Commissioner-elect seeks Staff Representatives

It has been a busy, interesting, and generally pleasant three weeks since November 4. Challenging, too, although that term will forevermore be qualified in my mind with the follow-up thought, “at least you’re not running in heels from street corner to street corner breathing exhaust fumes while waving at motorists”. That was challenging on the days with freezing rain or 96 degree sun. Now, I’m working hard to finish up my campaign, restore order in my email inbox and housekeeping at home, and prepare for beginning life as a Portland City Commissioner on January 2.

“Challenging” in today’s context is how to define the skills and experience needed for Staff Representative jobs in my office, when I have very limited information on what bureaus Mayor-elect Adams may assign me, or even when he will announce his decision. The days are moving by, and I want to cast a wide net in posting job openings, to solicit applications from a very broad range of highly-qualified candidates.

Staff Representatives work in assigned policy areas; serve as liaison to assigned bureaus; plan, organize, manage, facilitate and coordinate policy-related projects or programs; and research and respond to day to day constituent inquiries. Each Staff Representative may be in charge of projects or programs that require coordinating with a number of City bureaus, other agencies, and/or community members. It can be a highly specialized job, done best with some previous experience in the services provided by assigned bureaus.

I thought about all thirty-some bureaus, agencies, and commissions I will need to keep informed about in January, either as Commissioner-in-charge or in a liaison capacity, and decided they can be grouped into three major areas conceptually. Today, City staff and my volunteers helped me send out announcements soliciting applications for Staff Representatives serving as my Community Specialist, Development Specialist, and Environmental Specialist. The Job Posting with detailed descriptions of desired experience and potential assignments in those three issue areas is here.

AmandsFritz.com blog readers are cordially invited to apply, and or to direct qualified, interested colleagues to the posting. Please ask questions using the email address/phone number indicated in the notice, rather than posting them here.

It is already clear to me that there will be many, many more wonderful applicants than there are jobs available.