District 6 Council Chief of Staff (Unclassified)

About the position

The City of San José is recruiting for a Chief of Staff position in the District 6 Council Office, supporting Councilmember Michael Mulcahy. The Chief of Staff will work closely with the Councilmember and lead the staff support team. This position serves as a vital link between the Councilmember, the Mayor, City Council colleagues, City administration, and the community. The Chief of Staff must possess excellent oral and written communication skills, effective organizational, analytical, and management skills, and a strong dedication to public service. The role requires the ability to develop and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with community members, neighborhood organizations, key stakeholders, and City staff. Bilingual language skills (Vietnamese, Chinese, and/or Spanish) are highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Advises the Councilmember on policy, budget, and community matters.
• Manages the day-to-day office operations.
• Supervises staff to implement office projects and achieve identified objectives.
• Manages staffing to include workloads, training, performance evaluations, and assisting with hiring and corrective or disciplinary actions.
• Creates and maintains a collaborative team culture within the Councilmember's office.
• Oversees budgetary, legislative, and strategic planning processes.
• Manages communications and public relations, interfacing with media, governmental officials, department directors, business leaders, advocacy groups, constituents, and others on behalf of the Councilmember.
• Responds to other matters as needed.

Requirements

• Any combination of training, education, and experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to advise and support the Councilmember on matters of constituent services, public policy, community outreach and engagement, and communications.
• Typically requires a Bachelor's degree in political science, public administration, business administration, journalism, public relations, or related field.
• Typically requires five (5) or more years of government or public service experience.
• Possession of a valid California Driver's license may be required.

Nice-to-haves

• At least five (5) or more years of professional management experience.
• Strong writing skills with the ability to write in a concise, direct, and professional style.
• Knowledge of the City of San José, City government functions, and the City Council legislative process.
• Ability to write letters, city memoranda, and policy papers in a concise, professional style with minimal assistance from other office staff.
• Ability to work in a team environment with other staff members in a small office.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced work environment with changing priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to maintain a positive and professional demeanor when working in public.
• Knowledge of economic development principles and land use policy is desired, but not required.
• Knowledge of public information, media relations, and community outreach skills.
• Strong understanding of Human Relations issues and sensitivities.