About the Department

Salary: $123,025.76 - $157,015.04 Annually

County Health is accepting applications to fill one (1) full-time Indigent Care Program Manager vacancy in Santa Barbara, California. Although the location for this position is listed as Santa Barbara, the incumbent may be assigned to different locations throughout the County based on the needs of the department. The County job classification title is Health Services Manager II. This position is "At-Will" and exempt from Civil Service provisions.

All County leaders are expected to uphold the values of accountability, customer-focus, and efficiency. Incumbents lead others and model behaviors that exemplify quality customer service; provide effective and ethical leadership; creatively and strategically plan, develop, and implement programs that use human and financial resources to achieve results; are accountable for strategy and goal formation consistent with the County’s mission and key business objectives; engage stakeholders; communicate and collaborate effectively at multiple levels; develop employees; analyze issues and data; and efficiently use public resources.

THE POSITION

The Indigent Care Program Manager is responsible for the overall management and daily operation of the Indigent Care Program (ICP). This role provides leadership and supervision to program staff while ensuring eligible patients receive timely, coordinated, and appropriate health care services. The ICP Manager builds and maintains strong working relationships with hospitals, specialists, and community partners, and oversees eligibility determination, referrals, care coordination, and claims reconciliation. This position plays a key role in ensuring continuity of care for patients served through the Indigent Care Program.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Management & Operations

In collaboration with Health Department leadership, revised the Indigent Care Program policy including patient eligibility, enrollment process, coverage duration, covered services, cost-sharing, administration, provider network
Oversee day-to-day operations of the Indigent Care Program, ensuring compliance with organizational policies and applicable regulations
Develop, implement, and maintain program procedures, including eligibility determination and referral processes
Monitor program performance and service delivery to ensure quality, efficiency, and patient-centered care
Identify opportunities for program improvement and recommend operational enhancements

Staff Supervision & Leadership

Supervise, train, and support program staff
Assign workloads, provide guidance, and conduct performance evaluations
Foster a collaborative and accountable team environment

Community & Provider Relations

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with hospitals, specialists, and other community health partners
Serve as the primary point of contact for external providers participating in the Indigent Care Program
Coordinate referrals and follow-up care with community partners

Patient Eligibility, Referrals & Care Coordination

Establish and oversee procedures to determine patient eligibility for the Indigent Care Program
Refer eligible patients to County Health Care Centers, hospitals, and specialists and ensure appropriate authorization and documentation
Coordinate care for patients to ensure continuity across services and providers
Review level of services provided to ensure appropriateness and alignment with program guidelines

Claims & Financial Coordination

Receive, review, and reconcile patient claims related to services provided through the Indigent Care Program
Work with internal departments and external providers to resolve discrepancies or issues related to claims and services

IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL POSSESS:

Strong program management experience within health and indigent care programs, with working knowledge of State and Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans.
Provide strategic guidance and direction regarding the implementation and ongoing optimization of the County's Indigent Care Program.
Effective, supportive people leader who can coach, supervise, and develop staff in a collaborative, accountable environment.
Skilled relationship-builder with a proven ability to partner with hospitals, specialists, community organizations, and other stakeholders.
Demonstrated experience serving vulnerable and diverse populations, including individuals experiencing homelessness, with a commitment to equitable, patient-centered care.
Highly detail-oriented and adept at managing eligibility processes, referrals, care coordination, and claims reconciliation while identifying opportunities for operational improvement.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
This is the second manager level in the Health Services Management job family series and manages a mid-size program within a department or division, or multiple small programs. Incumbents establish annual goals and priorities, influence the direction for new or revised services, programs, processes, standards, or operational plans, based upon the County’s long-term strategies. Positions have a direct impact on the work unit or program and may impact the entire department.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED:
Reports to an executive or Level III manager. Provides direct supervision to two or more individuals within a program. Exercises direct and indirect supervision over assigned professional, technical, and administrative staff.

THE DEPARTMENT:
County of Santa Barbara Health: Our mission is to improve the health of our communities by preventing disease, promoting wellness and health equity, while ensuring access to needed health care, and maintaining a safe and healthy environment. Our vision is healthy people, healthy community, healthy environment. With a staff of 530+ and a budget of approximately $109 million, County Health serves a population of about 440,000 residents in Santa Barbara County. For more information, please visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/410/Public-Health.

BENEFITS: For more information on County benefits, please visit here. In addition, applicants from other public sector employers may qualify for:

Retirement reciprocity
Time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate

Position Duties

These examples are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job, and not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual.

Plans, organizes, coordinates, and directs the daily operations of the Indigent Care Program, ensuring delivery of timely, coordinated, and appropriate services across public health, medical, and community care settings.
Establishes program goals, priorities, and operational standards; recommends and implements revisions to policies, procedures, coverage guidelines, and service delivery models to align with departmental and County strategic objectives.
Oversees and evaluates program activities, including eligibility determination, enrollment processes, referrals, care coordination, and claims reconciliation to ensure efficiency, quality, and patient-centered service.
Serves as a subject matter expert by applying technical, analytical, and regulatory knowledge to assess program performance, identify service gaps, develop findings, and provide recommendations to higher-level management.
Directs, coordinates, and participates in the development, implementation, and monitoring of program goals, objectives, workflows, and procedures that balance mandated responsibilities with community needs.
Negotiates, develops, manages, and monitors contracts with hospitals, specialists, and community providers to ensure compliance with service expectations, reimbursement requirements, and program standards.
Researches, analyzes, and prepares studies, reports, claims reviews, operational data, proposals, and other materials; develops recommendations regarding program improvements, resource needs, and service delivery enhancements.
Evaluates and updates operational processes, service protocols, referral pathways, and provider engagement strategies; identifies opportunities for improvement and implements best practices to strengthen access and continuity of care.
Oversees budgetary and procurement activities for the Indigent Care Program; evaluates financial and claims data; develops resource allocation recommendations; and ensures responsible fiscal management.
Troubleshoots and resolves operational, provider, and patient-related issues; collaborates with internal departments and external partners to resolve service or claims discrepancies; and keeps higher-level management informed of significant issues and resolutions.
Oversees the preparation of contracts, reports, plans, and other documents related to program administration; conducts policy analysis; and provides recommendations to departmental leadership.
Supervises program staff, including assigning and monitoring work, providing training and development, conducting performance evaluations, and addressing personnel actions such as hiring and discipline.
Builds and maintains effective working relationships with hospitals, specialists, County staff, and community health partners; serves as the primary point of contact for contracted providers; represents the program on committees; and prepares and delivers presentations to stakeholders as needed.
Performs other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

The knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below may be acquired through various types of training, education, and experience. A typical way to acquire the required knowledge and abilities would be:

Equivalent of a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Public Health, Health Administration, Public Administration, or related field AND,
Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in a related field including at least two (2) years as a supervisor or manager.

Licenses and Certificates

For specific positions, possession and maintenance of a valid California driver’s license and the ability to meet automobile insurability requirements of the County or the ability to provide suitable transportation needs as a condition of continued employment.

Desirable Qualifications

Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Health Administration (MHA), or Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Clinical Social Work (LCSW) or Marriage and Family Therapy (LMFT), Registered Nurse (RN), Project Management Professional (PMP)

Knowledge of:

Principles, practices, and techniques of health care management in a public agency setting including public health, mental health and recovery, correctional health, and medical health including the interpretation of laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
Trends in public, mental, medical, and correctional health, and recovery education, treatment, prevention, and related issues.
Principles and practices of public administration and program management, including strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Management principles, practices, and techniques.
Principles and practices of fiscal management and budgeting.
Principles and practices of program planning and administration.
Personnel management principles and practices, including employee supervision, training, and evaluation.
Principles and applications of critical thinking and analysis.
Principles and practices of group facilitation, conflict resolution, and consensus building.
Principles and practices of procurement and contract administration.
Principles and techniques of effective oral presentations.
Applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, regulations, and standards.
Business systems, equipment, and applications relevant to the area of assignment.
Social, economic, cultural, and other issues impacting program area.

Ability to:

Effectively administer public health, mental health and recovery, correctional health, and/or medical health programs and activities.
Manage assigned operations/programs; ensure ongoing compliance with strategic objectives and performance measures.
Develop and implement policies and procedures.
Manage and evaluate assigned staff, including training, coaching, participating in the development of goals and strategic objectives, coordinating deadlines, prioritizing work demands, and assigning/monitoring work.
Analyze and evaluate operational programs, projects, and procedures.
Plan, organize, coordinate, and supervise changes and improvements in public agency projects and studies.
Manage budgets, contracts, grants, and resource allocation.
Interpret, monitor, and report financial information and statistics.
Oversee the implementation of, and adherence to, quality assurance activities and standards.
Research, recommend, and implement industry trends, solutions, and best practices.
Resolve complex problems within area of assignment.
Prepare and oversee the preparation of reports, grant proposals, documents, and presentations.
Make presentations to stakeholders, elected officials, County leadership, and the public.
Creates and provides informative presentations to stakeholders, elected officials, County leadership, and the public.
Collaborate with program stakeholders, elected and appointed boards, the public, and internal leadership.
Interpret and apply applicable laws, codes, regulations, and standards.
Communicate effectively, clearly, and concisely.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse range of individuals, including but not limited to coworkers, subordinate staff, supervisors, other managers, professional agencies, and the general public.
May be required to work a varied schedule of hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Other Qualifications

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS:

Review applications and supplemental questionnaire to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards. Candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list.

Recruiters will communicate with applicants by e-mail during each step in the recruitment process. Applicants are reminded to check spam filters continuously during the Recruitment & Selection Process steps listed above to ensure they do not miss the required deadlines.

Reasonable Accommodations: The County of Santa Barbara is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants. Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting. We do require verifications of the accommodation needed from a professional source, such as a Medical Provider or a learning institution.

County of Santa Barbara Health (County Health) requires all employees working in direct contact with patients or clients in a high-risk environment to comply with the County Health Employee Immunizations policy. This can be accomplished by providing documentation of immunizations, submitting laboratory immune titers demonstrating adequate immunity, or obtaining required vaccinations. A list of requirements, based on the specific program, will be sent at the time an offer letter is presented to the selected candidate(s) and initial documentation will be required at this time.

Some positions in this class may require as a condition of employment that the incumbent sign a statement agreeing to comply with Section 11166 of the California Penal Code relating to child abuse reporting and Section 15630 of the Welfare and Institutions Code relating to dependent adult abuse reporting.

Conditional Job Offer: Once a conditional offer of employment has been made, the candidate will be required to successfully complete a background investigation, which includes a conviction history check, and satisfactory reference checks. The appointee may be subject to a post-offer medical evaluation or examination. The appointee must satisfactorily complete a one-year probationary period.

Disaster Service Worker: Pursuant to Governmental Code section 3100, all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service. Activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement
The County of Santa Barbara provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type with regard to any characteristic or status protected by any federal law, state law, or Santa Barbara County ordinance. The County continues to be committed to a merit-based selection process and to eliminating barriers to attracting and retaining top qualified candidates. The County has a long-standing practice of providing a work environment that respects the dignity of individual employees and values their contributions to our organization.

APPLICATION AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE DEADLINE: Friday, July 24, 2026 at 4:59 p.m. PST, postmarks not accepted. You can view job postings and apply online 24 hours a day at www.sbcountyjobs.com.

Collin Graham, Recruiter: [email protected]

Benefits

Retirement Plans

Generous County Defined Benefit Plan
Eligible to participate in 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan
Retirement Reciprocity with CalPERS, CalSTRS, and 1937 Act plans
For more information on our retirement plans, please visit: https://www.sbcers.org/ and http://www.santabarbara457.com

Health Benefits

Choice of dental, vision and medical plans. In addition to the Benefit Allowance noted above, the County contributes toward medical premiums and dental premiums
On-Site Employee Health Clinics in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria which provide ongoing and episodic services to eligible employees and their eligible dependents
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers free, confidential assistance with personal and workplace problems to employees and their immediate family members
Healthcare Advocacy Program to help employees navigate the complexities of health plan benefits
Available Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account (HSA), Supplemental Term or Whole Life Insurance, Personal Accident Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Accident Insurance and more!
For more information on our health benefits, please visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/4012/Health-Benefits

Paid Time Off

Vacation Leave 12 to 25 days per year depending on length of public employment
Sick Leave 12 days annually with unlimited accumulation, one year of which can be converted to service credit upon retirement
Paid Holidays based on bargaining unit (view the compensation summary for this bargaining unit, link below)
Alternative Transportation Benefit (TDM) up to 2 days of additional vacation for using alternative methods of commuting
For more information on Paid Time Off please view the Compensation Summary for this bargaining unit (available below)

Miscellaneous Benefits

County Paid Term Life Insurance
County Paid Long Term Disability Insurance
Childcare and Employee Discounts
Relocation Assistance may apply
Flexible work schedule may apply
For more information on all of these benefits, please visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/4013/24636/WorkLife-Benefits

Compensation Summary

To view the Compensation Summary specific to the bargaining unit for this position (link to full Memorandum of Understanding also available at bottom of the summary), please visit: https://www.countyofsb.org/3096/Managers---Unrepresented

*This benefits list is for convenience only; please refer to the Memorandum of Understanding for complete details of terms and conditions. Amounts are generally prorated for part-time employment.

Supplemental Questions

I acknowledge it is my responsibility as an applicant to provide sufficient information on my application to demonstrate that my education and experience meet the employment standards (minimum qualifications) for this position as detailed in the job bulletin. I further acknowledge, if the County determines I do not meet the employment standards, there will be no opportunity for me to provide additional information regarding my application after the closing date listed on the job bulletin. Therefore, I understand that before submitting a job application, it is important I review the job bulletin thoroughly and ensure that my application clearly reflects how my education and experience meet the employment standards at the time I submit my application.

I understand.

If you have listed an international degree on your employment application, please attach your documentation from an Evaluation Service that shows you meet the education U.S. standard equivalency and attach your transcripts. Below is a link to a list of Evaluation Services you can use: http://www.naces.org/members.html. You are required to attach your documentation from an evaluation service to your application at the time you apply.

Yes, I have an international degree and have attached the required documents from an Evaluation Service and transcripts to my employment application.
Yes, I have an international degree, but do not have the required documents. I understand that I may not qualify for this position.
Not applicable; I do not have an international degree.

Do you have a bachelor's degree or equivalent from an accredited four-year college or university in Public Health, Health Administration, Public Administration, or related field? If yes, please list the degree(s) obtained and the name of the college or university. Please note, this information should also be documented in the education section of your employment application.

If you do not have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in the mentioned fields above, please type “N/A”.

Please describe in detail your five years or more of professional experience in public health, behavioral health, or healthcare program. Include your employer name(s), duration of employment with this type of experience and overall responsibilities pertaining to this experience. (Complete details should be listed on your application under Work History). Do not type "see resume" or "see application.”

If you do not have this experience, type “N/A.”

Please describe in detail your two years or more of direct supervisory experience. Include in your response your employer/organization name(s), dates in the supervisory role, number of direct staff supervised, type of setting and your overall responsibilities. (Complete details should be listed on your application under Work History). Do not type "see resume" or "see application.”

If you do not have this experience, type “N/A.”

Required Question

Agency Information

Employer: County of Santa Barbara
Address: 1226 Anacapa Street

Santa Barbara, California, 93101
Website: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sbcounty