Mayor’s Chief Economic Development Officer / Economic Development Director

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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 San José City Council consists of ten Councilmembers elected by district and a Mayor elected at-large, each for four-year terms. The Mayor and Council are responsible for representing the residents of San José, providing accountability, reviewing public policy and programs, and adopting those policies which best meet the needs of the residents, visitors, and businesses in San José.

The Mayor serves as the political leader of San José, and under the City Charter, is responsible for recommending policy, program, and budget priorities for the City.

Position Duties

The Office of Mayor Matt Mahan is seeking a mission-driven, highly skilled professional to serve as the Chief Economic Development Officer/Economic Development Director. This is a high-impact role at the intersection of policy, planning, and innovation, ideal for someone ready to help lead San José into its next chapter.

The title “Mayor’s Chief Economic Development Officer” is reserved for an applicant with a truly exceptional level of experience and qualifications in this space; a successful applicant with less than this background will have the title, “Mayor’s Economic Development Director”.

The Mayor’s Team drives bold initiatives around homelessness, public safety, beautification, and attracting investment into jobs and housing. This role focuses specifically on economic development, land use, cultural affairs, downtown revitalization, placemaking, and expanding San José’s entertainment and tourism sectors. Ideal candidates are highly qualified professionals who thrive in fast-paced environments and are passionate about building a more vibrant, inclusive, and prosperous city.

As the Chief Economic Development Officer/Economic Development Director you will advise the Mayor on key policy decisions impacting economic growth and urban development. You will lead cross-departmental coordination on major initiatives, especially those focused on attracting investment into jobs and housing.

The position works directly with business leaders, developers, small business owners, and community partners to engage and align stakeholders around a shared vision for the city's economic future. Your efforts will help retain top employers, support small business growth, and drive catalytic projects that shape San José’s built environment and long-term prosperity.

This position:

• Develops, recommends, and implements key land use, cultural affairs, and economic development policies that reflect the Mayor’s vision and priorities.
• Drafts complex Council memoranda, legislative proposals, and public communications to advance these goals.
• Monitors and analyzes major public policy issues including land use, development, arts, tourism, and economic initiatives at the local, regional, and national levels.
• Tracks key development applications and trends, and ensures the Mayor is appropriately briefed on City policies, programs, and fiscal matters.
• Leads or supports strategic initiatives related to major 2026 national and international sporting events, downtown revitalization, workforce development, arts and culture expansion, and modernization of San José’s development processes.
• Manages the Mayor’s Economic Development Portfolio, supervises the Mayor’s Economic Development Policy Advisor, and represents the Mayor in stakeholder meetings, public hearings, civic functions, and industry roundtables.
• Interfaces regularly with the development, real estate, arts, culture, tourism, and business communities to identify opportunities and challenges.
• Leads or supports business retention and appreciation efforts through site visits, engagement strategies, and collaboration with the Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs.
• Convenes and coordinates cross-departmental teams to address entitlements, permitting, infrastructure, and incentive structures, while proactively removing bottlenecks and championing project progress.
• Coordinates with external organizations to host events and fundraisers that support San José’s economic, cultural, and civic ecosystems.
• Supports community engagement efforts by facilitating stakeholder feedback, building coalitions, and aligning messaging across neighborhoods, advocacy groups, and City partners.
• Uses sound political judgment to balance competing priorities and ensure consistent and inclusive communication.
• Coordinates with communications staff to elevate key milestones, frame public messaging, and respond to emerging issues.
• Maintains strong working relationships with Council Offices, City Departments, and community stakeholders to ensure alignment and collaboration.
• Demonstrates flexibility, initiative, and responsiveness to dynamic priorities and high-stakes opportunities.

The total salary range for this position is $160,000-$255,000. The actual salary and title shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

Employees in this classification are not members of the classified civil service and appointment would be on a contract “at-will” basis and is for a specified period of time to be determined by the appointing elected official and does not extend past the end of the elected official's term. Candidates must be willing to work frequent evenings and weekends, and as exempt management employees, are not eligible for overtime compensation. This unclassified position requires a disclosure of outside investments, real property interest, income and business positions.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of training and experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to advise the Mayor on matters of public policy.

Required Licensing: Possession of a valid California Driver’s license is required.

Other Qualifications

Desirable Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent) from an accredited college or university, preferably in the field of Urban Planning, Public Policy, Public Administration, Business Administration. A Master’s degree in Urban Planning, Public or Business Administration is strongly preferred.

Experience: Five (5) or more years of relevant experience to be considered for the Mayor’s Economic Development Director. Ten (10) or more years of relevant experience to be considered for the Mayor’s Chief Economic Development Officer.

Experience working for an elected official at the federal, state, or local level or as a public or private sector manager, and five (5) or more years of professional Economic Development or Urban Planning experience is highly desirable.

In addition, we are specifically seeking candidates who:

• Demonstrate a history of receiving progressively increasing responsibilities and documented success at each level.
• Possess experience managing complex projects and/or interdepartmental teams
• Have reported directly to or worked alongside an organization’s senior leadership team

The ideal candidate will offer the following abilities and knowledge, as demonstrated in employment history or other experience. We desire a well-rounded, dedicated, and enthusiastic individual with a broad combination of skills and abilities. A competitive candidate will possess all the following attributes:

• Bilingual skills: oral and written proficiency with languages such as Spanish or Vietnamese highly preferred
• Excellent project management skills
• Ability to develop and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to exercise sound judgment in developing, analyzing, and evaluating various programs and services
• Strong and effective organizational skills
• Ability to thrive and succeed in a high-energy, fast-paced environment

Selection Process

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to the Job Specific Questions. Only the candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process.

To be considered for this position, please submit the following:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Two (2) writing samples that best demonstrate your level of proficiency

You will be prompted to answer the following job-specific questions during the online application process. Please note that there is a 4,000-character limit, including spaces, for each text response.

You must answer all job-specific questions in order to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration.

Describe your background/experience in urban planning, cultural affairs, economic development, and/or land use.What do you see are the biggest challenges to San José from a land use and economic development perspective?Describe your experience facilitating development and the planning/entitlement process.Describe your experience working in a fast-paced and complex political environment, particularly any experience working with elected officials or executives in an advisory capacity.
If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Mackenzie Mossing at Mackenzie.Mossing@sanjoseca.gov.

The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits. Please visit the City's benefits page for detailed information

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan, please visit the Office of Retirement Services website.

In addition to the benefits above, there is an additional perks site to explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose.

To learn more information about the Mayor, click here. Link to California Equal Pay Act.

This position will remain open until filled and applications will be reviewed continuously; therefore, we encourage applicants to apply as soon as possible.

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 be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process.

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.

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.

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• City of San Jose

• 408-535-1285

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