Management Assistant Program Long , California

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For over 40 years, the City of Long Beach Management Assistant Program has been attracting the country's top graduate students to work in the dynamic field of local government.

The Long Beach Management Assistant Program offers an intense and fulfilling one-year apprenticeship filled with challenge, excitement, and tremendous opportunities for career and personal growth—not to mention a host of work-life benefits that are hard to match. Excellent and meaningful opportunities to explore different public service career options await you in the Long Beach Management Assistant Program. Whether you are looking for a stepping-stone to launch your public service profession, grow a long-term public service career, or change career paths, the City of Long Beach Management Assistant Program provides a unique, immersive, and rewarding opportunity to work in local government.

The program will help you gain the knowledge and skills to be an effective local government practitioner and make a difference in your community. The opportunity to be a highly valued integral player on the City team makes the City of Long Beach an employer of choice.

Duties of this position may include, but are not limited to:

• Learn about the challenges and opportunities of managing a large organization by working under the direction of the City Manager in four different departments during the year as a Management Assistant, including the City Manager's Office and Financial Management.
• Take a leadership role on challenging city-wide projects throughout the course of the program, developing lasting innovative solutions to serve a diverse community. Management Assistants are considered key members of the City Management Team and will have the opportunity to contribute to internal and external City priorities across departments.
• Work alongside highly accomplished career managers and be privy to the highest level of executive decision-making, including weekly engagement in Department Director meetings. The expectations and the workload for Management Assistants are very high, and program participants join a cohort of accomplished City leaders. Management Assistants gain invaluable experience and management skills, and are well prepared to compete for professional positions within the City.

The City of Long Beach invites applicants who meet the following minimum requirements to apply:

• Applicants must have completed the requirements for a Master's Degree in Public Administration, Public Policy, Urban Planning, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Public Health, Social Work, or related field by June 2026.

• Six (6) months of paid or voluntary experience in government, public policy, finance, legislation, research or statistical analysis, program implementation, or equivalent experience.

Applicants must submit the following:

• Resume & Cover Letter:
  Detailing the scope and level of their current or most recent positions and responsibilities, including any honors, achievements, and school/ extracurricular activities.
• Proof of
  
  Education:
  
  Provide documentation of a Master's degree or current enrollment in a Master's program (such as a copy of your diploma or unofficial transcripts). Note that program requirements must be completed by June 2026.
• Responses to Supplemental Questions:
  • Recommended formatting:
    Each response should be no longer than 2 pages, single-spaced, with 1" margins, and in 12pt Arial font. Applicants who do not follow the recommended formatting specifications will not be disqualified.

Incomplete applications or those that do not meet the minimum requirements will not be considered.

This recruitment will close at 2:00 PM Pacific Time on Friday, December 12, 2025. To be considered, please submit an online application, including a cover letter, resume, proof of education, and responses to supplemental questions in PDF format. Applications that fail to include all necessary documents will be considered incomplete and will not be taken into consideration.

Applications will be reviewed for depth and breadth of experience, and for level and relatedness of education. The most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in a preliminary interview and the top candidates will be invited to the City of Long Beach for further assessment. The City of Long Beach uses an Assessment Center as the last step in the process to select each year's Management Assistants.

Skills that may be assessed include analytical, budgeting, communication and writing, interpersonal skills and presentation skills. The selection committee will make final job offers at the conclusion of the assessment. If a final job offer is accepted, Management Assistants are responsible for their own relocation and housing expenses.

The City of Long Beach is an Equal Opportunity…