City of San José
Assistant To The City Manager – OEDCA (Public Art Director - Office of Cultural
City of San José, San Jose, California, United States, 95199
Overview
The City of San José, Office of Economic Development & Cultural Affairs (OEDCA) seeks a Public Art Program Director who will serve as Assistant to the City Manager with a working title of Public Art Program Director. The role leads an innovative and award-winning public art program, stewarding over 400 works of art in San José, a diverse and dynamic city known as the Capital of Silicon Valley. The position reports to the Director of Cultural Affairs/Deputy Director of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs and supervises three staff members as part of a collaborative senior management team. OEDCA fosters equitable job growth, investment, entrepreneurship, cultural vibrancy, and talent attraction while strengthening the City’s fiscal health. The organization focuses on five key areas: retaining/growing jobs, fostering small business resilience, accelerating a thriving Downtown, activating San José as a hub for sports, arts, and entertainment, and preparing residents for local economic opportunities. The Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) champions San José’s artistic and cultural vibrancy and serves as the lead agency for public art program development, grantmaking, special events, placemaking, and policy. OCA supports the San José Arts Commission and its subcommittees and aligns with the Economic Strategy Work Plan and Cultural Plan. Responsibilities
Advance San José’s cultural life in alignment with the City’s Economic Strategy Work Plan, Cultural Connection: San José’s Cultural Plan, and Public Art NEXT. Develop the Public Art Five-Year Capital Improvement Project Work Plan with stakeholders; define project scopes to support community goals. Manage public art projects, integrating temporary and capital projects into the public realm; oversee conservation of the public art collection. Manage the Public Art Program budget, primarily funded by capital and interagency revenues; supervise staff and guide program development and project realization from inception to installation and conservation. Serve as primary liaison to the Public Art Committee and support the Arts Commission; negotiate and manage contracts with intergovernmental agencies, artists, and contractors. Coordinate annual work plans, predevelopment, budgeting, scheduling, artist/vendor selection, contract negotiations, outreach, communications, and reporting. Advise on civic design and community art projects; identify grant, fundraising, and partnership opportunities; develop grants and manage administration and reporting. Develop and recommend policies, guidelines, and procedures; prepare reports for City Council, City leadership, Arts Commission, and Public Art Committee; represent the City in the community. Support OEDCA operations and perform related duties as needed. Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Public Administration, Arts, Public Art Studies, Architecture, Urban Planning, or related field; and six (6) years of management/administrative experience in arts, public art, public works, or design-related programs. A Master’s degree is preferred and may substitute for one year of experience. Possession of a valid California Driver's license is required. Other Qualifications
Job Expertise, Management, Supervision, Political Skill, Fiscal Management, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication Skills demonstrated in past employment. Knowledge of creative placemaking, public art, community arts development, nonprofit arts management, contracts, grants administration, budgeting, fundraising, and stakeholder engagement. Ability to manage multiple complex projects with internal and external stakeholders; strong written and oral communication; public speaking; and the ability to establish effective working relationships with artists, communities, agencies, officials, and colleagues. Experience in supervising staff and managing programs and budgets; proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and design software; and data/tracking systems. Selection Process
The process includes evaluation of training and experience based on the application and responses to job-specific questions. Applicants must answer all questions; AI content may result in removal from the hiring process. Additional phases may include one or more interviews. For questions about duties or the process, contact Lori Venzon at lori.venzon@sanjoseca.gov. Anticipated recruitment timeline (subject to change): application deadline Sunday, October 19, 2025; panel interview virtual on Thursday, November 6, 2025; second-round in-person interview Friday, November 14, 2025. Employment Eligibility:
Federal law requires verification of eligibility to work in the United States. The City will not sponsor visas. Applicants must apply to be considered; AI usage in responses may remove you from the process. Additional Information
This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this or other divisions. If you are interested, apply to be considered for additional opportunities. Please allow adequate time to complete the application; an automatic confirmation email will be sent if submission succeeds. If you do not receive confirmation, email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov.
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The City of San José, Office of Economic Development & Cultural Affairs (OEDCA) seeks a Public Art Program Director who will serve as Assistant to the City Manager with a working title of Public Art Program Director. The role leads an innovative and award-winning public art program, stewarding over 400 works of art in San José, a diverse and dynamic city known as the Capital of Silicon Valley. The position reports to the Director of Cultural Affairs/Deputy Director of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs and supervises three staff members as part of a collaborative senior management team. OEDCA fosters equitable job growth, investment, entrepreneurship, cultural vibrancy, and talent attraction while strengthening the City’s fiscal health. The organization focuses on five key areas: retaining/growing jobs, fostering small business resilience, accelerating a thriving Downtown, activating San José as a hub for sports, arts, and entertainment, and preparing residents for local economic opportunities. The Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) champions San José’s artistic and cultural vibrancy and serves as the lead agency for public art program development, grantmaking, special events, placemaking, and policy. OCA supports the San José Arts Commission and its subcommittees and aligns with the Economic Strategy Work Plan and Cultural Plan. Responsibilities
Advance San José’s cultural life in alignment with the City’s Economic Strategy Work Plan, Cultural Connection: San José’s Cultural Plan, and Public Art NEXT. Develop the Public Art Five-Year Capital Improvement Project Work Plan with stakeholders; define project scopes to support community goals. Manage public art projects, integrating temporary and capital projects into the public realm; oversee conservation of the public art collection. Manage the Public Art Program budget, primarily funded by capital and interagency revenues; supervise staff and guide program development and project realization from inception to installation and conservation. Serve as primary liaison to the Public Art Committee and support the Arts Commission; negotiate and manage contracts with intergovernmental agencies, artists, and contractors. Coordinate annual work plans, predevelopment, budgeting, scheduling, artist/vendor selection, contract negotiations, outreach, communications, and reporting. Advise on civic design and community art projects; identify grant, fundraising, and partnership opportunities; develop grants and manage administration and reporting. Develop and recommend policies, guidelines, and procedures; prepare reports for City Council, City leadership, Arts Commission, and Public Art Committee; represent the City in the community. Support OEDCA operations and perform related duties as needed. Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Public Administration, Arts, Public Art Studies, Architecture, Urban Planning, or related field; and six (6) years of management/administrative experience in arts, public art, public works, or design-related programs. A Master’s degree is preferred and may substitute for one year of experience. Possession of a valid California Driver's license is required. Other Qualifications
Job Expertise, Management, Supervision, Political Skill, Fiscal Management, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication Skills demonstrated in past employment. Knowledge of creative placemaking, public art, community arts development, nonprofit arts management, contracts, grants administration, budgeting, fundraising, and stakeholder engagement. Ability to manage multiple complex projects with internal and external stakeholders; strong written and oral communication; public speaking; and the ability to establish effective working relationships with artists, communities, agencies, officials, and colleagues. Experience in supervising staff and managing programs and budgets; proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and design software; and data/tracking systems. Selection Process
The process includes evaluation of training and experience based on the application and responses to job-specific questions. Applicants must answer all questions; AI content may result in removal from the hiring process. Additional phases may include one or more interviews. For questions about duties or the process, contact Lori Venzon at lori.venzon@sanjoseca.gov. Anticipated recruitment timeline (subject to change): application deadline Sunday, October 19, 2025; panel interview virtual on Thursday, November 6, 2025; second-round in-person interview Friday, November 14, 2025. Employment Eligibility:
Federal law requires verification of eligibility to work in the United States. The City will not sponsor visas. Applicants must apply to be considered; AI usage in responses may remove you from the process. Additional Information
This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this or other divisions. If you are interested, apply to be considered for additional opportunities. Please allow adequate time to complete the application; an automatic confirmation email will be sent if submission succeeds. If you do not receive confirmation, email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov.
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