The City of South San Francisco is currently accepting
APPLICATION DEADLINE: MAY 30, 2025, OR UPON RECEIPT OF THE FIRST 100 ONLINE APPLICATIONS, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST.
The Community
Located on the San Francisco Peninsula in San Mateo County, South San Francisco occupies the valley formed by the San Bruno Mountains on the north and the Coast Range on the west. With the San Francisco Bay just east of the City, residents enjoy beautiful views of the water and a true sense of identification with the Bay along with impressive views of Sign Hill and San Bruno Mountain. South San Francisco is a highly commercialized city with an estimated population of 65,397 and growing to 100,000 during business hours. The City is considered the “Birthplace of Biotechnology” dating back to the founding of Genentech in 1976. Today, South San Francisco is home to one of the largest biotech clusters in the world with over 250 biotech companies and 12 million square feet of biotech space forming the anchor of South San Francisco’s economy. South San Francisco is a vibrant and diverse community known for its friendly residents, community groups, and volunteerism. The City offers a high quality of life to its residents with attractive residential areas, well-kept parks, and a beautiful marina and bay trail. With mild winters and dry, cool summers, residents are able to take advantage of the many outdoor recreational activities that South San Francisco and its surrounding areas have to offer year-round. Some of these activities include hiking the San Bruno Mountain Park while enjoying fantastic views of San Francisco and the Bay, or visiting Oyster Point Marina for fishing, boating, and relaxation. Enhancing its commitment to sustainability and community well-being, South San Francisco opened a new state of the art 80,000-square-foot library and recreational services building in October 2023 with amenities including computer labs, instructional kitchens, and event spaces. Additionally, construction of a new 24,000-square-foot Aquatic Center is underway with an anticipated opening of late Fall 2025.
The City Manager's Office
The City Manager’s Office implements policy decisions of the City Council, provides leadership and strategic direction to the City’s leadership team and organization, and ensures that initiatives and programs align with the City’s mission and reflect the values of our community. The City Manager's Office provides overall guidance to all City operating departments and is responsible for the administration of City programs to deliver high-quality services while ensuring the efficient and effective management of City resources. This includes oversight of major City-initiated projects, outreach to and involvement with community members on issues of local concern, direction of the annual budget process, and coordination of City Council agendas.
The Position
Under the direction of the City Manager or Assistant City Manager, the Deputy City Manager provides comprehensive leadership and direction over one or more of the City’s functional areas, ensuring appropriate attention and coordination to make significant accomplishments toward these priorities. Those areas include interdepartmental projects or programs; communications and community outreach; sustainability initiatives and programs; policy and legislative analysis and administration; and coordination of assigned staff and services. Assignments may include community health initiatives, sustainability, special event coordination, data collection and analysis, programs to support the unhoused, workforce engagement, business and economic development, age-friendly initiatives, childcare program support, grant writing, project management, municipal finance, and other specialized areas aligned with organizational priorities.
The Deputy City Manager is expected to represent the City Manager’s Office through attendance and support at various city-related meetings and events, including City Council meetings, community town halls, and special events. Occasionally, these engagements occur outside of standard business hours, including evenings and occasional weekends, and regular participation is an essential part of the role.
The Ideal Candidate
The ideal Deputy City Manager is a dynamic, results-oriented leader that combines exceptional strategic thinking, strong administrative acumen and sound judgment to manage complex operations, lead high-impact projects, and navigate diverse stakeholder environments.
The successful candidate should be an exceptional communicator, who excels at interdepartmental coordination, public engagement, and represents the City with professionalism and integrity. With a comprehensive understanding of legislative processes, policy development, and public sector dynamics, the ideal candidate will also possess the diplomatic and analytical skills needed to support the City Manager’s Office in policy execution, legislative strategy, and long-term planning.
A candidate with a background in local government, which includes some supervisory experience; experience negotiating contracts and agreements; and experience or expertise in one or more of the functional areas outlined in the job description is highly desired.
Above all, the ideal candidate is deeply committed to public service excellence. They lead with integrity, accountability, and transparency in a fast-paced, diverse, and evolving municipal landscape, bringing a forward-thinking, collaborative approach that drives innovation, builds community trust, and delivers meaningful results to improve the quality of life for all residents.
Bilingual skills are desirable.
Minimum Qualifications
Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities would be:
Experience: Five years of progressively more responsible municipal or county government experience, including two years in a senior management or administrator capacity.
Training: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in public or business administration, or related field. A master’s degree in public administration or a related field is desirable.
For further information and to apply, please visit: https://www.calopps.org/south-san-francisco/job-20619823
