Deputy City Administrator – Public Safety

The City of Portland, Oregon is seeking an experienced executive to lead one of the City’s most visible and complex service areas during a historic transformation of municipal government. Reporting directly to the City Administrator, the Deputy City Administrator for Public Safety will provide strategic oversight of an integrated public safety focus while helping implement Portland’s new executive governance model.

The portfolio includes the Portland Police Bureau, Portland Fire & Rescue, the Bureau of Emergency Communications, the Bureau of Emergency Management, and the Community Safety Division—including Portland Street Response, violence prevention, Ceasefire, and Safe Blocks—representing approximately 2,800 employees and a multi-hundred-million-dollar operating budget.

The Opportunity. The Deputy City Administrator – Public Safety will strengthen collaboration, accountability, and service delivery across the public safety system; advise the Mayor, City Council, and City Administrator; and build strong partnerships with labor organizations, community stakeholders, and regional agencies.

The executive Portland needs. The successful candidate is a politically astute, collaborative leader with experience managing large, complex organizations, leading organizational change, and advising executive leadership and elected officials. Candidates may come from municipal management, integrated public safety, or executive leadership roles in law enforcement, fire service, emergency management, or related fields, but should bring an enterprise-wide perspective and a commitment to exceptional public service.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Emergency Management, or a related field.
• Six (6) years of increasingly responsible experience in managing programs, activities, and personnel in management, finance, and/or administrative functions, including three (3) years of leadership experience in a complex and diverse organization
• Experience overseeing budgets, strategic planning, organizational development, and executive operations.
• Demonstrated success building relationships with elected officials, labor organizations, community stakeholders, and regional partners.
• Proven experience leading organizational change and improving operational performance.

The salary range for this position is $265,000 – $300,000 annually, DOE/DOQ.

For more information on this position contact:

Clay Pearson

Senior Vice President, Executive Recruitment

[email protected] | 817-337-8581