Administrative Assistant

Join the Office of Transportation! Be part of a dynamic team of 19 staff responsible for transportation planning, programs, and infrastructure in Palo Alto. The department manages parking and traffic operations, bikeway development, area studies, regional transit coordination, and the On-Demand Transit System. If you are passionate about innovative, multimodal transportation, we invite you to be part of a team shaping Palo Alto’s transportation future.

This is an exciting opportunity to provide direct, complex administrative support to the Chief Transportation Official (CTO) and contribute to the overall success of the department. Responsibilities include coordinating and prioritizing the CTO’s schedule, assessing competing demands on time, and ensuring efficient daily operations. The role also supports boards and commissions by preparing meeting materials and assisting at a variety of meetings, as well as supporting the Senior Management Analyst with contracts and procurement processes.

The successful candidate will manage a high volume of requests and inquiries, requiring a strong working knowledge of the organization and its programs. They will serve as a key point of contact for internal staff, external partners, and members of the public. Exceptional interpersonal and customer service skills, strong organization, adaptability, and sound judgment are essential to thrive in this fast-paced and engaging environment.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned administrative professional with excellent communication skills, strong organizational abilities, and sound independent judgment to perform complex administrative tasks. The chosen candidate will be able to maintain confidentiality, understand, interpret, and apply appropriate rules, regulations, and written directions to specific situations, and provide guidance when needed. They will also assist the department, staff, boards, commissions, and the public with a high degree of emotional intelligence, tact, and poise, consistently delivering a high level of customer service.

• Schedule:
  
  Option of a 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off
• Hybrid work:
  Ability to work remotely and onsite (current policy allows for 2 days/week remote and 3 days/week on-site)
• Professional development:
  Tuition reimbursement, leadership training, and career growth opportunities
• Education benefits:
  Potential enrollment for dependents in the Palo Alto Unified School District (pilot program, subject to change)
• Childcare support: $10,000 in childcare subsidies (pilot program, subject to change)
• Commute benefits:
  Free all-agency Bay Pass (MTC pilot, subject to change) and incentives for walking, biking and taking transit to work
• Defined-Benefit Retirement Plan: with competitive pension benefits

Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Leads, plans and coordinates the administrative, technical, and analytical tasks in support of the department head.

• Serves as a primary resource point for City employees, Council members, Board and Commission members, committees and Task Force, citizens or visitors, answering complex questions regarding policy, procedural, informational or technical inquiries, requiring a thorough knowledge of City and department programs, functions, organizational structure, as well as the use of independent judgment and discretion in the release of confidential or sensitive information.
• Create and update information on the internet and intra-net. Relieves department head, of certain administrative matters by following up on projects, transmitting information and keeping managers informed of department activities.
• Leads, plans and coordinates the administrative, technical, and analytical tasks in support of the CTO.
• Prepares and composes from brief oral instruction, written draft, correspondence requiring discrimination and judgment in the selection of data or interpretation of laws, rules, or policies.
• Compiles and processes materials related to the department issues; compiles a variety of narrative and statistical reports, locating…