Unhoused Services Specialist (Limited Term)

Job Description:

Unhoused Services Specialist (Limited Term)

Description

Description

Organized, compassionate, and steady under pressure? Come join our team and help build practical solutions to expand safe parking and services, while reducing neighborhood impacts with respect and accountability.

Exciting Opportunity

The City is seeking a service-minded and solutions-oriented Unhoused Services Specialist to join the City Manager’s Office. On October 20, 2025, City Council approved a phased approach to address oversized vehicle impacts, including two years of funding to support urgent, time-sensitive program implementation and administration. The Unhoused Services Specialist will play an important role in implementing new initiatives that are practical, data-informed, and grounded in respect for community members, including people experiencing homelessness, while also addressing neighborhood impacts.

The position is responsible for developing, coordinating, and implementing a set of connected efforts, possibly including an RV buyback program, RV storage, safe parking expansion, and a permit pilot with enhanced services. The specialist will also support related regulatory and sanitation approaches by coordinating implementation, tracking outcomes, and reporting progress to the community.

Ideal Candidate

We’re looking for a strong communicator who is detail-oriented, proactive, and committed to advancing programs that strengthen community outcomes. The ideal candidate is resilient, discrete, and professional, able to maintain kindness and good humor even in challenging situations. They are organized and solutions-oriented, able to track tasks, deliverables, timelines, and documentation with strong follow-through. They are proactive, comfortable stepping into new work, and able to collaborate across departments and with community partners. They adapt as programs evolve to keep projects on track and translate complex information into clear, accessible updates for diverse audiences.

Key strengths include:

• Experience with programs serving unhoused individuals, or other vulnerable populations, and addressing community impacts
• Managing multiple projects, including contracts, program implementation, and coordination with partners
• Communicating clearly in writing and verbally
• Tracking budgets, monitoring performance measures, and preparing reports
• Administering grants and grant reporting (preferred)

The Department

The City Manager’s Office supports the delivery of City services through cross-department collaboration, strategic problem-solving, and responsive public services. The office plays a key role in advancing City Council priorities by coordinating Council actions, guiding interdepartmental initiatives, and ensuring alignment between policy direction and day-to-day operations.

Through executive leadership, communication, and coordinated decision-making, the City Manager’s Office bridges policy development and on-the-ground implementation, addressing complex, high-visibility issues across departments and with community partners. Learn more about the City Manager’s Office.

(This position is a limited term position, currently budgeted for a two-year term)

Essential Duties

Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Help develop and implement an RV buyback/parking program, including program set-up tasks, coordinating partners, and supporting day-to-day administration.
• Coordinate and support safe parking expansion (which may include helping define processes, supporting site/project coordination, executing and monitoring contracts, and aligning services).
• Support development and implementation of permit pilot, including enhanced services, in coordination with internal departments and external providers.
• Plan and support regular engagement opportunities (with community members, partner agencies, service providers, and internal stakeholders) to help ensure programs are informed, responsive, and well understood.
• Support oversized vehicle regulatory and sanitation approaches, including coordination, reporting, and alignment across departments.
• Coordinate and manage multiple projects and program workstreams at once, including organizing timelines, tracking tasks, supporting deliverables, and maintaining clear documentation.
• Track spending; support basic budget tracking, invoice/documentation coordination, and program status updates.
• Draft reports, summaries, and presentations that clearly explain results (including how measures were derived) for leadership and community audiences.
• Performs related duties of a similar nature or level.

To see the full job description, click Here .

Minimum Qualifications

Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge and skills, which would typically be acquired through:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field and three years of professional experience in public or business administration, public affairs, or a related field; or,
• An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.

Licensing Requirements:

• None.

Supplemental Information

Tentative Recruitment Schedule (may be subject to change):

• Application Deadline: March 8, 2026
• Review of submissions: Week of March 9 th
• Panel Interview: Week of March 23rd
• Final Interview: TBD

The Selection Process:

• Recruitment status notifications will be sent via email or text (please enroll in text alerts when applying).
• Updates can also be found on your governmentjobs.com account.
• Applicants will be screened throughout the posting process and highly qualified candidates may be invited to interview at any time.
• The screening process for this position may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.

Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.

The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

See our Benefits at a Glance Bookletfor more details.
Learn more about our Compensation Plan HERE.

Closing Date/Time: 3/8/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$104,166.40 - $156,249.60 Annually