Senior Program Analyst

Office of Admissions

Annual salary range: $104,308 - $139,079

FLSA Exempt/Union-Represented

This position allows for up to four days of remote work per week

About the Role

The Office of Admissions seeks a highly motivated, analytical, detail-oriented professional to join our team as a Senior Program Analyst. This position plays a critical role in managing and improving operations for exam administration programs and is key to recruiting and managing temporary staff for State Bar-administered examinations. The analyst is responsible for designing and implementing recruitment strategies to source proctors and related personnel, developing partnerships with universities and organizations, and maintaining sustainable talent pipelines. They will create and manage training programs, reference materials, and communication protocols to ensure readiness and compliance for proctors, volunteers, peace officers, and other positions. A strong understanding of labor laws, wage requirements, and internal policies is essential to apply compliance standards to scheduling, pay, and working conditions, while also providing guidance on risk mitigation. This role offers opportunities to lead projects, help shape policy, and lead the unit in the manager’s absence. The Senior Program Analyst may be required to prepare reports analyzing recruitment trends, distilling survey responses, evaluating operational effectiveness, and recommending internal efficiencies. 

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is self-directed, highly knowledgeable in operations and compliance, maintains confidentiality, consistently makes responsible decisions in complex or sensitive situations, and approaches challenges with a proactive, solutions-focused mindset. The ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, is critical, as the role requires clearly explaining requirements and assignments to temporary staff, volunteers, and management. Experience analyzing and summarizing qualitative and quantitative data to identify trends and make recommendations to leadership team members, as well as familiarity with Salesforce or other CRM, are essential to the position. 

In addition to core responsibilities, this position will assist with tasks in the Administration and Exam Administration units, as needed, and will be part of the team responsible for administering the California Bar Examination and the First-Year Law Students’ Examination, requiring overnight travel up to four times a year. This role is a meaningful opportunity to contribute to a mission-driven team dedicated to supporting applicants and ensuring an efficient and equitable admissions process. 

Definition 

Under general direction, the Senior Program Analyst conducts professional-level analysis and administers programs and/or functions; performs specialty assignments and acts in a lead capacity with respect to lower-level professional and support staff; and performs related work as required.  

Distinguishing Characteristics 

The Senior Program Analyst is the lead/advanced journey-level professional class performing advanced, specialized work of a professional nature, utilizing skills that require technical expertise and an understanding of complex analytical procedures and program processes.  Incumbents exercise a high degree of professional judgment with considerable independence. This class may function as the lead over professional, technical, and/or administrative support personnel on an ongoing or project basis. Responsibilities include project planning and the performance of high-level professional analyses and services in the division/unit to which they are assigned. 

Examples of Essential Duties  

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Provides expertise and guidance to other professional, and/or administrative staff in complex program analysis and solutions. 
• Performs advanced research, conducts studies to determine needs, prepares reports, and recommends implementation procedures for a variety of program needs. 
• Serves as a primary communication liaison with State Bar committees, members, financial institutions, vendors, contractors, general public, other departments and employees.  
• Evaluates existing and alternative policies and makes recommendations toward establishment of revised policies and procedures. 
• Performs advanced professional work in support of State Bar programs and services involving the knowledge, interpretation, and application of State Bar policies, rules, regulations, and procedures. 
• Reviews processes and maintains program transactions, records and other documents; assists in the preparation and maintenance of statistical data, reports, correspondence, special studies, and conducts research.