Senior Hearing Officer

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.

Why join the City of Oakland Housing Community Development Department

The City of Oakland is seeking a dynamic Senior Hearing Officer to lead the Hearings Unit within the Rent Adjustment Program part of the Community Development Division of the Department of Housing and Community Development. This role requires a strong leader who excels in supervising and developing professional staff ensuring consistent application of policies and procedures and fostering a culture of accountability and excellence. This position is full-time Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Housing and Community Development Department operates on a hybrid schedule: staff work in the office three days per weekTuesday Wednesday and Thursdayand work remotely on Mondays and Fridays.

We are looking for someone who is:

• A Visionary and Strong Team Leader - The Senior Hearing Officer role requires supervising and mentoring staff while fostering a culture of accountability and excellence; a visionary leader ensures the team is motivated and aligned with long-term program goals.
• A Creative Self-Initiator - This position demands proactive problem-solving and innovative approaches to improve efficiency and consistency in hearings and mediations making creativity and initiative essential.
• Analytical and a Systems Thinker - Overseeing complex cases and ensuring uniformity in decisions requires someone who can analyze patterns identify systemic issues and implement strategies that enhance fairness and compliance.
• Passionate about Delivering Quality Public Services to Oaklanders - The role directly impacts tenants and landlords under critical ordinances so passion for public service ensures decisions and processes prioritize community trust and service excellence.
• Committed to Centering Equity in the Development and Implementation of Programs - Equity is fundamental to HCD and the citys housing policies. This commitment guarantees that hearings and decisions are fair and barriers to fairness are eliminated.
• An Excellent Writer- Preparing and reviewing clear legally sound mediation agreements and written decisions is a core responsibility making strong writing skills indispensable for clarity professionalism and legal compliance.

• You will have time-sensitive deadlines.
• You will be highly visible and have multi-faceted responsibilities.
• You will handle mediations and hearings that involve tense landlordtenant dynamics urgent timelines and real impacts on housing stability.
• You will foster alignment and accountability within a team that has diverse work styles and varying levels of engagement.

• Action & Results Focused (Taking Initiative): Initiating tasks and focusing on accomplishment.
• 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.
• Displaying Ownership and Accountability:Holding self and others accountable for measurable high-quality timely and cost-effective results.
• Handling & Resolving Conflict: Managing interpersonally strained situations.
• Informing: Proactively obtaining and sharing information.
• Innovative Problem Solving: Identifying and analyzing problems to propose new and better ways of doing things.
• Leadership: Guiding and encouraging others to accomplish a common goal.
• Leading Cross-Functional Collaboration: Demonstrating cooperation and teamwork while working within and across divisions functions or teams.
• Legal & Regulatory Navigation: Understanding interpreting and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations.
• Leveraging Technology: Applying technology for improvements in organizational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Managing Performance: Ensuring superior individual and group performance.
• Professional Impact:Presenting self as a positive representative of the organization.
• Thinking & Acting Systematically:Formulating objectives and priorities and implementing plans consistent with the long-term interests of the organization in a global environment.

This recruitment will produce two eligible lists. The restricted list will be for full-time permanent part-time or part-time City and Port of Oakland employees who maintain employment for the duration of the recruitment and pass all stages of the recruitment process. The open list will be for all other applicants who pass all stages of the recruitment process.

Minimum six years of progressively responsible experience as a practicing attorney or other comparable experience in the legal field with three years of progressively responsible experience as a professional in alternative dispute resolution or six years of litigation experience.

Experience conducting mediations is highly desirable.