Assistant to the Director (Department of Transportation) (Exempt)

Oakland, CA - USA

Yearly Salary: $ 149409 - 183461

Posted on: 14 days ago

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

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 citys 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.

The Department of Transportation (OakDOT)provides safe equitable and reliable transportation services to the City of Oakland. We design construct and maintain transportation networks that connects Oaklands communities and supports mobility for all users.

This position serves as a core leading member of the CitysSafe Oakland Streets (SOS)an interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to preventing serious and fatal traffic collisions and eliminating crash inequities through data-driven and community-centered strategies.

The Assistant to the Director will develop strategies and provide high-level advice to the Director of the Department of Transportation on a broad array of transportation issues to advance the goals of OakDOT. As a member of OakDOTs Executive Management Team this role collaborates with OakDOT team members to shape progressive transportation policies promote transportation equity and strengthen OakDOTs role as a national leader in transportation equity and mobility. The position also coordinates the government and regulatory affairs responsibilities of the department at the local county regional state and federal levels.

We are looking for someone who is:

A Thought Partner. You will be a strategic thought partner and confidant to the Director. You will be expected to understand technical financial political and cultural aspects of the department to provide key decision-making support.
A Designated Proxy. When the Director is internally focused you will represent them in meetings and collaborate with the leadership team to make decisions on their behalf. This includes engagement with key regional partners such as AC Transit Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and CalCity Transportation (CACTI).
An Executor. You will lead cross-functional special projects of strategic importance to the department.
A Racial Equity Team (RET) Amplifier.The department has made a solid commitment to continuously view its issues and solutions through a race and equity lens. Understanding that this issue is complex and can be dynamic you will oversee the departments RET staff and serve as the conscience of the leadership team by holding it accountable to its values.
A Legislative Leader. You will remain up to date on local state and federal legislative matters with the potential to affect the department.

Knowledgeable of City Council Relations. The department has implemented a process to provide support to City Council members and their staff ensuring workloads remain reasonable and sustainable. You will monitor this effort and make any necessary adjustments to engage while not sacrificing project delivery.

What you will typically be responsible for:

Providing daily administrative support to the department head; acting as a liaison between the department and outside agencies.
Assisting in the development of short- and long-range planning for departmental activities.
Directing supervising and evaluating lower-level professional and paraprofessional staff including the Race and Equity Program Analyst III.
Participating in public information projects.
Researching preparing and analyzing complex reports and preparing draft legislation in response to Council and City Administrator requests.
Responding to and resolving citizen questions and complaints.
Reviewing City Council agenda materials and staff reports.

Read the complete classification here:
Assistant to the Director

*Click on the link below to see a video on what its like to work for the City of Oakland!

Working for the City of Oakland

A few reasons you might love this job:

You will work with passionate talented skilled diverse and problem-solving colleagues at the City of Oakland.
You will work in a local government with core values grounded in equity sustainability safety and transparency in service to Oaklands residents.
You will work in the beautiful City of Oakland California a bay area community with a rich history diverse residents and array of social and cultural institutions that all benefit from a safe sustainable and equitable transportation system that the Department of Transportation is tasked to deliver.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

Oaklands Department of Transportation is currently challenged with 20-30% staff vacancies depending on the section however a significant focus on recruitment and retention is underway.
There is a high level of need for traffic safety improvements and transportation maintenance throughout Oakland that exceeds available resources. This requires a focus on equity prioritization systems development and management and ongoing communications to elected officials and residents.

Competencies Required:

Building & Maintaining Relationships: Establishing rapport and maintaining mutually productive relationships
Critical Thinking:Analytically and logically evaluating information propositions and claims
Decision Making: Choosing optimal courses of action in a timely manner
Establishing Credibility:Doing what one commits to doing and respecting the confidentiality of information and concerns shared by others
Innovative Problem Solving: Identifying and analyzing problems in order to propose new and better ways of doing things
Leadership: Guiding and encouraging others to accomplish a common goal
Legal & Regulatory Navigation: Understanding interpreting and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations
Managing Organizational Complexity: Maneuvering through complex political situations and functions within the organization
Oral Communication: Engaging effectively in dialogue
Political & Organizational Savvy:Working skillfully with politics procedures and protocols across organizational levels and boundaries
Presentation Skill:Formally delivering information to groups
Professional Impact:Presenting self as a positive representative of the organization
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing

Examples of Duties

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

Education:

Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university in public or business administration accounting or a related field.A masters degree is desirable.

Experience:

Five years of progressively responsible experience performing complex administrative duties including two years of supervisory experience.

License or Certificate / Other Requirements:
An 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 an efficient method for traveling to required locations. An individual appointed to this position will be required to maintain a valid California Drivers 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 Department of Transportation for further consideration.

Meeting the minimum qualification requirements may not result in further consideration only the most qualified candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Whats in it for you

Work/Life Balance: 37.5-hourwork 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: Working for Oakland

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:

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 NeoGovs Live Applicant Support at 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 for information; however we are unable to provide technical support for the online application system.

For recruitment-specific questions please contact: Justine Colon

Required Experience:

The PositionThe 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 citys historical roots and the lives of...