Job Details

Salary : $149,452.68 - $183,514.44 Annually
Location : Oakland, CA
Job Type: Full Time Exempt from Civil Service
Job Number: 26-EM117-03
Department: City Administrator's Office
Opening Date: 03/02/2026
Closing Date: 3/11/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: U31

The Position

The City of Oakland is an equal-opportunity employer that values workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the city's historical roots and the lives of its residents to this day. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting, meaningful outcomes for everyone. Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture, community, and individualism of employees.

Why join the City Administrator's Office?

The City Administrator's Office (CAO) provides strategic leadership that supports the Mayor, City Council, and Citywide Departments; the CAO motivates and challenges the organization to deliver efficient and effective services toward equitable outcomes in the community.

Do you have a passion for public service and a calling to make a difference? Are you motivated and skilled at tackling complex problems and producing tangible results that improve the lives of real people in our community? Are you inspired and have concrete ideas about how to streamline systems that connect our most vulnerable residents and businesses with the services they need to thrive? Are you experienced in making improvements to and raising trust in local government? Are you a great listener and communicator? Are you looking for a meaningful, fast-paced, and challenging role in local government that rewards you with great pay and benefits? If so, the City of Oakland needs you as an Assistant to the City Administrator.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Able to work as part of a team and independently. You will be expected to work both independently and on projects that will require independent assessment and collaboration with other City staff.
• Detail-oriented. You will be expected to pay close attention to every element and aspect of work products to ensure they are executed according to specifications, error-free, completed to the highest standards, and in compliance with all relevant requirements.
• Self-motivated. You will be expected to take initiative, apply sound judgment, and use your resources to solve problems.
• A strong relationship builder with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. You will have the opportunity to interface with multiple City departments, elected officials, and the public. With this, you will get to establish meaningful professional relationships and communicate with a variety of audiences.
• Organized and results-driven. You will need to balance multiple assignments and priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Adaptable. You will need to adapt to changing situations and environments, with the ability to take instructions from multiple senior-level staff members.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Working closely with the Assistant City Administrator, Deputy City Administrator, or Division Manager to ensure elected officials' policy decisions are implemented efficiently and that prioritized goals, strategies, and timelines are carried out.
• Assisting in developing comprehensive, performance-based evaluation systems for departments, programs, and staff to support the City's short- and long-range goals in alignment with City Council directives.
• Analyzing and evaluating programs and services to determine their impact on City operations and recommending improvements to policies and procedures.
• Preparing complex reports and presentations for City leadership and external agencies.

Read the complete job description here: Assistant to the City Administrator

* Click on the link below to see a video on what it's like to work for the City of Oakland!
A few reasons you might love this job:

• You will have the opportunity to work on a team that makes a positive difference in the lives of Oakland residents.
• You will work with people who are passionate about their craft and care about collaboration.
• You will have excellent learning opportunities to grow and develop your public administration skills and abilities.
• As a full-service City, Oakland will continually provide you with daily challenges and variety that keep things exciting.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• The work is fast-paced, and you will be expected to expertly and professionally juggle multiple, competing priorities with calm and grace.
• The community's needs exceed the City's resources to meet them as swiftly and effectively as we would like, creating tension as well as opportunities to innovate and focus on compassionate service delivery.
• You will need to be proficient at reconciling problems and disagreements between competing neighborhood groups and interests.

Competencies Required:

• Action & Results Focused (Taking Initiative): Initiating tasks and focusing on accomplishment.
• Building & Maintaining Relationships: Establishing rapport and maintaining mutually productive relationships.
• Critical thinking: Ability to analyze information and make recommendations that will lead to successful projects.
• Delivering Results: Meeting organizational goals and customer expectations and making decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.
• Displaying Ownership and Accountability: Holding self and others accountable for measurable, high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results.
• Interpersonal Savvy: Considering and responding appropriately to the needs and feelings of others in different situations.
• Involving Others (Engaging Teams): Engaging others for input, contribution, and shared responsibility for outcomes.
• Leading Cross-Functional Collaboration: Demonstrating cooperation and teamwork while working within and across departments, divisions, and teams.
• Managing & Facilitating Change: Addressing key factors that influence successful organizational change.
• Negotiating: Reaching mutually satisfying agreements and compromises.
• Political & Organizational Savvy: Working skillfully with politics, procedures, and protocols across organizational levels and boundaries.
• Project Management: Ensuring that projects are on-time, on-budget, and achieve their objectives.
• Strategic Thinking & Perspective: Evaluating immediate actions in the context of achieving long range objective.
• Leadership: Guiding and encouraging others to accomplish a common goal.

Minimum Requirements for Application

Any combination of education and experience that is equivalent to the following minimum qualifications may be acceptable.

Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in public or business administration or a related field. Possession of an advanced degree in public or business administration is highly desirable.

Experience: Five years of experience performing progressively responsible and complex administrative and managerial duties in the public sector.

License or Certificate / Other RequirementsSuccessful incumbent in this position is expected to operate automotive vehicles in the performance of assigned duties. Due to the nature of the assignment and the hours worked, public transportation may not be a cost-effective or efficient method for traveling to the various locations required. The individual who is appointed to this position will be required to maintain a valid California Driver's License throughout the tenure of employment OR demonstrate the ability to travel to various locations in a timely manner as required in the performance of duties.
Supplemental Information
The Recruitment Process:
This is an at-will position, exempt from the provisions of the City of Oakland Civil Service Rules, per Charter Section 902(f). All applications received will be forwarded to the City Administrator's Office for further consideration.

Meeting the minimum qualification requirements may not result in further consideration; only the most qualified candidates will be contacted for interviews.
What's in it for you?

• Work/Life Balance: 37.5-hour work weeks
• 15 paid holidays
• Vacation: 2 weeks per year minimum, with the ability to accrue more depending on public sector years of service
• Retirement: CalPERS (California Public Employees' Retirement System) with a pension formula of 2.5% @ 55 (for Classic CalPERS members) and 2% @ 62 for new CalPERS members. Classic Employees contribute 8% of pre-tax wages. The City of Oakland does not participate in Social Security
• Health: The City of Oakland pays the full cost of employee and eligible dependent coverage at the Kaiser rate. Other plans include Anthem, Blue Shield, United Health Care, and other HMO and PPO plans
• Dental: Delta Dental full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Vision: VSP full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Sick leave: Employees accrue 12 days per year
• Deferred Compensation: 457(b) pre-tax plan and an after-tax ROTH 401(k) plan
• Other benefits include a Flexible Spending Account, Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement, Life Insurance up to $200k & Employee Training.
  *Please Note: Salary is negotiable within the defined range depending on qualifications. Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found at:

Applicants are required to submit criminal history information upon request after receiving a conditional offer of employment. If the requested information is not furnished in a timely manner, applicants will not qualify for further consideration and will be removed from the eligible list.
Disaster Service Workers: All employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
How to Apply

Apply prior to the closing time of the job announcement and allow at least two to three hours to submit your application if you are a new user of the system. APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED ONLINE ONLY. You may apply and view current openings by visiting our employment opportunities webpage at:
If you do not have access to a computer, there are computer stations available at any City of Oakland Public Library. There are also workstations at the Human Resources Management Department, 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 2nd Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. Workstations are available during regular business hours (normally 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).

Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) ###-#### between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday. You may also call the City of Oakland Human Resources Management Department during regular business hours at (510) ###-#### for information; however, we are unable to provide technical support for the online application system.

For recruitment-specific questions, please contact Winnie Woo at
The City of Oakland is committed to the wellbeing of its employees and offers comprehensive health and wellness services along with an array of other benefits for most positions. Benefits may include*:
• CalPERS Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Medical Waiver Plan - Cash-In-Lieu
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Commuter Benefits
• Group & Supplemental Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH)
• Pension Benefits
• Deferred Compensation

* Specific benefits may vary depending on the assigned specific bargaining unit. Information regarding most benefits can be reviewed here: Current MOUs may be reviewed here:
01

Do you confirm that the address on your application matches your current residency?

• Yes
• No

02

Are you a current full-time, permanent part-time, or part-time City or Port of Oakland employee?

• Yes
• No

03

If you are a current City or Port of Oakland employee, what is your job title and employee ID number?If you are not a City or Port employee, type N/A
04

Have you previously been employed by the City of Oakland?

• Yes
• No

05

If you have previously been employed by the City of Oakland, please enter the dates and titles of the jobs you previously held at the City of Oakland below.If not applicable, type "N/A"
06

If you have previously been employed by the City of Oakland, please enter any other name(s) used below.If not applicable, type "N/A"
07

What is the highest degree or level of education that you have completed?

• High school graduate, diploma or equivalent (for example: GED)
• Some college credits, no degree
• Associate's degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Doctorate degree
• Other

08

If you indicated your highest educational achievement is "Some college credits", how many units of college level coursework have you completed?

• 1-14 semester / 1-21 quarter units / or equivalent
• 15-29 semester / 22-44 quarter units / or equivalent
• 30-59 semester / 45-89 quarter units / or equivalent
• 60-89 semester / 90-134 quarter units / or equivalent
• 90+ semester / 135+ quarter units / or equivalent
• N/A

09

Please select your major.

• Public Administration
• Business Administration
• Other
• None of the above

10

If you indicated your major is "Other", please enter your major. If not applicable, type "N/A."
11

How many years of experience do you have performing complex administrative and managerial duties in public sector?

• I possess 7 or more years of experience as described
• I possess 6 or more years, but less than 7 years, of experience as described
• I possess 5 or more years, but less than 6 years, of experience as described
• I possess 4 or more years, but less than 5 years, of experience as described
• I possess 3 or more years, but less than 4 years, of experience as described
• I possess 2 or more years, but less than 3 years, of experience as described
• I possess 1 year, but less than 2 years, of experience as described
• I possess less than 1 year of experience as described
• I do not possess any experience as described

12

Please clearly and thoroughly state your experience performing progressively responsible and complex administrative and managerial duties in the public sector. Do not enter "See resume / application" as a response
13

Answers to the above supplemental questions MUST be supported by information contained in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections of this application. Answers not supported by information contained in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections of this application will NOT be considered. If you have served in an Acting assignment that you would like considered as experience towards the minimum qualifications requirement, please list the Acting assignment(s) separately in the "Work experience" section of your application. For each Acting assignment, the description must include the Acting job title (use the word Acting as part of the job title), dates and hours served, and duties performed. Resumes and cover letters will not be reviewed.I have read and understand this statement.

• Yes
• No

Required Question