MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT

City of Long Beach, CA; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Long Beach invites graduates to apply for the Management Assistant Program, a paid one-year fellowship that offers heavy exposure to city management and significant growth opportunities. Fellows work under the City Manager across multiple departments, including the City Manager's Office and Financial Management, contributing to important city initiatives.

Participants gain invaluable experience in public administration, budgeting, and policy analysis while developing leadership and

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Public Administration, Public Policy, Urban Planning, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Public Health, Social Work, or related field by June 2027.

Responsibilities

• Learn about challenges and opportunities of managing a large organization by working under the City Manager in four departments.
• Take a leadership role on city-wide projects and develop innovative solutions for a diverse community.
• Engage in executive-level meetings and gain management experience to prepare for professional positions in the City.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical skills

Budgeting

Communication

Writing

Interpersonal skills

Presentation skills

Education

Master's Degree in Public Administration

Job description

For over 45 years, the City of Long Beach Management Assistant Program has been attracting the country's top graduate students to work in the dynamic field of local government.

The Long Beach Management Assistant Program offers an intense and fulfilling paid one-year fellowship filled with challenge, excitement, and tremendous opportunities for career and personal growth—not to mention a host of work-life benefits that are hard to match.

Excellent and meaningful opportunities to explore different public service career options await you in the Long Beach Management Assistant Program. Whether you are looking for a stepping-stone to launch your public service profession, grow a long-term public service career, or change career paths, the City of Long Beach Management Assistant Program provides a unique, immersive, and rewarding opportunity to work in local government. The program will help you gain the knowledge and skills to be an effective local government practitioner and make a difference in your community. The opportunity to be a highly valued integral player on the City team makes the City of Long Beach an employer of choice.

The program has an expected start date of June 2027. To learn more about the Management Assistant Program timeline please visit Management Assistant Program.

Duties of this position may include, but are not limited to:

• Learn about the challenges and opportunities of managing a large organization by working under the direction of the City Manager in four different departments during the year as a Management Assistant, including the City Manager's Office and Financial Management.
• Take a leadership role on challenging city-wide projects throughout the course of the program, developing lasting innovative solutions to serve a diverse community. Management Assistants are considered key members of the City Management Team and will have the opportunity to contribute to internal and external City priorities across departments.
• Work alongside highly accomplished career managers and be privy to the highest level of executive decision‑making, including weekly engagement in Department Director meetings. The expectations and the workload for Management Assistants are very high, and program participants join a cohort of accomplished City leaders. Management Assistants gain invaluable experience and management skills, and are well prepared to compete for professional positions within the City.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

The City of Long Beach invites applicants who meet the following minimum requirements to apply:

EDUCATION

Applicants must have completed the requirements for a Master's Degree in Public Administration, Public Policy, Urban Planning, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Public Health, Social Work, or related field by June 2027.

EXPERIENCE

• Six (6) months of paid or voluntary experience in government, public policy, finance, legislation, research or statistical analysis, program implementation, or equivalent experience.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Applicants must submit the following:

1. Resume & Cover Letter: Detailing the scope and level of their current or most recent positions and responsibilities, including any honors, achievements, and school/ extracurricular activities.
2. Proof of Education: Provide documentation of a Master's degree or current enrollment in a Master's program (such as a copy of your diploma or unofficial transcripts). Note that program requirements must be completed by June 2027.
3. Responses to Supplemental Questions:
   • Recommended formatting: Each response should be no longer than 2 pages, single-spaced, with 1" margins, and in 12pt Arial font. Applicants who do not follow the recommended formatting specifications will not be disqualified.

Incomplete applications or those that do not meet the minimum requirements will not be considered.

This recruitment will close at 2:00 PM Pacific Time on Friday, December 11, 2026.

Applications will be reviewed for depth and breadth of experience, and for level and relatedness of education. The most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in a preliminary interview and the top candidates will be invited to the City of Long Beach for further assessment. The City of Long Beach uses an Assessment Center as the last step in the process to select each year's Management Assistants. Skills that may be assessed include analytical, budgeting, communication and writing, interpersonal skills and presentation skills. The selection committee will make final job offers at the conclusion of the assessment. If a final job offer is accepted, Management Assistants are responsible for their own relocation and housing expenses.

The City of Long Beach is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as an individual with a disability, or other characteristics protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We value diversity in our workforce and are committed to creating a workplace where every employee is respected and included. We strive to reflect the diversity of our community at all levels of the organization, promote fair and equitable employment practices, advance equity, and inclusion through our work with staff and community partners, and promote transparency by publishing workforce demographic information, including diversity and pay data by race and gender.

The City of Long Beach will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You are not required to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until you receive a conditional job offer. If the City of Long Beach has concerns about a conviction that is directly related to the job after making a conditional job offer and conducting a background check, you will have the opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide evidence to mitigate concerns, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting Fair Chance Act | CRD (ca.gov).

The City of Long Beach is committed to maintaining fairness and transparency in our hiring practices. We believe in providing equal opportunities to all applicants and ensuring that every applicant is evaluated based on their qualifications and merit. If you believe that you have been unjustly disqualified based on minimum qualifications for an unclassified job opportunity, you have the right to appeal the decision. Find out more about the Applicant Appeal Process by visiting Applicant Appeal Process (longbeach.gov).

The City of Long Beach intends to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If special accommodation is desired, or if you would like to request this information in an alternative format, please call 562-570-7008.

Additional information about the program, including a FAQs, please visit: https://longbeach.gov/jobs/map/.

If you have any questions about this recruitment, please email Anthony Lim at [e-mail].