senior research scientist

environmental scientist

senior accounting specialist

health physicist

deputy director

California Department of Public Health (CDPH)

My experience at CDPH was mixed. On the positive side, it’s a large department with extensive opportunities for professional growth and mobility. If you are willing to explore different divisions or roles, there are many paths to develop new skills and expand your career.
However, my direct experience was less than desirable due to the leadership within my division (OPDE). While my immediate team was supportive and worked extremely well together, the overall work environment was overshadowed by a Deputy Director whose leadership style created constant tension. She often made staff feel inadequate, and despite multiple team members raising concerns, nothing was done to improve the situation. This resulted in a culture where people were consistently on edge, undermining morale and productivity.
CDPH has strong potential as a workplace, but the experience can vary significantly depending on the leadership in your specific division.

Coming in from the private sector I was surprised the pay scale is so low. The benefits are the best I have seen which is why I agreed to the pay cut. The team is great, manager is easy to talk to and very helpful. I started during COVID so most days I was one of  3-5 people in the department as most work from home currently. I was able to train with my manager, who is very patient and knowledgeable. I am working from home most days and the savings from not commuting are noticeable. The workload is large but being able to play a role in helping fight COVID is meaningful. Easy to take days off when needed.

It’s about getting your number of investigations done and a high turn over due to unrealistic demands that burn staff out. Supervisor is great but not all are. Have supportive team members. Can be rewarding the first couple of years but gets old with the reoccurring cycle of the light at the end of the tunnel that hasn’t come after 5 years there. Maybe are work will get caught up then but not to hopeful. The work is mostly from home and my supervisor has our backs without micro managing. But depends on what supervisor one gets.

Management was wonderful and extremely understanding but also direct. I wish I could have had a different job time when I did wrk there but to level up in state service you have to start out at entry level. I hope one day I can wrk for the state of California again, child support services will be my top choice.

The California Department of Public Health is primary political. Which is a tongue in cheek moment because the surveyors are required to survey according to evidence based care and act accordingly. 
But the department functions differently, without evidence. Draconian measures without real scientific evidence. Lord of the flies culture. 

I used to love working here but it’s gone downhill these last two years. They Can’t retain staff, there’s an overwhelming workload, you’re expected to travel without proper reimbursement, have managers who don’t manage, leadership doesn’t care about the staff, and poor communication.

The managers and District manager are partial to certain employees. While there I saw 2 managers and 4 supervisors leave due to an unhappy and unfair work environment. That was in a year. This is a terrible place to work overall and I would deter anyone applying to reconsider. 

Thoroughly enjoyed working with CDPH's Chief Counsel, the Director and CDPH's executive staff, especially those in the Center for Healthcare Quality in fulfilling CDPH's mission statement. 

Some people are very passive aggressive and abuse their authority. People in management don't really care about any personal issues staff have to deal like being sick for example. They are more concerned about work being done. 

I enjoyed helping customers but they are stickler about the bizzar scripts to read to customers very generic frustration to be real but my read scripts that changed excessively. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Senior research scientist 6 salaries reported	$8,794 per month
Environmental scientist 5 salaries reported	$8,231 per month
Senior accounting specialist 5 salaries reported	$6,399 per month
Health physicist 4 salaries reported	$7,962 per month
Deputy director 2 salaries reported	$14,193 per month

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