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Job Description
Description
An exciting new opportunity awaits at the City of Palo Alto!
The Office of the City Clerk is currently accepting applications from highly qualified candidates for the position of Assistant/Deputy City Clerk.
*Applications from this posting may be used to fill our vacancy at the level of either Assistant or Deputy City Clerk*.
Career Opportunity
The City of Palo Alto is looking for an Assistant/Deputy City Clerk to join a hard-working team that shares a commitment to public service, transparency, and promoting good government in a positive, cooperative environment. This position will work closely with a team to support the City Council, City Staff, and Boards and Commissions. This position attends standing committee and Council night meetings, prepares and edits minutes, and assists in the agenda production process. The positions will also lead projects in the Clerk's office such as budget controls and monitoring, web-based research, collecting and indexing research information for reports, responding to citizen requests for information, noticing, advertising, and calendaring public hearings, and assisting with the election process.
Great fit for a dedicated and experienced professional who is highly organized and detail-oriented.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is an experienced professional committed to public service, relentless positivity, and innovation who can provide high-level administrative support in a complex and busy department supporting appointed officials and commissions. Will possess at least t hree to five years of previous experience in an increasingly responsible supervisory or executive administrative position. Experience in municipal government, and writing and reviewing minutes, preferably in a City Clerk Department, is highly desirable .
Successful candidates will be knowledgeable of the state laws regarding the Public Records Act, Brown Act, and Political Reform Act, records management, and common software applications designed to store files and electronic data. Must be able to attend evening meetings as part of the work schedule. Successful candidates will possess the ability to exercise independent judgment, take the initiative to assign and oversee tasks related to core office practices and procedures and execute projects with a high attention to detail. Successful candidates will also conduct themselves in a flexible, adaptive, and professional manner while exercising care and tact when dealing with members of the public, elected officials, and City staff.
Other ideal candidate preferred qualifications:- Ability to become a Notary within one year of hire.
- Knowledge of budget programs such as SAP.
- Strong presentation skills with excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Enthusiasm for public service.
- Commitment to promoting good government and transparency.
Benefits: Fantastic benefits package! To learn more, click Here .
Compensation (Management): Comprehensive compensation plan. To learn more, click Here .
Schedule: Enjoy a hybrid 9/80 work schedule (with every other Friday off) and up to 2 remote days per week.
Essential Duties
Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Deputy City Clerk- Establishes methods and procedures for retrieval of records and information stored; arranges for destruction of obsolete records.
- Develops and maintains records management manuals, including standards and procedures for filing, indexing, cross-referencing, and cataloging records.
- Attends City Council and Standing Committee meetings as required. Records Council actions; types, edits, and proofs Council and Committee minutes for final preparation.
- Administers the recruitment process for Council-appointed Boards and Commissions.
- Performs other duties of a similar nature or level.
For the full Deputy City Clerk job description, click Here .
Assistant City Clerk- Attends City Council and/or Standing Committee meetings as required. Records Council actions; types, edits, and proofs Council and Committee Action minutes for final preparation.
- Manages the preparation and compilation of City Council Standing Committee agendas and agenda packets. In the absence of the City Clerk, manages the preparation and compilation of the City Council agenda packet.
- Coordinates and supervises agenda follow-up including action minutes, preparation of minutes for transcription, and ensuring minutes are sent to the transcriptionist within a timely manner; oversees the processing of official resolutions, ordinances, minutes, and codification of the municipal code.
- Assists the City Clerk in the preparation and execution of municipal elections, including preparation of annual updated Referendum, Initiative, Recall, and Charter Amendment election brochures.
- Provides technical assistance and guidance to other staff members as necessary, including training and directing staff in setting up, utilizing, and maintaining databases and systems related to the Office of the City Clerk.
- Administers and monitors the Conflict of Interest Code Process.
- Assists the City Clerk with special projects and research assignments as required.
- Writes procedural manuals and works with staff on current processes and suggests process improvements.
- Manages City Clerk and Council contracts.
- Assumes responsibility for department operations in the absence of the City Clerk.
For the full Assistant City Clerk job description, click Here .
Minimum Qualifications
Sufficient education, training, and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge and skills, which would typically be acquired through:
Deputy City Clerk- Equivalent to completion of two years of college or possession of an Associate of Arts Degree with major course work in business or public administration or a related field, and three years of previous experience in an increasingly responsible supervisory or administrative position.
(An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above may be considered).- Public agency or City Clerk's Office experience is preferred.
Licensing Requirements:- Municipal Clerk Certification is desirable.
Assistant City Clerk- Equivalent to completion of two years of college or possession of an Associate of Arts Degree, Bachelor's Degree preferred, with major course work in Business or Public Administration or a related field, and five years of previous experience in an increasingly responsible senior-level administrative position.
(An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above may be considered).- Public agency or City Clerk's Office experience is preferred.
Licensing Requirements:- Municipal Clerk Certification is desirable.
Supplemental Information
Selection Process:- Applicants will receive recruitment status notifications via email (governmentjobs.com account also has notification status updates).
- Applicants will be screened throughout the posting process and highly qualified candidates may be invited to interview at any time.
- The screening process for this position typically may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.
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: 9/29/2025 11:59 PM Pacific -
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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