals;

Develops strategies to achieve objectives;

Establishes program priorities;

Formulates and implements policies, plans and procedures for carrying out functions of the program;

Defines personnel resource needs and allocates them as required to reach program objectives;

Selects, and hires staff and ensures the orientation, training and developing of program staff;

Directs and evaluates the work of subordinate staff;

Establishes an appropriate organizational structure and delineates working level and relationships of personnel to carry out the program’s activities;

Determines budgetary requirements to maintain the program;

Recommends on the annual budget and may present the program’s budget to the Board of Supervisors;

Is responsible for determining program funding needs and in obtaining available outside funding when necessary through grants and/or contracts;

Is responsible for the implementation, control, monitoring and evaluation of provided services to ensure compliance with terms of received grants and contracts;

Maintains liaison and represents the program in contracts with public and private agencies and concerned community groups and organizations;

Prepares reports and correspondence;

Keeps abreast of new trends and developments related to the program’s activities;

Provides assistance and advise to advisory and planning boards, commissions, task force and other special groups as required;

And performs related duties as required.

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

Sufficient administrative or supervisory experience which demonstrates the possession and application of the following knowledge and abilities.

Specialized program knowledge may be required in addition to the generalized administrative/supervisory experience when it can be demonstrated that: 1) it is an absolute necessity for the successful operation of the program; 2) that the Program Manager will be held accountable for these specialized knowledges; and 3) that subordinate program staff will not be able to provide the subject matter expertise which is required.

Note: The knowledge, skills and abilities listed below indicate the common aspects of the three levels of the Program Manager Series. However, for recruitment purposes, a potential candidate will be rated on ability to perform at a specific level as outlined in the Definition of Levels Section. In appraising experience, more weight will be given to the breadth rather than depth of pertinent experience and the evidence of the candidate’s ability to assume and fulfill the responsibilities of the position at a designated level.

Knowledge of:
Program development and evaluation;

Techniques of organizing and motivating groups;

Personnel management techniques;

Methods of administrative problem solving;

Principles of organization and administrative, fiscal and program management; principles of employee supervision, training and development;

Community and agency consultation methods and procedures. Ability to:

Plan, organize, control and evaluate a public service program;

Plan and assign workloads clearly and effectively;

Train, develop and motivate staff;

Deal effectively with a variety of government and community officials;

Speak effectively in public;

Integrate the activities of a program to attain program goals;

Prepare and review reports;

Develop and recommend effective courses of action;

Develop and effectively utilize all available resources;

Establish and maintain program’s objectives, priorities and policies;

Consult with and advise top administrator on the activities and status of the program;

Develop short and long range budget plans that accurately reflect program needs. May require the ability to apply the tools of a specialty subject area.

VETERANS PREFERENCE INFORMATION: Any veteran who has submitted a copy of their DD214 form, and received a discharge of other than dishonorable, from the armed forces showing service in any branch of the United States military will be given a preferential credit of five percent (ten percent for those identified as disabled veterans), after attaining a passing examination score for a numerically scored examination, as applicable by Memorandum of Understanding.

THE EXAMINATION PROCESS: The examination process may include one or more of the following: application review, application appraisal, preliminary competitive rating, performance test, written test, and/or oral interview examination.

This recruitment may require completion of Supplemental Questions in order to evaluate your education, training and experience relative to the required knowledge and abilities for the position you are applying for.

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.

• New Hires shall be subject to a pre-employment criminal background check.

DISASTER SERVICE WORKERS: Under California law, all County employees are designated as Disaster Service Workers (DSW). In the event of a catastrophic event, County employees may be expected to fulfill emergency action assignments. As DSW’s, they may be assigned to assist in any disaster service activity that promotes the protection of public health and safety and preservation of lives and property.

INFORMATION ON PERS CONTRIBUTION:
For new members, salaries above a limitation imposed by federal law (that limit per IRS is $118,775 for 2017): (1) neither the County nor the employee makes contributions to PERS on the portion of salary that exceeds the limit, and (2) the portion of the salary that exceeds the limit is not used by PERS to calculate the retirement benefit. If you were a member prior to January 1, 2013, the limit is $270,000 for 2017.