Administrative Associate II/III (limited term)

Job Description:

Administrative Associate II/III (limited term)

Description

Description

Exciting Opportunity - Limited Term Position (up to two years)

The City of Palo Alto's Planning & Development Services Department is seeking a limited-term full-time Administrative Associate II/III. The is a temporary position, not expected to exceed two years. The position will be filled at the Administrative Associate II or III level, depending upon candidate qualifications.

The position will support customer service duties at the Development Center. The Development Center is the City’s one stop shop for all things related to remodeling and new construction of residential and commercial properties. The position will work with staff from various departments including planning, building, plan check, fire, public works, urban forestry, and utilities regarding inquiries and appointments. The position will also work with local architects, developers, construction professionals, and the general public.

The Position

The position will report to the Senior Management Analyst responsible for the department’s business operations in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. The candidate will complete duties such as daily financial reconciliation, refunds, purchase requisitions, basic contracting and other back office administrative tasks. The candidate may perform front office customer service functions, such as assisting customers with appointments or walk-in customers, and answering telephone calls and general email inboxes.

The candidate will also work with the Development Center Permit Manager, Assistant Chief Building Official, and Chief Building Official to ensure operations meet staff and customer expectations. The position will work on technical reports and activities, such as but not limited to conditional meter release, temporary certificates of occupancy, no parking signs, overtime inspection requests, property files requests and other administrative assignments.

This is not a remote work position. The position will be required to be on-site at the Development Center during customer-service open hours. The City of Palo Alto places high emphasis on customer service and independent judgment. This position is a critical component of the department’s service delivery to the community.

Ideal Candidate:

The ideal candidate is customer service focused, organized, detailed oriented, self-motivated, innovative, collaborative, and a life-long learner, takes initiative and pride in their work, and is passionate about improving processes.

The ideal candidate excels at communicating, staying calm under pressure, and ensures visitors’ experience is positive.

The ideal candidate will have strong verbal and writing skills, be knowledgeable in Microsoft software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Teams), and have the ability to learn various software solutions (Accela, DigEplan, etc.).

Essential Duties

Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Depending upon assignment, duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Ongoing office management tasks requiring prioritization and assignment of work for other clerical or secretarial staff; provide technical guidance to same; coordinate information from and act as the liaison for the department.
• Assigned duties consisting of a variety of difficult or complex tasks requiring the frequent use of independent judgment. Such judgment involves a thorough knowledge of department policies, programs, procedures, rules, regulations, and scope of jurisdiction while maintaining confidentiality.
• Contact with the public, City or governmental officials, and others requiring tact, diplomacy, and the use of discretion in responding to inquiries.
• Prepare or compose from brief oral instruction, written draft, correspondence requiring discrimination and judgment in the selection of data or interpretation of laws, rules, or policies.
• Establish and maintain confidential files concerned with personnel and/or policy matters; records actions taken on sensitive issues; and is responsible for releasing information to authorized parties.
• Arrange schedule of appointments for supervisor and staff, exercising discretion in committing supervisor’s time and in referring caller or visitor to another appropriate source of information or service.

Minimum Qualifications

Administrative Associate II

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

• Equivalent to graduation from high school and 3 years of progressively responsible administrative experience.

Administrative Associate III

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

• Equivalent to graduation from high school and 4 years of progressively responsible administrative experience.

Special Requirements for both positions:

Specified assignments may require possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

The full job description for Administrative Associate II can be found HERE
The full job description for Administrative Associate III can be foundHERE

Supplemental Information

More than one position may be filled through this posting.

The Selection Process:

• Recruitment status notifications will be sent via email or text (please enroll in text alerts when applying).
• Updates can also be found on your governmentjobs.com account.
• Applicants will be screened throughout the posting process and highly qualified candidates may be invited to interview at any time.
• The screening process for this position may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.

For information on employee benefits, click HERE .

For technical issues applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.

The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

See our Benefits at a Glance Bookletfor more details.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking HERE.

Closing Date/Time: 2/19/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$81,785.60 - $106,849.60 Annually