Performance Auditor, Sr.

The Position

The 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.

Oakland’s elected City Auditor provides oversight for the full range of services the City of Oakland provides to residents, businesses, and visitors. The Office evaluates the effectiveness, equity, and efficiency of City programs and makes recommendations to improve operations, transparency, and outcomes through performance audits that follow standards set by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Through public reporting and recommendations, the City Auditor’s Office strengthens accountability, and provides independent, reliable, accurate, and timely information to the City Council, the public, and other stakeholders. The Office retains independence from the City Administration to preserve its analytical objectivity. In addition to being an elected office, the City Charter requires a budget sufficient to hire at least fourteen fulltime equivalent employees.

The Office’s performance audits cover the full spectrum of City activities, including library services, homelessness services, police oversight, fire prevention, public campaign financing, financial management, and permitting for new development. Performance audits vary in size and scope and may include determining whether a City department or program is effectively meeting its goals and objectives, complying with laws and regulations, or operating in the most efficient, effective, and equitable manner.

The City Auditor’s Office also houses the City’s Whistleblower Hotline, investigates allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse, and performs independent financial analyses of ballot measures that qualify for City elections. For more information visit: www.oaklandauditor.com .

We are looking for someone who is:

• An analytical problem-solver. You will need to think critically, synthesize facts and data into meaningful findings and conclusions, identify gaps in analysis and methods to close them, and weigh the relative importance of risks and effects.
• A motivated supporter of good government. In striving to enhance the public benefit, you will need to be motivated to learn about City programs, resident needs, public policy, and evaluation methods.
• An open-minded and objective thinker. You will follow evidence and consider alternate perspectives and approaches.
• Team-oriented and collaborative. You will inspire respect and trust among team members, deliver on tasks and deadlines, and actively listen to team members, while offering and accepting constructive feedback.
• An exceptional communicator. You will need to be able to clearly express complex ideas through writing and visuals, set clear expectations, and inform managers and team members of progress and dependencies.
• Organized. You will develop and propose work plans and milestones, review your own work, and account for time for review by others.
• Professional, honest, and ethical. You will need to be knowledgeable in government auditing standards.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Researching legislative history, laws and regulations, and best practices in local government
• Interviewing City staff to understand program operations, challenges, and intended benefits
• Analyzing data and creating visualizations to understand trends in program revenues, expenses, service levels, service areas, target populations, demographics, etc.
• Identifying research questions and developing methodologies to answer them
• Writing reports and preparing presentation materials
• Participating in meetings with City staff, Councilmembers, etc.
• Mentoring less experienced staff and interns
• Identifying and pursuing opportunities for professional development

Read the complete job description by clicking this link .
*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 have the opportunity to make an important impact in one of the most vibrant, racially diverse cities in the nation, with a rich culture and history of social and political activism.
• You will work in a collaborative, ideas-driven office where you’re encouraged to add to discussion, express your views, and receive time and space to learn and apply new skills.
• You will never get bored! You will have the opportunity to complete a project on a new topic or subject area every six to nine months.
• This is one of the few positions within the City where you have the opportunity to regularly meet with Director-level staff from across the organization.
• Despite what you may have heard about local government auditors, we’re actually a pretty fun team.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• Performance auditing requires attention to detail and the ability to see the larger picture; you will have to be rigorous in reviewing your work (and the work of others) for accuracy and precision.
• You may need to present your work at a public meeting, answer questions from City Councilmembers, or gather feedback from residents, businesses, or organizations that interact with the City.
• To maintain our independence and objectivity in evaluating City programs, the City Auditor’s Office does not implement policy. We rely on staff within the City Administration to see our recommendations through, which can take some time.
• Sometimes, people don’t want to be audited. You’ll have to be understanding of their concerns, be able to identify common values, and move forward productively.
• You will work for an elected official, so your work must represent the elected City Auditor.

Competencies Required:
Analyzing & Interpreting Data: Drawing meaning and conclusions from quantitative or qualitative data
Critical Thinking: Analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims
Fact Finding: Obtaining facts and data pertaining to an issue or question
Professional & Technical Expertise: Applying technical subject matter to the job
Action & Results Focused (Taking Initiative): Initiating tasks and focusing on accomplishment
Attention to Detail: Focusing on the details of work content, work steps, and final work products
Establishing Credibility: Doing what one commits to doing and respecting the confidentiality of information and concerns shared by others
Professional Integrity & Ethics: Displaying honesty, adherence to principles, and personal accountability
Informing: Proactively obtaining and sharing information
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing
Handling & Resolving Conflict: Managing interpersonally strained situations
Involving Others (Engaging Teams): Engaging others for input, contribution, and shared responsibility for outcomes
Business Process Analysis: Defining, assessing, and improving operational processes and workflow

Minimum Requirements for Application

This 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.

Any combination of education and experience that is equivalent to the following minimum qualifications is acceptable.

Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, in public policy, public administration, accounting, economics, or a related field. A Master's Degree is highly desirable.

Experience: Two years of experience in a government performance auditing environment or private sector experience in either financial auditing or an internal auditing environment equivalent to the duties of a Performance Auditor.

Desirable Qualifications:
Master's degree in public policy, public administration, economics, or a related field.
Experience working in or with local government.

Supplemental Information

The Recruitment Process:

The City of Oakland works with a Civil Service system. Applicants apply online, and HR staff review their experience, education, and training listed on the application against the “minimum qualifications” listed for the 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 21, 2024.

For some recruitments, more than one type of assessment may be used. Depending on the number of candidates who pass the first assessment (multiple-choice test, structured interview, writing exercise, performance exam) 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 Melissa Davis at mdavis3@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: 10/20/2024 11:59 PM Pacific

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• City of Oakland

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