The PositionThe City of Oakland is an equal opportunity employer that values workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the city’s historical roots and the lives of its residents to this day. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting, meaningful outcomes for everyone. Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture, community, and individualism of employees.
Why join the City of Oakland Housing and Community Development Department?The City of Oakland is currently seeking applicants for the position of Program Analyst II with a Selective Certification in Housing and Rent Control. This role is part of the Rent Adjustment Program (RAP) within the Housing and Community Development Department. The Housing and Community Development Department is dedicated to improving Oakland’s neighborhoods and to making sure all Oaklanders have safe and affordable housing. RAP is an integral component of the HCD, whose mission is to promote community stability, healthy housing, and diversity for Oakland residents, while preventing illegal rent increases and evictions, and ensuring a fair return for property owners.
In 1980, the Oakland City Council adopted the Rent Adjustment Program Ordinance (OMC Chapter 8.22). This ordinance sets the maximum annual rent increase based on the annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase and handles rent adjustments for claims of decreases in housing services and handles other rent-related matters. The purpose of this program is to foster fair housing for a diverse population of renters and enforce the Rent Adjustment Ordinance set out by the City of Oakland.
We are looking for someone who is: - Strongly interested in housing and housing preservation: You will support Rent Adjustment Program's mission of implementing Oakland’s residential rental housing ordinances through provision of public information and implementation of key Rent Adjustment Program policies.
- An excellent communicator: You will provide explanations of and guidance on Oakland housing laws in person, via phone, and via email. You will also provide public presentations on RAP policies to Oakland community members.
- Able to effectively interface with very diverse populations: You will have experience with communicating with Oakland citizens with a wide variety of backgrounds and needs.
- Analytical: You will apply the law to a wide variety of situations and guide citizens appropriately.
- A strong team player: You will work in small teams that collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.
- Engaging: You will serve and exemplify customer service and community engagement.
What you may typically be responsible for: - Providing information on the rights and obligations of Oakland property owners and tenants as provided under Oakland’s Rent Adjustment and Eviction for Just Cause ordinances, as well as various other housing-related laws and ordinances.
- Acting as liaison between Hearing Officers, the Rent Board, and the community; interpreting and disseminating information regarding the Rent Adjustment Ordinance, rules, regulations, and policies; making referrals to appropriate sources; and responding to petition inquiries.
- Transcribing and preparing a variety of complex legal documents including pleadings, decisions, agreements, legal forms, interoffice memoranda, and correspondence; reviewing finished materials for thoroughness, accuracy, format, compliance with policies and procedures, and appropriate English usage.
- Maintaining case files, communicating with parties regarding ongoing cases; providing information to parties regarding the case, the process and procedure, and the timelines. Sending documents to the parties that are prepared for hearings; process case specific mail and faxes. This includes scheduling and maintaining appointment and hearing calendars; scheduling hearings, conference rooms, and meetings.
- Providing information to tenants and landlords regarding rent adjustment issues, including procedures, ordinances, and regulations, hearing and eviction processes, and rights and responsibilities of parties; providing referrals; interpreting facts and advising parties of remedies; providing information to staff regarding property status; checking database and providing updates.
- Making presentations relating to local, state and federal housing rent control laws; preparing written material for public distribution; updating City web pages relating to new or changing laws, program updates and/or announcements.
- Analyzing Planning and other City records to determine application of RAP ordinances. Tracking compliance and communicating with property owners on appropriate action.
- Representing the program at meetings, community outreach events, and in contacts with other agencies.
- Collecting data and performing data analysis for internal staff use and external purposes.
- Connecting the public to available community resources, etc.
Read the complete job description by clicking this **Program Analyst II** *Click on the link below to see a video on what it's like to work for the City of Oakland! Working for the City of Oakland
A few reasons you might love this job: - You will work with a diverse group of staff with shared passions.
- You will develop a proficient understanding of Oakland’s many rental housing laws and ordinances.
- You will have multiple opportunities to engage, inform, and receive feedback from Oakland community members.
- Your work will be highly impactful, serving the needs of Oakland’s most vulnerable residents.
- You will have the opportunity to help create agency systems as RAP implements and builds out new policies.
A few challenges you might face in this job:- You will be adapting to programmatic shifts in response to community, department and/or City Council needs.
- You will encounter opportunities for improved efficiencies.
- You will assist Oakland tenants and housing providers with difficult housing-related issues.
- You will find that working in local government involves a high adherence to multiple policies and procedures, and things don’t always move as quickly or efficiently as you might like.
Competencies Required:- Analyzing & Interpreting Data: Drawing meaning and conclusions from quantitative or qualitative data
- Critical Thinking: Analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims
- Decision Making: Choosing optimal courses of action in a timely manner
- Professional & Technical Expertise: Applying technical subject matter to the job
- Action & Results Focused (Taking Initiative): Initiating tasks and focusing on accomplishment
- Adaptability: Responding positively to change and modifying behavior as the situation requires
- Attention to Detail: Focusing on the details of work content, work steps, and final work products
- Innovative Problem Solving: Identifying and analyzing problems in order to propose new and better ways of doing things
- Oral Communication: Engaging effectively in dialogue
- Presentation Skill: Formally delivering information to groups
- Writing: Communicating effectively in writing
- Customer Focus: Attending to the needs and expectations of customers
- Handling & Resolving Conflict: Managing interpersonally strained situations
- Interpersonal Savvy: Considering and responding appropriately to the needs and feelings of others in different situations
- Project Management: Ensuring that projects are on-time, on-budget, and achieve their objectives.
Minimum Requirements for ApplicationThis recruitment will produce two eligible lists. The restricted list will be for full-time, permanent part-time, or part-time City and Port of Oakland employees who maintain employment for the duration of the recruitment and pass all stages of the recruitment process. The open list will be for all other applicants who pass all stages of the recruitment process.
This is a public contact position. The City highly encourages all bilingual candidates to apply! Some positions may require bilingual skills in Spanish, Cantonese, or Mandarin. Under the authority of Civil Service Rules Section 5.03, if a position requires bilingual language skills, only those candidates who have indicated they are bilingual in the required language(s) will be referred. Bilingual candidates will be required to successfully pass a language proficiency test if selected for hire.
Selective Certification This recruitment is being announced in accordance with Section 5.03 of the Civil Service Rules. The eligible list generated from this announcement will only be used to fill Program Analyst II positions specialized in Housing & Rent Control, including full-time and permanent part-time positions, if applicable, and may be used to fill future vacancies with the same Selective Certification.
Any combination of education and experience that is equivalent to the following minimum qualifications is acceptable.
Education: Bachelor's degree in business or public administration, social work, behavioral sciences or a related field from an accredited college or university.
Experience:Three years of experience leading community engagement for housing programs or policies.
License or Certificate / Other Requirements: Successful incumbents in this position are expected to operate automotive vehicles in the performance of assigned duties. Due to the nature of the assignment and the hours worked, public transportation may not be a cost effective or efficient method for traveling to the various locations required. Individuals who are appointed to this position will be required to maintain a valid California Driver's License throughout the tenure of employment OR demonstrate the ability to travel to various locations in a timely manner as required in the performance of duties.
Supplemental InformationThe Recruitment Process: The City of Oakland works with a Civil Service system. Applicants apply online, and HR staff reviews their experience, education, and training listed on the application against the “minimum qualifications” listed for each position.
Candidates who demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements are then invited to participate in an assessment process (or testing) to measure their knowledge, skills, and abilities in job-related areas.
Candidates who do not demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements will have an opportunity to request a final review. Candidates must request a final review within 5 business days of being notified that they did not meet the minimum qualifications. In the final review, candidates may clarify information already provided on their application. No additional work history, education, or certifications will be accepted. Any decisions made during this review process will be final.
For this recruitment, all qualified applicants will be sent a writing exercise, which will then be evaluated and rated by subject matter experts. The tentative date that the writing exercise will be sent to you for completion is the week of October 28, 2024.
For some recruitments, more than one type of assessment may be used. Depending on the number of candidates who pass the first assessment (writing exercise) you may be asked to complete a secondary assessment before the recruitment is finalized. If a secondary assessment is scheduled, you will be notified by email with specific details. If a secondary assessment is not scheduled, department hiring interviews will occur during this time frame.
Candidates who pass each stage in the process will be placed on an eligible list. Some candidates may receive extra points, for example, if you are a Veteran with an honorable discharge, or if you are a current City of Oakland resident. If you’re applying to a “restricted” posting and you are eligible as a current City employee, you may also receive additional points for your City service. Extra points are only applied to passing scores, so if you do not pass every element of the testing process, you cannot use extra points to pass.
The City of Oakland reserves the right to modify the selection process and date of examination as necessary to conform to administrative or business necessity. The information contained in this announcement is subject to change and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.
What’s in it for you? - Work/Life Balance: 37.5 hour work weeks, and a flexible/hybrid remote schedule
- 15 paid holidays
- Vacation: 2 weeks per year minimum with the ability to accrue more depending on public sector years of service
- Retirement: CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System) with a pension formula of 2.5% @ 55 (for Classic CalPERS members) and 2% @ 62 for new CalPERS members. Classic Employees contribute 8% of pre-tax wages. The City of Oakland does not participate in Social Security
- Health: The City of Oakland pays the full cost of employee and eligible dependent coverage at the Kaiser rate. Other plans include Anthem, Blue Shield, United Health Care, and other HMO and PPO plans
- Dental: Delta Dental full premium for employees and eligible dependents
- Vision: VSP full premium for employees and eligible dependents
- Sick leave: Employees accrue 12 days per year
- Deferred Compensation: 457(b) pre-tax plan and an after-tax ROTH 401(k)plan
- Other benefits include a Flexible Spending Account, Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement, Life Insurance up to $200k & Employee Training.
Applicants are required to submit criminal history information upon request after receiving a conditional offer of employment. If the requested information is not furnished in a timely manner, applicants will not qualify for further consideration and will be removed from the eligible list. Disaster Service Workers All employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
How to Apply Apply prior to the closing time of the job announcement and allow at least two to three hours to submit your application if you are a new user of the system.
APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED ONLINE ONLY. You may apply and view current openings by visiting our employment opportunities webpage at:
http://agency.governmentjobs.com/oaklandca/default.cfm.
If you do not have access to a computer, there are computer stations available at any City of Oakland Public Library. There are also workstations at the Human Resources Management Department, 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 2nd Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. Workstations are available during regular business hours (normally 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).
Our online application system is provided by GovernmentJobs. If you have problems while applying online, please contact GovernmentJobs Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday. You may also call the City of Oakland Human Resources Management Department during regular business hours at (510) 238-3112 for information; however, we are unable to provide technical support for the online application system. For recruitment-specific questions, please contact Cynthia Ng, Senior Human Resource Analyst at cng@oaklandca.gov.
The City of Oakland is committed to the wellbeing of its employees and offers comprehensive health and wellness services along with an array of other benefits for most positions. Benefits may include*:
• CalPERS Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Medical Waiver Plan - Cash-In-Lieu
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Commuter Benefits
• Group & Supplemental Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH)
• Pension Benefits
• Deferred Compensation
* Specific benefits may vary depending on the assignedspecific bargaining unit. Information regarding most benefits can be reviewed here: Employee Benefits Information Current MOUs may be reviewed here: City of Oakland Labor Agreements
Closing Date/Time: 10/13/2024 11:59 PM Pacific
