Payroll and Benefits Specialist

Job Description and Duties

The Human Resources Division (HRD) partners with the CDPH’s programs and management to provide guidance and consultative services on Human Resources matters that are necessary for the Department to carry out its mission to deliver quality public health services. The mission of HRD is to support CDPH in attracting, hiring, and retaining quality employees.

HRD is located in downtown Sacramento in the East End Complex across the street from the beautiful Capitol Park Rose Garden.

This position requires the Personnel Specialist (PS) to be a resource and responsible for progressively more complex and difficult personnel and payroll processes and issues. The PS researches critical personnel problems; recommends alternative solutions; and applies and interprets laws and rules from available reference manuals and other related revisions issued by the State Personnel Board (SPB), California Department of Human Resources (CalHR), State Controller’s Office (SCO), California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), and the CDPH.

The PS also prepares management reports, spreadsheets, and charts; drafts correspondence; functions as a team member on personnel-related projects; and may provide functional guidance to lower-level staff.

NOTE:
This classification is eligible for a $2,400-$4800 per year recruitment and retention pay differential every twelve consecutive qualifying pay periods (QPP) in accordance with the following: 12 or more QPP - $2400, 24 or more QPP - $3000, 36 or more QPP - $3600, or 48 or more QPP - $4800.

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 3% in exchange for 5 hours of leave credits through June 2027. The salary ranges shown on this job posting do not reflect the salary reduction.

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:

• Dependable, flexible, and customer service oriented.
• Effective time-management skills.
• Ability to organize and establish workload priorities in a high volume, fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work independently and in a team setting.
• Ability to research and provide recommendations to upper management on a variety of Pay and Benefits topics.
• Attention to detail, organizational skills, and self-motivation.
• Ability to research employment laws, rules and regulation; civil service laws, rules and regulation; as well as State and Departmental policies and procedures.
• Ability to learn the State Controllers (SCO) systems and processes.
• Ability to communicate professionally and effectively both verbally and writing.
• Ability to use good judgment and make sound decisions.
• Ability to achieve results according to objectives.
• Ability to research, analyze, evaluate information and take effective action.
• Commitment to the highest ethical standards of confidentiality.

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

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.