Program Development Specialist Jobs in California

Program Development Specialist

This is a hybrid position based in Culver City, CA. You have the option to elect into a 9/80 flex work schedule.

The pay range for this role is between $77,583-$89,220 annually.

Ask us about loan repayment programs you may qualify for by working at Didi Hirsch.

About Didi Hirsch  

Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services has been a national leader in whole-person mental health, crisis care, and substance use services since 1942 and is home to the nation’s first Suicide Prevention Center. We are a nonprofit organization providing care to about 270,000 people annually across our programs. Didi Hirsch has deep roots in community-based mental health and a commitment to providing culturally responsive services that are just and equitable. More than 1,000 dedicated employees and volunteers make Didi Hirsch’s work possible. 

Summary

As the Program Development Specialist (internally referred to as Clinical Program Development Specialist), you will design, implement, and evaluate mental health, suicide prevention, substance use, and other clinical programs across the agency. Reporting to the Program Development Manager, you will advance agency-wide initiatives that strengthen service delivery, promote health equity, and integrate data-driven decision-making into program design and oversight.

Primary Duties

• Responsible for and in collaboration with the Program Development Manager, projects to strategically evaluate, enhance, scale, and design programs across Divisions including Whole Person Care and Suicide Prevention Center.
• Apply advanced analytical methods to internal and external data to identify service gaps, inform strategies, and monitor progress toward goals.
• Conduct literature reviews, landscape scans, and analysis of internal trends to support decision-making.
• Collaborate with the Grants team and program leadership to ensure program deliverables and budgets are realistic and achieved, and to assess feasibility of proposed projects.
• Prepare internal and external reports, presentations, and summaries to communicate progress.
• Assist with drafting and revising grant applications, funder reports, and other external-facing communications in collaboration with the Grants Team
• Pursue input and feedback from teams to inform program implementation, and recommend adaptations based on practical experience and emerging needs.
• Exercise professional judgement in identify areas of need and develop clinical training materials and written guidelines for staff.
• Partner with program leadership and direct care providers to implement new initiatives, including drafting clinical workflows, policies and procedures, and consulting with other Departments to ensure compliance and data integration.
• Oversee and align cross-departmental project timelines to ensure effective implementation of concurrent initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Program Development Manager to draft logic models, evaluation frameworks, and implementation plans to guide program rollout and improvement.
• Contribute substantively to project management and strategic planning efforts that support high-quality and sustainable program development.

Position Requirements

• Master’s or Doctoral degree in Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Clinical Counseling, Psychology, Public Health, or related field.
• Licensed or license-eligible/unlicensed mental health clinician preferred (e.g., LCSW/ASW, LMFT/AMFT, LPCC/APCC, Psychologist).
• Understanding of behavioral health systems, clinical workflows, and evidence-based practices.
• Demonstrated experience in program development, research, evaluation, or systems-level planning, ideally in a behavioral health or public health setting. Experience may be project-based.
• Experience working with program data or evaluation tools. For example, analyzing trends, interpreting data dashboards, or assessing outcomes using programs like Excel or Power BI. Commitment to learning new statistical or evaluation methods of quantitative data with the support of the Program Development Manager.
• Strong time management, organizational, and project coordination skills, with the ability to prioritize competing deadlines.
• Strong project management skills with enthusiasm for using data to drive change in mental health services.
• Team-oriented, with the ability to work across disciplines and departments.
• Demonstrated interest in learning new skills and taking on unfamiliar tasks with initiative.
• Strong writing skills, including the ability to craft clear and compelling program narratives tailored to different audiences.
• Familiarity with, or interest in learning, modern digital tools for communication and data analysis (e.g., ChatGPT, Canva, Alchemer, Excel).
• Awareness of structural barriers to care and a commitment to designing inclusive, accessible, culturally responsive services.
• Coursework, certifications, or experience in data analysis, quality improvement, learning science, or project management is a plus.