Food Drug Attorney Jobs (NOW HIRING)

This classification is authorized to receive a starting salary rate of $8,846.00 under Pay Scales Section 5.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Office of Legal Services (OLS) is seeking an attorney to support and represent the Department's programs on a variety of matters. This is a Permanent, Full-Time Attorney position on the Public Health Program (PHP) house counsel team, located in Sacramento. We support CDPH and its programs in working to protect and improve the health of Californians.
This Attorney will advise public health programs within CDPH on legal issues involving public health laws, matters of departmental and programmatic authority, compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements for the conduct of state business, including those for contracting, information management, public records disclosure, open meeting laws, privacy laws, administrative hearing processes, litigation support and such other legal issues as may arise. The Attorney will also research, develop, and draft legislative language, regulations, and transactional documents.
The incumbent works under the direction of an Assistant Chief Counsel (ACC) of the PHP team within the OLS.
In July 2025, the State of California implemented the Personal Leave Program (PLP) 2025. This program temporarily reduces employees' monthly base pay in exchange for paid leave credits. This position is subject to PLP 2025 and will have a monthly base pay reduction of 4.62% in exchange for 8 hours of leave credits through October 2026. The salary ranges shown on this job posting do not reflect the salary reduction.
Please let us know how you heard about our position by taking this brief survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CDPHRecruitmen t
You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement .
Working Conditions
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.
Minimum Requirements You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

• ATTORNEY

Additional Documents

• Job Application Package Checklist
• Duty Statement

Position Details Job Code #:
JC-530503
Position #(s):
580-140-5778-054
Working Title:
Attorney
Classification:
ATTORNEY $7,969.00 - $10,473.00 A
$8,969.00 - $12,026.00 B
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.
# of Positions:
1
Work Location:
Sacramento County
Telework:
Hybrid
Job Type:
Permanent, Full Time
Department Information
At the California Department of Public Health (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.
The Office of Legal Services (OLS) provides comprehensive legal support and services to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) programs and leadership to advance CDPH's mission to optimize the health and safety of all Californians. OLS is comprised of four legal teams: the Office of Policy and Administrative Litigation (OPAL) team; the Public Health Programs (PHP) team; the Center for Healthcare Quality (CHCQ) team; and the Regulations, Privacy and Special Projects team. This position is for the PHP team, which provides in-house legal advice and representation to a wide variety of CDPH's programs.
CDPH operates over 200 public health programs spanning multiple subject areas, including such topics as infectious disease surveillance and control, chronic disease and injury prevention, food, drug, and radiation safety, genetic disease screening, the Women, Infants, and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program, and the licensing of numerous health facilities, from clinics to general acute care hospitals. These programs work on cutting edge health-related issues, including the prevention, control and investigation of infectious disease outbreaks, food safety warnings, and enforcement against illegal tobacco sales to children. The programs the PHP Team supports include most of CDPH's 200 programs (the programs we support range from Alzheimer's to Zika, literally from "A to Z"). The variety of programs makes the legal work interesting and stimulating. By supporting CDPH's efforts to protect and improve the health of Californians you will be part of the team that makes a positive difference in the health of everyone in California.
*The salary information listed on this advertisement may not reflect recent salary increases from salary adjustments or changes in the fiscal year.
"*CDPH is an E-Verify employer."
Department Website: https://www.cdph.ca.gov
Special Requirements
For experience/education to qualify during the application screening process, and to ensure that minimum qualifications can be determined, applicants should include all employment history on the Employment Application (STD 678) and/or Resume, including detailed job descriptions, hours worked per week , and start/end dates (MM/DD/YYYY) . Application packages without this information will experience delayed processing times and your eligibility for this position may be impacted.
A completed State application (STD. 678) and any other relevant documents (e.g., unofficial transcript, copy of degree, resume, etc.) should be submitted electronically via your CalCareers Account. Please reference Job Control # 530503 and indicate the basis of your eligibility in the Examination(s) or Job Title(s) section. SROA and surplus candidates should submit a copy of their letter with their application. Please remove any confidential information (i.e., social security number, date of birth) from your documents prior to submission.
Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareers Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. Submitting an electronic application through your CalCareers account is strongly recommended since electronic applications will be received/processed faster than other methods of filing. Please submit only one application.
If you are unable to submit your application electronically through your CalCareers account, please email apply@cdph.ca.gov for assistance and a CDPH Human Resources Division staff member will contact you to assist with the online application process or, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method as explained in the How to Apply section below. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included.
Application Instructions
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.
Final Filing Date: 9/16/2026
Who May Apply
Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply. Individuals who are eligible for a Training and Development assignment may also be considered for this position(s). Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).
How To Apply
Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:
Address for Mailing Application Packages
You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:
Department of Public Health
CCAU Mailing
Attn: Classification & Certification Unit
P.O. Box 997378
MS 1700-1702
Sacramento , CA 95899-7378
Address for Drop-Off Application Packages
You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:
Department of Public Health
CCAU Drop Off
Classification & Certification Unit
1615 Capitol Avenue Suite 73.430
Sacramento , CA 95814
08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
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 required and must be included.
• Other - A Cover Letter is required and must be submitted with your application package. Applications received without a Cover Letter may be rejected.
• Other - A recent Writing Sample , written within the last three years and of no more than 10 pages, showing the complexity of issues you've worked on. Please remove any confidential information.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.
Desirable Qualifications In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Excellent analytical, research, and communication skills (both written and oral)
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize workload and manage multiple projects with short term deadlines
• Practical problem-solving approach
• Willingness to consider different ideas and find solutions
• Knowledge of California's privacy laws, state contracting and administrative laws, and Public Records Act
• Ability to perform difficult legal work, draft legal opinions, analyze proposed legislation and regulations, negotiate effectively, and present legal opinions/recommendations clearly and logically in both verbal and written form

Benefits Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.
Contact Information
The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.
Department Website: https://www.cdph.ca.gov
Human Resources Contact:
Human Resources Division
(916) 445-0983
apply@cdph.ca.gov
Hiring Unit Contact:
Connor Kubota
(279) 667-2065
connor.kubota@cdph.ca.gov
Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.
EEO Contact:
EEO Office
(916) 445-0938
California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.