The City of Los Angeles’ Office of the City Administrative Officer (CAO) is seeking to fill up to five Project Assistant positions. This opportunity is limited to a one-year period from the date of hire. However, a permanent civil service position may be available to candidates who successfully complete the Management Assistant civil service examination anticipated in March 2023. The Management Assistant classification is one of the entry level positions to the City’s managerial career
path. The CAO will assist with the candidates’ preparation for the Management Assistant exam.
WHO WE ARE
The City Administrative Officer (CAO) provides internal and centralized services to the Mayor, City Council, and City departments. The CAO is the financial advisor to the Mayor and City Council and is the only appointed City officer to report both to the Mayor and City Council.
The primary work activities of the CAO include:
Budget, grant, financial, and contractual analysis;
Revenue estimating and long term financial planning;
Debt management and investor relations;
Employee relations;
Asset management;
Municipal facilities and physical plant capital project oversight;
The vacancies are within the Citywide Procurement Oversight (CPO) group in the CAO. The CPO group is responsible for establishing and implementing procurement excellence, and is composed of three sections described below. There are vacancies within each section and assigned projects and duties will overlap.
Procurement Departmental Support section assists department contract coordinators with their procurement operations by facilitating Citywide procurement training, troubleshooting procurement related issues for internal and external stakeholders, and making Citywide contracts available for department utilization.
Procurement Strategy and Policy section reviews Citywide procurement and makes recommendations on how to amend rules and guidelines to streamline the City’s procurement activities.
Procurement Technology and Operations section is responsible for procurement process improvement through the development of internal and external workflows, creating tools and operational documents to assist departments with their procurement needs, overseeing procurement technology development and data, and assisting external stakeholders in adopting City procurement technology into their operations.
Project Assistants will be assigned various tasks which may include providing assistance to departmental contract coordinators, conducting research, writing reports and contracts, and making presentations regarding a range of procurement issues.
The CAO’s Telecommuting Policy requires all staff to be in the Office two days per week. Employees may telecommute the remaining work days in the week. The specific in-Office days are selected through coordination with the individual and their supervisor.
REQUIREMENT/ MINIMUM QUALIFICATION
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university.
DESIRED SKILLS
Good oral and written communication skills.
Strong analytical skills.
Demonstrated skill in organization, coordination, and time management.
Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
Ability to research and interpret guidelines, codes, and regulations.
How to apply
Interested candidates should submit their application package by Friday, February 10, 2023. Based on the number of applications received, not all qualified individuals may be invited to interview.
The application package should include a completed City application, resume, proof of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university, and cover letter. Email the application package to leah.chu @lacity.org.
Please include the following as the subject line of your email: “Project Assistant Application.” You may also email Leah Chu for additional inquiries about the positions.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. Please call (213) 473-7500 if you need assistance.
This is an exempt employment opportunity through a one-year emergency appointment. Therefore, employment is exempted from the civil service provisions of the City Charter. In order to receive a regular civil service appointment, employees must have successfully participated in a civil service examination, received a high enough score on the examination to be placed on and receive an appointment from an eligible list, and they must serve a probationary period. Exempt employees do not compete in a civil service examination, they are not placed on an eligible list and receive an appointment from that list, nor do they serve a probationary period. As a result, exempt employees do not have what is referred to as a “property interest” in their job. Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority and can be terminated at any time without cause. Employees with a property interest in their job, i.e. civil service employees, cannot be deprived of their employment (discharged or suspended) without due process. While the initial appointment to the Project Assistant position would be an exempt employment opportunity, it is the goal of the CAO that selected candidates would take a civil service examination and subsequently receive civil service employment. Individuals who are not reachable on a civil service eligible list within the term of the one-year exempt emergency appointment will not be allowed to continue their employment with the CAO.
For candidates seeking initial City employment, in accordance with Los Angeles City Ordinance 187134, information regarding COVID-19 vaccination requirements as conditions of employment may be found at: https://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2021/21-0921_ord_187134_8-24-21.pdf.
