Director, General Services Agency

The Community
Alameda County with a population approaching 1.6 million residents is the geographic center of the San Francisco Bay Area, located on the east side of the Bay across from the San Francisco peninsula, with Contra Costa County to the north and Santa Clara County to the south. Alameda is the second largest county in the Bay Area and the seventh largest county in the State. The County encompasses 14 incorporated cities and six unincorporated areas that span a total of 738 square miles.

Commonly referred to as the “East Bay,” the region has been the fastest growing in the San Francisco Bay area for more than two decades. The East Bay is popular because of its desirable location, incredible diversity, ideal climate, broad economic base, plus its range of available housing and business opportunities. The County itself is one of the most diverse regions in the entire country.

Alameda County offers a rich array of cultural activities, including the Oakland Museum and the Oakland East Bay Symphony. The region is home to three professional sports teams: the Oakland A’s, Oakland Raiders and the Golden State Warriors. The wine country of the inland Tri-Valley area and the Chabot Space and Science Center bring additional opportunities for recreation, relaxation and education. The University of California, Berkeley and California State University, East Bay are just two of the numerous distinguished academic institutions serving Northern California. Urban transportation options are extremely accessible in Alameda County including the Oakland International Airport and the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system.

County Government
Alameda County was established in 1853 and operates under a charter form of government. The City of Oakland is the County Seat and is also the largest city in the County of Alameda. The County is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors that is elected on a non-partisan basis from the districts in which they live, and serve four year staggered terms. The Board is responsible for setting policy, overseeing all County operations, approving the organization’s annual budget, and representing the County in a number of areas including its numerous special districts and regional agencies. The Board of Supervisors appoints the County Administrator, who is charged with overseeing County operations and services, and
developing the overall budget.

The County is supported by over 9,000 employees with an annual budget of nearly $2.7 billion. As a major urban county, Alameda delivers a full spectrum of services, including general government and internal services, health care, social services, public works, criminal justice and other public safety services for its citizens. Alameda County’s mission is to enrich the lives of its residents through visionary policies and accessible, responsive and effective services. Its vision is to be recognized as one of the best counties in which to live, work and do business.

The Position and Ideal Candidate
The General Services Agency (GSA) consists of three major departments incorporating 13 functional areas with an authorized staff of 408 employees and an annual budget of almost $132 million. The Agency supports a wide range of activities including building maintenance of 130 facilities, real estate services, environmental and sustainability initiatives, procurement, technical services, construction management, portfolio management, transportation services and several other countywide support services. The General Services Director is appointed by and reports to the Board of Supervisors and works closely with and under the administrative direction of the County CAO.

While providing a wide range of support services to agencies, departments and staff within Alameda County, a unique aspect of this GSA is its progressive focus on environmental sustainability and the external partnerships this effort has created. The County has been recognized at the State and local levels for delivering projects and programs having a positive impact on the environment. These include construction projects that are LEED certified, creation of a county Climate Action Group, development of alternative transportation programs, expanded recycling efforts and energy reduction initiatives. The highly visible sustainability programs developed and introduced by the GSA are expected to continue and expand under the leadership of the new Director.

Other key priorities for the GSA include the continued successful track record of Capital Projects completed on time and within budget.  In doing so, the expectation is to incorporate industry best practices and innovative approaches, while adhering to the principals of the County’s contract compliance programs. This balance strives for an inclusive, community emphasized effort that provides opportunities for the diverse local workforce. Another area of emphasis is the strengthening of the County’s procurement systems to create more efficient and streamlined processes and quicker service delivery.

The new director must provide an active, engaged and team based leadership style with a strong operational and administrative background and a vision for the future. Positive interpersonal strengths will be essential in developing effective work relationships with the Board of Supervisors, peer department heads, GSA staff and community partners. The ideal candidate will offer exceptional customer service skills, a proactive and solutions oriented approach to business, decisive management skills and must maintain a positive and participative organizational tone for the GSA operation.

The successful candidate will have extensive management experience in the delivery of large scale and diversified public services. The areas of expertise or knowledge may include, facility construction, capital project management, building maintenance, communications, motor vehicles or purchasing. The expectation is for applicants to possess the educational background, budget and finance expertise and overall professional experience consistent with this executive level role.

The Process
If you are interested in pursuing this exceptional career opportunity, please forward a letter of interest, your resume, including your current salary and five work-related references (who will not be contacted until mutual interest is established) to:

Paul Kimura
Avery Associates
3½ N. Santa Cruz Ave., Suite A
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Fax: 408.399.4423

E-mail: jobs@averyassoc.net

The final filing date for this position is August 4, 2014.

If you have any questions regarding this position, please feel free to contact Paul Kimura at 408.399.4424.

click here to view a copy of the recruitment brochure.