Chief of Staff (Manager III) - Open Until Filled

Chief Of Staff To The City Administrator

This recruitment is open until filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Early submission is encouraged. How to apply: Please apply via the Motus online portal to submit your application for this opportunity. Job Appointment: Full-Time, At Will Job Location: In person, City Hall 1221 SW 4th Ave., Portland, OR 97204

The Position

The Chief of Staff serves as the senior executive coordination and strategic integration leader for the City Administrator, ensuring alignment across the City Administrator's Office, Deputy City Administrators, City bureaus, Council offices, labor partners, and key external stakeholders. Reporting directly to the City Administrator, the Chief of Staff provides executive leadership for enterprise-wide initiatives, executive office management, strategic planning, and cross-organizational coordination. The Chief of Staff translates executive priorities into coordinated action by overseeing implementation of strategic initiatives, monitoring organizational progress, resolving cross-functional issues, and ensuring alignment between policy decisions, organizational capacity, and operational execution. The position serves as a trusted advisor to the City Administrator while fostering collaboration across the City's new form of government. The Chief of Staff serves as the executive integrator responsible for ensuring priorities are coordinated, communicated, implemented, and advanced across the organization.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities Of The Chief Of Staff:

• Serve as the principal strategic advisor and executive coordination partner to the City Administrator.
• Lead executive office planning, priority setting, and coordination to ensure alignment of strategic initiatives across the City Administrator's Office.
• Translate executive priorities into actionable implementation plans, coordinating efforts across Deputy City Administrators, bureau leadership, and City partners.
• Monitor execution of strategic priorities, identifying risks, resolving barriers, and ensuring accountability for key initiatives.
• Coordinate executive decision-making processes and ensure timely follow-through on commitments made by the City Administrator, Mayor, and City Council.
• Lead special projects and enterprise initiatives requiring executive sponsorship, cross-functional coordination, and executive oversight.

• Serve as the senior executive strategic integrator across the City Administrator's Office, Deputy City Administrators, City bureaus, Council offices, labor partners, key external stakeholders and enterprise functions.
• Coordinate complex cross-bureau initiatives that require collaboration among multiple departments and stakeholders.
• Ensure alignment between strategic priorities, available organizational capacity, and implementation timelines.
• Foster collaboration among executive leadership to advance enterprise-wide priorities and resolve organizational challenges.
• Support enterprise-wide change management initiatives associated with Portland's new form of government.

• Coordinate executive communications, briefing materials, talking points, and executive messaging for the City Administrator.
• Monitor emerging issues, organizational risks, and sensitive matters requiring executive attention.
• Ensure executive communications are coordinated, timely, accurate, and aligned across internal and external audiences.
• Prepare executive briefing materials and facilitate executive meetings involving complex or politically sensitive issues.

• Build and maintain productive relationships with elected officials, Council offices, labor organizations, bureau leadership, community organizations, regional partners, and other external stakeholders.
• Facilitate collaboration among internal and external partners to advance City priorities.
• Support the City Administrator in navigating politically sensitive issues while maintaining productive working relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Represent the City Administrator in meetings, collaborative initiatives, and community engagement activities as assigned.

• Oversee and guide staff supporting executive operations.
• Set priorities, manage workload, and ensure alignment with City goals.
• Provide coaching, conduct performance evaluations, and foster a collaborative high-performing work environment.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

• The ideal candidate will demonstrate many of the following qualifications and leadership attributes:
• Proven experience serving as a trusted executive advisor, translating strategic priorities into coordinated action and organizational results.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives that require collaboration across multiple departments, executive leaders, and stakeholders.
• Exceptional ability to build alignment, foster accountability, and ensure execution of enterprise-wide priorities in a large, complex organization.
• Strong political acumen with experience navigating sensitive issues while building productive relationships with elected officials, labor partners, community stakeholders, and executive leadership.
• Executive-level communication skills with the ability to prepare briefings, manage sensitive issues, synthesize complex information, and support informed decision-making.
• Experience leading organizational change, improving operational effectiveness, and coordinating implementation of strategic initiatives across multiple business units or functions.
• A collaborative, relationship-centered leadership style characterized by integrity, sound judgment, transparency, discretion, and the ability to influence without direct authority.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate challenges, resolve competing priorities, and align organizational capacity with executive commitments and strategic objectives.
• Experience managing executive-level special projects, monitoring organizational performance, and ensuring timely follow-through on key initiatives and commitments.
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and collaborative workplace while advancing organizational priorities through partnership, trust, and shared accountability.

To Qualify

Minimum Qualifications For The Chief Of Staff Position: Any combination of education and experience that is equivalent to the following minimum qualifications is acceptable.

• Education/Training: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in business administration, public administration, or a related field;

AND

• Experience: Six (6) years of increasingly responsible experience in managing programs, activities, and personnel in management, finance, and/or administrative functions, including four (4) years of leadership experience in a complex and diverse organization.
• A valid driver's license may be required

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience serving as a Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, Assistant City Manager/Administrator, Executive Officer, or similar executive coordination role within a large, complex organization.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise-wide strategic initiatives and organizational change.
• Experience coordinating across multiple executive leaders, elected officials, and external stakeholders.
• Experience supporting executive decision-making in politically complex environments.
• Strong understanding of municipal governance and intergovernmental relations.
• Management experience working for public agency.

The Recruitment Process

About Motus Recruiting and Staffing, Inc.

Founded in 2006, Motus is an award-winning recruiting and staffing firm in the Pacific Northwest, specializing in professional services and technology solutions. We are a group of people who not only recognize the importance of representation, but actively fight for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the recruitment process. Our goal is to educate organizations on the importance of DEI when hiring, promoting, and supporting diverse employees. We are calling organizations to demonstrate their commitment to DEI by being intentional about who they hire. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability or protected veteran status.

To apply for this position, please visit:

Have a question? Contact Information: Dreshawn Vance, Motus VP of Executive Search View email address on click.appcast.io

Additional Information

Click here for additional information regarding the following City of Portland Recruitment and Hiring polices:

• City of Portland Core Values
• Recruitment Process - Work Status
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Veteran Preference
• ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations

A Career with the City of Portland offers many Employee Benefits. We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to:

• Health Care (Medical, Vision and Dental)
• Carrot Fertility
• Wellness Benefits
• Life Insurance
• Long-term disability
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Retirement
• Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), including contributions to the PERS IAP plan paid by employer
• Family Medical Leave
• City Paid Parental Leave

Benefits may vary depending on bargaining unit and employment status. Click here to review the many different benefits the City of Portland offers.