Senior Supervisor, Administration - Office of Retirement Services

Job Description

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY) , or via email at CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov .

About the Department

The City of San José, the Capital of Silicon Valley, is one of the nation's best managed cities and one of the top ten cities in which to live, work, and do business. Moreover, San José is the center of cultural, government and economic activity for the region. The employees of the City of San José have embraced the following values: Integrity, Innovation, Excellence, Collaboration, Respect and Celebration. The City's Office of Retirement Services (ORS) is seeking an individual whose values align with the values of the City's employees.

The mission of the Office of Retirement Services (“ORS”) is to deliver accurate and timely retirement benefits and services while prudently managing the assets entrusted to ORS with integrity, accountability, and long-term vision. ORS administers the benefits of the two Defined Benefit Retirement Plans for the City of San Jose Employees and oversees the investment of plan assets. One plan is for the sworn police and fire employees, called the Police and Fire Department Retirement Plan. The other plan is for all other eligible City employees, called the Federated City Employees’ Retirement System. Each plan is governed by its own Board of Administration.

Position Duties

The Office of Retirement Services (ORS) is recruiting for a Senior Supervisor, Administration.

The salary range for this classification is $100,158.24 - $121,714.32.

This salary range includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

Under the general direction of the Program Manager, Administration, this position supervises the Administration Team and is responsible for the supervision, coordination, and performance of specialized administrative work in support of the Office of Retirement Services, its two Boards of Administration, and executive leadership. The position provides leadership to the administrative support team, coordinates Board and Committee meeting operations, develops and improves administrative processes, and ensures the efficient delivery of administrative services that support the department's business operations.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative and customer-focused leader with strong supervisory, organizational, and communication skills. The successful candidate will have experience leading administrative staff, managing competing priorities, improving business processes, and working effectively with executive leadership, Board Trustees, consultants, other City departments, and external stakeholders.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Senior Supervisor, Administration will primarily be responsible for the following duties:

• Supervise the Administration Team by assigning, prioritizing, and monitoring workloads to ensure timely, accurate, and high-quality administrative support for ORS and its two Boards of Administration.
• Coach, mentor, and develop administrative staff by providing ongoing guidance, performance feedback, training, and opportunities for professional growth.
• Conduct performance evaluations and make hiring, promotion, and disciplinary recommendations.
• Ensure delivery of high-quality administrative services through exceptional customer service, operational excellence, and responsive support to internal and external stakeholders.
• Oversee the coordination and administration of Board and Committee meetings, including meeting logistics, agendas, meeting materials, meeting technology (e.g., Zoom), public comment procedures, and post-meeting follow-up to ensure meetings are conducted efficiently and effectively.
• Direct the preparation and quality review of Board materials (including agendas and minutes), Board reports (such as travel, attendance, and education reports), correspondence, resolutions, and other ORS documents to ensure accuracy, completeness, consistency, and professionalism.
• Ensure ORS documents, Board materials, and any public-facing content comply with applicable accessibility standards, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve administrative policies, procedures, workflows, and office practices to enhance operational efficiency and service delivery.
• Research, analyze, and recommend improvements to administrative operations, business processes, and customer service. Prepare reports to summarize recommendations to departmental initiatives and special projects.
• Coordinate administrative support for departmental procurement, contract administration, and other administrative areas, as necessary.
• Serve as the department coordinator for compliance-related processes, including California Public Records Act (CPRA) requests and Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700) filings, by monitoring deadlines, tracking submissions and responses, and coordinating with staff and stakeholders to ensure timely compliance.
• Ensure administrative operations are carried out in accordance with applicable Board governance documents, City policies, departmental procedures, and records retention requirements.
• Maintain and continuously improve departmental records management practices and administrative filing systems.
• Facilitate effective communication and coordination between City departments, Board Trustees, consultants, vendors, retirees, and other stakeholders
• Coordinate special projects, department-wide initiatives, and other administrative activities as assigned.
• Exercise sound judgment, professionalism, and discretion while handling confidential, sensitive, and complex matters.
• Effectively manage multiple competing priorities and ensure timely completion of assignments in a fast-paced environment.
• Supervise, coordinate, and perform administrative support work for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and executive leadership, as needed.
• Perform other duties of a similar nature or level as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Two (2) years of undergraduate course work from an accredited college or university (equivalent to at least 60 semester units or 90 quarter units)

Experience: Four years of experience in varied office clerical work. The four years of experience must include two years of experience at the level of Senior Office Specialist or above including lead responsibility (must be customer service experience if supervising a clerical function involving primarily customer service).

Acceptable Substitutions: Additional experience at the level of Senior Office Specialist or above may be substituted for the education requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.

Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.

Communication Skills - Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills and displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

Computer Skills - Experienced with common business computer applications including but not limited to: MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel

Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Customer Service - Demonstrates the ability to anticipate customers' needs and deliver services effectively and efficiently using professional demeanor.

Supervision - Sets effective long and short-term goals based on a good understanding of management practices; establishes realistic priorities within available resources; provides motivational support; empowers others; assigns decision-making and work functions to others in an appropriate manner to maximize organizational and individual effectiveness.

Initiative - Exhibits resourceful behaviors toward meeting job objectives; anticipates problems, is proactive, and avoids difficulties by planning ahead; displays willingness to assume extra responsibility and challenges; pursues continuing education opportunities that promote job performance.

Problem Solving - Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of the problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Experience supervising or leading administrative or clerical staff, including assigning work, training, and addressing performance.
• Demonstrated ability to identify gaps or inefficiencies in processes, implement practical solutions, and document procedures (e.g., SOPs and checklists)
• Experience supporting Boards or Committees, including knowledge of the Ralph M. Brown Act and the City of San José’s “Sunshine” Resolution.
• Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to handle sensitive or difficult situations with stakeholders with poise and professionalism, and to resolve conflicts or complaints effectively.
• Experience creating or remediating accessible documents consistent with ADA and WCAG requirements.
• Familiarity with, or ability to learn, City and departmental operating procedures, including procurement, contract administration, and basic budgetary practices.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Zoom’s virtual meeting platform, and AI tools to streamline administrative work.

Selection Process:

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Quynh Doan at Quynh.Doan@sanjoseca.gov .

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

AI and the Hiring Process

We recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of daily life and can be a valuable tool for learning, research, and professional growth. We encourage candidates to use AI responsibly as a support in preparing application materials, live assessments, and interviews. However, we value authenticity, accuracy and truthfulness. Application responses and interview answers must reflect your own knowledge, skills, and experiences. While AI can supplement preparation, it cannot replace the originality and judgment we look for in our employees. This ensures fairness, transparency, and equity for all applicants in the hiring process.

The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's benefits pagefor detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan(pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services website. You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an additional perks siteto explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.

Closing Date/Time: 11/30/2026 11:59 PM Pacific