Salary : $82,368.00 - $157,248.00 Annually
Location : Palo Alto, CA
Job Type: Regular Full-Time
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: Department: City Clerk's Office
Opening Date: 09/16/2025
Closing Date: 9/29/ :59 PM Pacific
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 three 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.
Technical Support:
Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at 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 Booklet for more details.
Learn more about our Compensation Plan
01
In a brief paragraph, please describe your experience providing administrative support to a board, commission or committee.
02
Please describe a time you have made improvements or implemented efficiencies to a process or project.
03
Your ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams will be a significant asset. Please describe your experience collaborating on difficult and complex issues on an interdepartmental basis. In your experience, you may have led a project that required you to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders across different departments. What challenges did you face? How did you address them? What did you learn from the experience?
04
Select the statement that best describes your level of experience in increasingly responsible supervisory or administrative work.
- No experience.
- Less than two (2) years of experience.
- At least two (2) years but less than three (3) years of experience.
- Three (3) or more years of experience.
05
Select the statement that best describes your level of experience in local government or in a position that required supporting elected officials, boards or executive committees.
- No experience.
- Less than two (2) years of experience.
- Two (2) years of experience but less than three (3) years of experience.
- Three (3) or more years of experience.
Required Question
