THE CITY OF SAN JOSÉ
Known as the “Capital of Silicon Valley,” the City of San José plays a vital economic and cultural role in anchoring the world’s leading innovation region. Encompassing approximately 181 square miles at the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay, San José is Northern California’s largest city and the 13th largest city in the nation. With nearly one million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center has resulted in one of the largest concentrations of technology companies and expertise in the world, including major tech headquarters like Cisco, Adobe, Zoom, Samsung, and eBay, as well as start-ups and advanced manufacturing. The City of San José has twice been named “The Most Innovative Large City in America” by the Center for Digital Government.
San José’s quality of life is unsurpassed. Surrounded by the Diablo and Santa Cruz mountain ranges and enjoying an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, residents have easy access to the beaches along the California coast, including Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Carmel; Yosemite and Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada; local and Napa Valley wine country; and the rich cultural and recreational life of the entire Bay region. For more information about the unparalleled quality of life in San José, please visit Why San Jose?
CITY GOVERNMENT
The City of San José is a full-service Charter City and operates under a Council-Manager form of government. The City Council consists of ten (10) council members elected by district and a mayor elected at large. The City Manager, who reports to the Council, and her executive team provide strategic leadership that supports the policy-making role of the Mayor and the City Council and motivates and challenges the organization to deliver high-quality services that meet the community’s needs.
City operations are supported by 6,928 full-time equivalent positions and a total operating and capital budget of $6.0 billion for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. San José is dedicated to maintaining the highest fiscal integrity and earning high credit ratings to ensure the consistent delivery of quality services to the community. Extensive information regarding San José can be found on the City website at www.sanjoseca.gov.
THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT
The City of San Jose’s Housing Department’s mission is to strengthen and to revitalize the community through housing and neighborhood investments. The Housing Department has a budget of $284 million and 129 positions, funded over 21,000 affordable units and incentive over 3,000 market-rate units, oversees the Rent Stabilization Program providing administrative oversight to over 96,000 units, and is implementing innovative programs to achieve housing abundance, while striving to bring unsheltered homelessness in San Jose to functional zero through the implementation of an expansive shelter system comprising of over 2,000 units owned and operated by the City of San Jose, and achieving throughput to permanent housing.
The Housing Director reports to and serves as a key advisor to the City Manager; stewards the Housing Element of the Envision San Jose 2040 General Plan; and leads housing production under the City Council Focus Areas for Building More Housing and Reducing Unsheltered Homelessness. The Department is led by the Director of Housing, Erik Solivan, a dynamic, credible voice and champion for housing production.
THE POSITION
The Assistant Director reports to the Director of Housing, and works closely with him, the two Deputy Directors, the Housing Department’s Leadership Team, and the City’s management team in implementing the City Council Focus Areas and the Housing Department’s Roadmap which provides priorities for the City and the Housing Department. The Assistant Director will initially have five direct reports (including the two Deputy Directors) and will directly oversee the Administrative Office, including Finance, Budget and Human Resources and the Grants Division. The Assistant Director is responsible for the overall administration and operations of the Housing Department, including the budget, Human Resources, Technology, Emergency Response, and Communications, and ensures that systems, processes, and communications flow smoothly across the Department.
The Assistant Director will be an energetic, self-directed, forward-thinking implementer and leader who has a keen eye for details, is very organized, an excellent writer, and understands or is curious about regulations. The Assistant Director has a high legal, ethical, and moral compass, and is one who thrives in a fast-paced, often-changing, very busy environment and supports the implementation of policy and programs.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Education: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in business administration, public administration, or a discipline related to the department’s operations. A Master’s degree is preferred.
Experience: Seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in the department’s functional area or a closely related field including five (5) years of experience supervising managers and other professional staff, managing programs, services, or operations within a complex public or private organization.
SALARY & BENEFITS
The Assistant Director salary range is currently $190,517.34 – $307,769.02 which includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. Placement within this range will be dependent upon the qualifications and experience of the individual selected. The salary is supplemented by an attractive benefits package. For detailed benefit information, interested candidates are encouraged to review the detailed recruitment brochure or by visiting one of the following sites Executive Management Benefits or Health Benefits.
APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS
To be considered for this exceptional career opportunity, submit your resume and cover letter below. Your resume should reflect years and months of employment, beginning/ending dates, as well as the size of staff and budgets you have managed. Apply immediately, as initial review of candidate materials is tentatively scheduled for Monday, October 26, 2026.
Confidential inquiries are welcomed to:
This recruitment has closed and is no longer accepting applications.
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