Executive Assistant to the Director

Salary : $87,346.68 - $107,246.64 Annually
Location : Oakland, CA
Job Type: Full Time Exempt from Civil Service
Job Number: 26-SS124-05
Department: Oakland Public Works Department
Opening Date: 05/27/2026
Closing Date: 6/6/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: UM1


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 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 of Oakland Public Works Department?
Oakland Public Works strives to maintain, improve, and preserve Oakland's infrastructure and environment for residents, businesses, visitors, and future generations of every neighborhood in our diverse city. Be a part of the Executive Management Team and play a key role at the heart of our department. If you possess an exceptional administrative background and would enjoy being a part of the City's Public Works Department, this could be a great opportunity for you.

Under administrative direction, this position uses a full range of professional clerical, administrative, and technical level skills to provide the department with responsible, complex, and confidential clerical and administrative support on matters of significance with a high consequence of error requiring specialized knowledge and the ability to interpret broadly defined policies and procedures; supervise assigned clerical staff; and perform related duties as assigned.


We are looking for someone who is:

• Adaptable and self-motivated. You will be working in a fast-paced, ever-evolving, service-oriented environment with constantly changing priorities.
• An excellent communicator. You will be interfacing with the public and a variety of internal stakeholders at all levels.
• Highly organized. You will be responsible for managing the Director's calendar as well as your own assignments.
• Demonstrates sound judgment. You will need to make decisions with minimal direction.
• Professional. You will be interacting with elected officials and leaders at all levels Citywide.
• Demonstrates confidentiality. You will be dealing with highly sensitive information.
• Technology savvy. You will be using MS Office Suite, Zoom, and Adobe on a daily basis.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Performing complex and confidential support requiring specialized knowledge and the ability to interpret broadly defined policies and procedures.
• Keeping department staff informed of all key decisions and any changes to policies and procedures.
• Making appointments and maintaining the Director's calendar, including scheduling and arranging meetings and making travel arrangements; organizing meetings and preparing required informational procedures.
• Proofreading written materials, including websites, for thoroughness, accuracy, format, and compliance with policies and procedures.
• Compiling and maintaining records and preparing reports.
• Planning and coordinating department-wide retreats, all-hands meetings, and other employee engagement events.

Read the complete job description here:
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 play an integral role in improving the lives of workers, residents, and local businesses in Oakland.
• You will help make public service efficient, accountable, and responsive to the community.
• You will interact with departments across the City of Oakland and learn how policy and program decisions are made.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• You will be engaging with individuals at all levels in a politically dynamic environment.
• You will need to learn quickly with minimal direction.
• You will be working in an ever-evolving environment that can be demanding and will require managing multiple tasks and priorities simultaneously.

Competencies Required:

• Adaptability: Responding positively to change and modifying behavior as the situation requires.
• Action & Results Focused: Initiating tasks and focusing on accomplishments.
• Allocating Resources: Prioritizing the use of fiscal and material resources to maximize organizational effectiveness.
• Attention to Detail: Focusing on the details of work content, work steps, and final work product.
• Building & Maintaining Relationships: Establishing rapport and maintaining mutually productive relationships internally with other City departments.
• Handling Stress: Maintaining emotional stability and self-control under pressure, challenge, or adversity.
• Interpersonal Savvy: Considering and responding appropriately to the needs and feelings of others in different situations.
• Mathematical Facility: Performing computations and solving mathematical problems.
• Oral Communication: Engaging effectively in dialogue.
• Political & Organizational Savvy: Working skillfully with politics, procedures, and protocols across organizational boundaries.
• Professional & Technical Expertise: Applying technical subject matter to the situation.
• Using Technology: Working with electronic hardware and software applications.
• Valuing Diversity: Appreciating the benefits of varied backgrounds and cultures in the workplace.
• Writing: communication effectively in writing.

Minimum Requirements for Application


The following qualifications are guidelines, as the appointing authority has broad discretion in filling positions in this classification.

Education:
An associate's degree in a related field. A bachelor's degree is desirable.

Experience: Two years of progressively responsible experience in a position comparable to an Administrative Assistant II level position in the City of Oakland, or five years of increasingly responsible experience providing administrative and clerical support to an executive management level position or elected official.

License or Certificate:
Successful incumbents in this position are 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. Individuals who are 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 on time as required in the performance of duties.


Other Requirements: This classification is exempt from overtime compensation per the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Administrative exemption criteria.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Knowledge & experience in municipal government.
• Experience as an Executive Assistant.
• Certified and/or experienced in MS Excel.
• Experience in event planning.
• Exposure to public information/communications.
• Proficiency in legislative management systems.
• Familiarity with City Council, committee, or board processes, including agenda preparation, legislative tracking, and coordination of briefing materials.

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. All applications received will be forwarded to the Oakland Public Works Department 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?

• 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, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, employee training, & telecommuting.

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 Worker: All employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through the 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 on 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 View phone number on click.appcast.io 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 View phone number on click.appcast.io for information; however, we are unable to provide technical support for the online application system.

For recruitment-specific questions, please contact Diana Ramirez at View email address on click.appcast.io.
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."If not applicable, type "N/A"
07


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

• High School graduate, diploma or equivalent (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
• Other

09


If you have more than one degree, please list the level of each degree and major. For example, Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Master's degree in Software Engineering. If you don't have multiple degrees, please type "N/A".
10


How many years of experience do you have in a position comparable to Administrative Assistant II level position in the City of Oakland, or increasingly responsible experience providing administrative and clerical support to an executive management level position or elected official.

• I possess 5 or more 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

11


Please clearly and thoroughly state your experience and the duties you performed in a position comparable to Administrative Assistant II level position in the City of Oakland, or increasingly responsible experience providing administrative and clerical support to an executive management level position or elected official.Do not enter "See resume / application" as a response.
12


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