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Job Description
Description
Big role. Big impact. One of the BEST cities to work for!
Are you a highly motivated and mission-driven administrative professional who thrives at the center of action? Apply today to join our team as an Executive Assistant.
About the Role
The City of Palo Alto is seeking an experienced Executive Assistant to provide direct administrative support to the City Manager. This position is well suited for a senior-level administrative professional who is comfortable working at the executive level and who brings sound judgment, discretion, and strong organizational skills to their work.
The Executive Assistant serves as a trusted partner within the City Manager’s Office and works closely with executive leadership, department directors, City Council members, staff throughout the City, and community members. This role supports the preparation, coordination, and flow of information that enables effective leadership and informed decision-making at the highest levels of City government.
The position involves managing a wide range of confidential, complex, and time-sensitive administrative responsibilities and serving as a professional point of contact for the City Manager’s Office with internal and external stakeholders.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable working in a high-responsibility and often high-paced executive environment. They demonstrate sound judgment, strong communication skills, and a high degree of integrity, and serves as a leader among administrative staff throughout the City. Success in this role requires the ability to manage competing priorities, work independently with minimal direction, and respond thoughtfully and efficiently to time-sensitive matters.
About the City Manager’s Office
The City Manager’s Office provides strategic leadership and professional management to the City organization and works closely with the City Council to develop and implement policies that maintain and enhance Palo Alto’s quality of life. Ed Shikada has served as Palo Alto’s eighth city manager since December 2018.
The office plays a central role in coordinating City Council actions, facilitating interdepartmental initiatives, and ensuring alignment between Council priorities and City operations. It serves as a hub for executive coordination, communication, and decision-making across the organization.
About Palo Alto
Palo Alto is a full-service city located in the heart of Silicon Valley and is widely recognized for strong governance, thoughtful public administration, and a highly engaged community. The City provides a comprehensive range of municipal services and is consistently recognized as innovative, well managed, and fiscally sound, including being one of a small number of California cities with a AAA bond rating.
Working for the City of Palo Alto means contributing to an organization that values professionalism, accountability, and public service. Employees are supported in doing meaningful work that directly impacts the quality of life for the community and the effectiveness of City operations.
What’s in It for You- Competitive compensation plan and comprehensive benefits
- A collaborative, values-driven workplace
- Professional development opportunities and other perks
- The chance to make a real impact in public service at the executive level
Essential Duties
In this role, the Executive Assistant will:- Serve as a trusted administrative partner to the City Manager by managing a complex calendar, coordinating meetings (both in-person and virtual), and ensuring materials are accurate, timely, and well organized
- Anticipate administrative and logistical needs by organizing briefings and supporting the City Manager’s readiness on issues involving the City Council, executive leadership, and other stakeholders, using standard office and collaboration technologies
- Screen and manage incoming calls, emails, mail, and visitors; independently resolve routine matters and route others appropriately
- Prepare and finalize confidential correspondence, reports, presentations, and other materials using Microsoft Office and related productivity tools
- Maintain organized records related to City Manager and City Council matters, including public records requests
- Coordinate communication and follow-up on assignments between departments, City Council, and the City Manager’s Office
- Assist with special projects and interdepartmental initiatives requiring coordination and follow-through
- Maintain departmental fiscal records, including purchasing, invoices, expense claims, and credit card reconciliation
- Coordinate travel, special meetings, and City-sponsored events, including virtual and hybrid meeting logistics
To read the full description of the job classification click here.
Minimum Qualifications
Sufficient education, training, and/or experience to demonstrate possession of the required knowledge and skills, typically acquired through:
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Business Management, or a related field.
Experience:
Three years of journey-level experience related to the area of assignment; or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the position.
Supplemental Information
Why This Role
This position offers the opportunity to work closely with City leadership and contribute to the effective operation of one of the Bay Area’s most respected municipal organizations. For an experienced Executive Assistant who values purpose, professionalism, and meaningful public service, this role provides a rewarding and respected place to apply and grow your expertise.
Tentative Recruitment Schedule (may be subject to change):
Application Opens - Monday, January 6 th
Application Closes - Wednesday, January 21 st
Panel Interview & Written Assessment - week of February 2 nd
Final Interview - week of February 2 nd
For questions on the application or selection process, please contact Ana Dean at ana.dean@paloalto.gov.
Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.
The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
See our Benefits at a Glance Bookletfor more details.
Learn more about our Compensation Plan HERE.
Closing Date/Time: 1/21/2026 11:59 PM Pacific - Competitive compensation plan and comprehensive benefits
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ABOUT THE COMPANY
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City of Palo Alto
Show moreThe Community
The birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, is a community of approximately 68,000 residents and nearly 100,000 jobs. Located on the mid-Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, Palo Alto is recognized worldwide as a leader in cutting-edge technology, medicine, and green innovation. The community's treelined streets and historic buildings reflect its California heritage, and, at the same time, many world-class businesses maintain or started offices here, such as Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Amazon, Broadcom, Hewlett-Packard, Houzz, Rivian, SAP and SAP Ariba, Tesla, and Varian Medical Systems. Numerous start-ups are also at home in Palo Alto, arguably making it the start-up capital of the world. Stanford University is foundational to the history and prestige of Palo Alto, reflected in the community's dedication to lifelong learning. Stanford's cultural and educational offerings are integral to the vibrancy and charm of Palo Alto, while the City's exceptional K-12 school district ranks among the top public-school systems in the country. With more than 50% of adult residents holding a graduate degree or higher, Palo Alto is frequently listed as one of the most educated cities in the nation. Palo Alto boasts a genuine sense of community and an active citizenry with strong environmental values. Beautiful neighborhoods are complemented by vibrant commercial corridors and a bustling economy featuring premium shopping and dining options. Excellent healthcare facilities, performing arts, and diverse recreational opportunities are some of the community's incredibly desirable and cherished amenities. To learn more, visit https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/City-Manager/Latest-NewsCity Government
Palo Alto is a full-service charter city with a council-manager form of government. The seven-member City Council is elected at large, and the City Council annually selects the Mayor and Vice Mayor from among its members. The Mayor and City Council appoint the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Auditor. The City Manager is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the City. Palo Alto is organized into 15 departments/offices with 1,093.10 authorized positions in FY 2025. There is also a FY 2025 capital budget of $316.2 million. Palo Alto owns and operates its own utilities, including electricity (carbon-neutral), gas, water, wastewater, and an expanding fiber network. This dynamic municipal environment ensures an ever-engaging platform for unique problem-solving and advances new initiatives, including sustainability, broadband, and effective service delivery. Community assets also include five libraries, 36 parks, five community centers, a museum and zoo, youth centers, a general aviation airport, an 18-hole golf course, a regional water treatment plant, and wildland open space preserves at the San Francisco Bay and in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains offering 41 miles of walking/biking trails in addition to its police, fire, and ambulance services. Palo Alto has long been a leader in sustainability, and the City's ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals are part of what sets it apart. Since the City's first Climate Protection Plan was passed in 2007, Palo Alto has set goals that exceed State and Federal targets. Today, the City's goal to reduce emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2030 (the "80x30" goal) and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 guides sustainability efforts. An award-winning City, Palo Alto is recognized nationally as innovative and well-managed. City services and performance also receive impressive marks from community members in the Palo Alto Community Survey.
Many of those ratings put City programs and services in the highest percentiles among the hundreds of benchmark cities. Palo Alto makes decisions through comprehensive processes and proactively seeks to involve its extremely informed, educated, and engaged residents. Projects are naturally a cooperative effort among the City Council, Boards, Commissions, Committees, engaged residents, neighborhoods, businesses, property owners, and staff.
Join an Award Winning Team
Palo Alto is an award-winning City recognized nationwide as innovative and well-managed. Palo Alto is one of a small number of California cities with a AAA bond rating. Recently, Palo Alto became one of the most livable cities in the U.S. by Livability.com. It's the only city to receive the Platinum Beacon Award in sustainability best practices by California’s Institute for Local Government. We offer a variety of career paths that relate to building and improving communities. The City has fourteen departments employing 1,000 full-time staff. Police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, and building inspectors keep us safe. Engineers and public works staff build and re-build the physical infrastructure. City planners help envision and shape future community growth. Recreation, arts and library professionals enhance community life. Utilities provides electric, gas, water, sewer and other services. Internal services departments help manage, staff, and protect the City.
Want to learn more about our benefits? Learn more by reviewing our "Benefits at a Glance Booklet."
Contact Us
Phone: 650-329-2376
Email: Recruit@paloalto.gov
Location: City Hall, 1st Floor | 250 Hamilton Ave 94301 | View Map
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