Deputy City Manager

Reporting directly to the City Manager, the Deputy City Manager serves as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team and functions as a strategic partner in advancing the organization’s highest priorities. The City Manager is seeking a highly trusted executive partner who can independently lead the City’s most significant organizational initiatives while helping shape the long-term strategic direction of Redwood City.

The Deputy City Manager will work closely with the City’s Assistant City Managers, Department Directors, and other stakeholders to lead complex, citywide initiatives that span multiple departments and require exceptional coordination, collaboration, and executive leadership. In many respects, this position will function as the Chief of Staff for the City Manager’s Office, ensuring that the City’s strategic priorities are translated into measurable organizational results.

The Deputy City Manager will manage the City’s annual City Council priority setting process and coordinate implementation of the City Council’s adopted Strategic Plan. The position will oversee the development, tracking, and reporting of strategic initiatives, facilitate cross-departmental accountability, and help ensure the organization remains focused on delivering exceptional service and meaningful outcomes for the community.

This executive will lead several of the City’s enterprise initiatives, including implementation of a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, long-term financial planning for the expansion, replacement, and maintenance of the City’s critical infrastructure, comprehensive facilities planning, and other strategic initiatives assigned by the City Manager. The position will also play a leading role in advancing complex public
safety initiatives and other high-profile organizational priorities requiring executive-level coordination across multiple departments.

The Deputy City Manager will have primary responsibility for the development, administration, and ongoing monitoring of the City Manager’s Office budget. In addition, the position will play a key role in the development of the City’s overall annual budget, working closely with the City Manager, Finance Department, executive leadership team, and departments to help align financial resources with City Council priorities and the City’s broader strategic and operational goals.

As a trusted representative of the City Manager’s Office, the Deputy City Manager will regularly represent the City Manager at regional committees, intergovernmental partnerships, community meetings, and executive-level forums. Success in this role requires the ability to build strong relationships, exercise sound judgment, navigate complex political environments, and move important initiatives from concept to successful implementation.

This position is intentionally designed to provide broad executive-level exposure across virtually every aspect of municipal government. The successful candidate will work directly with the City’s executive leadership team on many of the organization’s most significant policy, operational, and strategic issues, making this an exceptional opportunity for an accomplished local government professional seeking to prepare for future Assistant City Manager and ultimately City Manager roles.