Assistant Director (Unclassified)

Job Description

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY) , or via email at CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov .

About the Department

The City of San José’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 throughout to permanent housing.

The Housing Director reports to and serves as a key advisor to the City Manager. The Housing Director stewards the Housing Element of the Envision San Jose 2040 General Plan; 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 City is committed to creating a workplace that is welcoming, equitable, and is supportive of all of its employees.
For additional information please see the recruitment brochure located here:
https://www.mosaicpublic.com/career/2662-assistant-director-of-housing

Position Duties

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.

For additional information please see the recruitment brochure located here:
https://www.mosaicpublic.com/career/2662-assistant-director-of-housing

Minimum Qualifications

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.
For additional information please see the recruitment brochure located here:
https://www.mosaicpublic.com/career/2662-assistant-director-of-housing

Other Qualifications

To be considered for this exceptional career opportunity, please submit your application at: https://www.mosaicpublic.com/career/2662-assistant-director-of-housing by October 26, 2026.

For further information contact: Greg Nelson at Mosaic Public Partners, (916) 550-4100.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer.

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

AI and the Hiring Process

We recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of daily life and can be a valuable tool for learning, research, and professional growth. We encourage candidates to use AI responsibly as a support in preparing application materials, live assessments, and interviews. However, we value authenticity, accuracy and truthfulness. Application responses and interview answers must reflect your own knowledge, skills, and experiences. While AI can supplement preparation, it cannot replace the originality and judgment we look for in our employees. This ensures fairness, transparency, and equity for all applicants in the hiring process.

The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's benefits pagefor detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan(pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services website. You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an additional perks siteto explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.

Closing Date/Time: 10/26/2026 11:59 PM Pacific