Mayor's Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer

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, the Capital of Silicon Valley, is one of the nation's best managed cities and one of the top ten cities in which to live, work, and do business. Moreover, San José is the center of cultural, government, and economic activity for the region. The employees of the City of San José have embraced the following values: Integrity, Innovation, Excellence, Collaboration, Respect, and Celebration.

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 City 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

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third-party job board application system. To apply, applicants must complete an application via the City of San Jose’s website at http://www.sanjoseca.gov/citycareers .

Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer for the Mayor’s Office

The Office of the Mayor Matt Mahan is seeking an entrepreneurial and collaborative leader to serve as its first?Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer (CSP Officer). San José is the Capital of Silicon Valley—home to world-class innovators, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and civic leaders who believe big challenges deserve bold solutions. The CSP Officer will lead the Mayor’s effort to mobilize the philanthropic and investment power of Silicon Valley to deliver measurable results for San José residents.

Reporting to the Chief of Staff, this position is responsible for building a citywide partnerships strategy, proactively identifying funding and investment opportunities, and serving as a point of coordination for external partners. This role will build powerful cross-sector partnerships that bring new investment, resources, and ideas to advance the City’s top priorities. The CSP Officer will connect the creativity and capital of the private sector, philanthropy, and community organizations with San José’s most urgent challenges—from improving early childhood outcomes to expanding economic mobility and strengthening neighborhood opportunity.

This role is focused on delivering results for the people of San José by bringing in resources that can catalyze transformational change. The CSP Officer will develop and oversee a partnership development plan that aligns with the City’s Focus Areas and policy goals, and work closely with senior leaders, elected officials, philanthropy, businesses, and nonprofit partners to secure and implement multi-sector initiatives.

The total salary range for the Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer is $207,257.18 - $250,000. This amount includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable pay. The actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

Responsibilities for this position may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Build and execute a strategic partnerships strategy aligned with City priorities, in partnership with the Mayor and Chief of Staff.
• Proactively identify opportunities for public-private-philanthropic collaboration, including grant and investment opportunities from the philanthropic sources and the business community.
• Coordinate across departments to package compelling projects for investment and support departmental readiness.
• Cultivate and steward relationships with external partners and funders.
• Lead development and submission of competitive funding proposals and support grant administration as needed.
• Track funding trends and opportunities related to City initiatives and priorities.
• Ensure partnership and funding efforts support the City’s Focus Areas and City Council-approved strategic plans.
• Represent the Mayor in forums related to public-private partnerships and city innovation.
• May supervise staff as the function grows and evolves.
• Other duties as assigned

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.

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.

Other Qualifications

Desirable Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the most desirable combination of training, skills, and experience, which will allow them to serve as a member of the Mayor’s Team.

Education/Experience: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in public administration, business administration, urban planning, public policy, or a related field, AND six (6) years of management and/or administrative experience in public, nonprofit, or private sector partnerships, fundraising, or government relations. A Master’s degree is preferred and may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience.

The ideal candidate is a big-picture thinker and pragmatic problem solver who understands how to turn ideas into action. They will bring the vision to imagine ambitious partnerships—and the discipline to deliver results. Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• A track record of building high-impact partnerships across government, philanthropy, business, and nonprofit sectors
• Experience securing major investments, grants, or funding partnerships
• Strong strategic thinking paired with a clear focus on execution and measurable outcomes
• The ability to translate public priorities into compelling opportunities for partners
• Experience designing evaluation frameworks and performance metrics to assess the effectiveness of programs and interventions
• Exceptional relationship-building skills and the ability to work effectively across sectors
• A passion for improving outcomes for residents and strengthening communities
• The ideal candidate will be energized by the opportunity to shaping a partnerships function that can unlock transformational investments in San José.

Core Competencies:

• Vision/Strategic Thinking: Understands trends in civic innovation and funding; builds and communicates a shared vision for partnership development.
• Leadership: Demonstrates high integrity, sets clear direction, and fosters collaboration and accountability.
• Management: Strong skills in project management, budgeting, and organizational development.
• Job Expertise: Demonstrates understanding of cross-sector partnerships, grantmaking, and urban policy issues.
• Supervision: Empowers and develops others, assigns responsibilities effectively.
• Communication Skills: Speaks and writes clearly, persuasively, and with influence.
• Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills: Collaborates effectively across departments and sectors.

Selection Process
The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the cover letter, resume/CV, and one writing sample demonstrating a successful public-private partnership initiative they drove to completion. Those candidates with experience and training that best match the position will move forward to the next phase of the selection process, which may include interviews and reference checks.

To be considered for this position, you must fill out the online application on the City of San José website and submit the following:

• Cover Letter
• Resume/CV
• 1 Writing Sample

Please note: Applicants must write their own responses. Use of AI content in responses may result in disqualification.

If you have questions, comments, or concerns about the recruitment, selection, or hiring process, please contact Amanda.Hook@sanjoseca.gov.

To learn more information about City Benefits, click on the Benefits tab of this job posting.

To learn more information about Mayor and City Council, click here .

Link to California Equal Pay Act .

This position will remain open until 11:59 pm Sunday, April 12, 2026. The Mayor’s Office will begin reviewing applications as of April 10, 2026.

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: 4/12/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

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• City of San Jose

• 408-535-1285

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