City of Santa Monica, CA
Santa Monica, CA
Recruiter:
Serena Wright-Black
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The City of Santa Monica is seeking a bold, collaborative, and forward-thinking City Clerk to lead one of the most visible and mission-critical functions in local government. Santa Monica is in a transformative period, advancing major technology modernization initiatives, navigating complex election cycles, and serving a highly engaged, high-touch community that expects transparency, accessibility, and excellence.
They will be a collaborative partner and key member of the City’s executive leadership team, partnering closely with the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Council, helping ensure that Santa Monica’s democratic processes are transparent, modern, and responsive.
This is an opportunity to shape the future of civic engagement in one of California’s most dynamic and community-driven cities.
The City Clerk serves as Santa Monica’s chief steward of democratic processes and official records, operating at the center of governance, transparency, and public trust. Reporting directly to the City Council and working closely with the City Manager and City Attorney, this civil service position plays a critical leadership role in ensuring that legislative actions, elections, public records, and civic engagement efforts are administered with integrity, accuracy, and professionalism.
This is a highly visible executive position requiring both technical mastery and political acumen. The Clerk advises elected officials on complex procedural and compliance matters, prepares and manages legislative agendas, oversees municipal elections, including multiple concurrent elections, and ensures adherence to state and local laws governing open meetings, campaign reporting, and public transparency.
Beyond compliance, the Clerk is a strategic leader and organizational partner. The role calls for someone who can confidently navigate governance issues, remain composed under pressure, and build strong working relationships across departments. The Clerk must balance advocacy for their team with accountability and performance, champion modernization efforts, and help foster a cohesive “One Santa Monica” culture.
At its core, this position is about leadership in service of democracy, strengthening systems, supporting Council effectiveness, and ensuring the community has meaningful access to its government.
The next City Clerk will lead the City during a pivotal period. Together, these priorities reflect an opportunity to modernize systems, strengthen governance, and elevate public trust, positioning the Santa Monica City Clerk’s Office as a model of innovation, collaboration, and civic excellence.
Key responsibilities include:
This role calls for a confident, principled, and resilient leader, someone who champions participatory democracy and approaches the work with professionalism, purpose, and focused execution.
The successful candidate will bring deep knowledge of elections administration and records management, along with meaningful experience working directly with a City Council, ideally within a charter city environment in the State of California. They will possess strong technical expertise in agenda management systems, legislative processes, and public records compliance, paired with the political acumen to navigate complex governance issues. They will demonstrate composure under scrutiny, the ability to stand firm when necessary, and the judgment to build bridges that move the organization forward.
This leader will remain steady in high-stakes situations and foster trust across teams. They will elevate board and commission processes, strengthen accountability, and ensure Council members have the structure and support needed to perform effectively. At the same time, they will champion their team by balancing advocacy with clear performance expectations, formalizing evaluations, encouraging professional development, leveraging advances in technology, including the ethical use of AI, and preparing the next generation of civic leaders.
The ideal candidate will be self-assured yet collaborative, adaptable within a changing organization, and skilled at navigating complex personalities and competing priorities while maintaining focus and follow-through. Technically fluent across legislative and records systems, they will be passionate about transparency, innovation, civic participation, and meaningful public engagement. Comfortable speaking at Council, boards and commissions, and community meetings, they will serve as both a trusted advisor and visible ambassador for the City.
Most importantly, the next City Clerk will see the Office not as a silo, but as a central pillar of Santa Monica’s democratic infrastructure, integral to effective governance, collaboration, and sustained public trust.
Minimum requirements include graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree. Candidates must also possess a minimum of seven years of increasingly responsible experience in performing complex administrative duties in a City Clerk’s department, or equivalent experience in a similar government agency, including five years of management or supervisory experience. Experience in California is highly desirable.
Requires possession of the Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) or the Master Municipal Clerk (MMC) certification issued by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks.
The City of Santa Monica operates under a council-manager form of government. The City Council, which consists of seven part-time members elected at-large, appoints the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, and designates its own Mayor. The City Manager leads a strong executive team comprised of fourteen department directors.
Santa Monica provides an extensive array of services, surpassing those offered by other cities of comparable and even larger sizes. These services include police and fire protection, water and wastewater management, street maintenance, public landscaping, a regional transit system that serves 13.2 million riders annually, and parking services. The City also provides parks and recreation facilities, including 245 acres of beaches, five public libraries, planning, building, and safety services, the Santa Monica Pier, and a cemetery. Additionally, Santa Monica offers a high level of support for social services, art and cultural programs, and public education.
As a city with an AAA credit rating, Santa Monica has a long history of relying on conservative fiscal assumptions for future planning. The City's total adopted Biennial Budget is $789.9 million in FY 2025-26 and $825.5 million in FY 2026-27, supporting nearly 1,900 full-time employees. The budget reflects the City's continued efforts to remain financially resilient in the face of serious fiscal constraints with a focus on five key priorities: Achieving Safe Neighborhoods and Clean Streets, Activating Economic Opportunity and Growth, Developing Affordable, Livable, and Secure Housing for All, Creating Organizational Capacity, and Building Organizational Health.
The City of Santa Monica is a progressive, inclusive, and culturally rich community. As leaders in public service, the City strives to be an employer of choice by attracting and retaining a highly talented workforce in which individuals of diverse races, religions, cultures, orientations, gender identities, and lifestyles can thrive. The goal is to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where staff are empowered to perform at their highest level, and where their differences contribute positively.
The City Clerk’s Office, formally known as the Records and Election Services Department, serves as a cornerstone of Santa Monica’s democratic process and commitment to transparency. The mission of the office is to uphold open, inclusive, and well-managed civic operations by administering key democratic and compliance functions across the City. The office conducts City, School District, and Community College District elections, maintains official election records, and ensures compliance with legal requirements governing transparency and public access to information.
In addition to elections, the Clerk’s Office provides essential support to the City Council by preparing legislative agendas, recording Council proceedings, and maintaining the official legislative history. It also manages the City’s records system, responding to public records requests and facilitating access to documents critical to civic engagement and accountability. The department oversees the administrative process for boards and commissions, including notifications, application processing, and appointments, helping ensure broad community involvement in city advisory bodies.
Beyond elections and records, the Clerk’s Office has offered additional public-facing services, such as accepting federal passport applications, and currently provides support for mail and printing for internal city departments, underlining its operational breadth and significance within city government. In every function, from ensuring open government compliance to facilitating civic participation, the City Clerk’s Office plays an indispensable role in strengthening public trust, supporting elected officials, and enhancing transparent, accessible local governance.
The department is staffed with 13 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees and has approved biennial budgets of $2.67 million for FY 2025-26 and $3.58 million for FY 2026-27.
Santa Monica is a vibrant Southern California city, renowned for its coastal beauty, progressive spirit, and thriving environment. It offers a unique blend of urban living and beach culture, making it a highly desirable place to live and work. Located on Santa Monica Bay, just 15 miles from Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica enjoys a mild, year-round climate. Residents benefit from an exceptional quality of life with ocean views, 3.5 miles of beach, and extensive outdoor recreation in parks such as Palisades, Tongva, Clover, and Douglas Parks. The City is highly walkable and bike-friendly, with green bike lanes and the Marvin Braude Bike Trail promoting sustainable mobility.
Originally inhabited by the Gabrielino Tongva and Chumash people, Santa Monica was named in 1769. Founded on July 10, 1875, by Senator John P. Jones and Colonel Robert S. Baker, it was envisioned as a "great commercial center of the southwest." Early development included a 16-mile rail line to Los Angeles and a substantial wharf. Incorporated in November 1886, Santa Monica grew into a premier resort destination by the 1920s, known for the iconic Santa Monica Pier and its "Gold Coast". This history reflects the City's enduring appeal and capacity for transformation.
Santa Monica is integral to the Los Angeles economy, with thriving tech, media, and lifestyle sectors, home to companies such as Snap Inc., Amazon, Activision Blizzard, Edmunds, Beachbody, Lionsgate, RAND Corporation, GoodRx, and Veo. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) is highly regarded, with Santa Monica High School graduates attending top universities. Santa Monica College (SMC) is the leading community college in the state for transfers to the University of California and other four-year institutions. The City offers a rich arts and culture scene, featuring over 170 public murals, galleries at Bergamot Station, and venues such as The Broad Stage. Its diverse culinary scene includes four weekly Farmers Markets, local pubs and diners, and Michelin star restaurants. The City established the first Entertainment Zone in Southern California and is repositioning itself as a regional tourist destination for arts, entertainment, bars, and music festivals.
Santa Monica features excellent public transportation, including the Metro E Line to downtown Los Angeles and a robust bus network. This, combined with walkability and bike-friendliness, offers diverse commuting options. Santa Monica seamlessly blends coastal living with a dynamic economy, educational excellence, and a rich cultural scene. Its progressive urban planning and commitment to sustainability make it an ideal place for public sector professionals seeking a fulfilling career in a vibrant community.
The salary range for the City Clerk is currently under review and is anticipated to be up to $263,760 with an additional 5% PERSable incentive for employees who possess a master’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university. In addition, a 2% salary adjustment will take effect on July 1, 2026. Santa Monica offers a competitive benefits package, which includes, but is not limited to:
Applicants will complete a brief online form and will then be prompted to provide a cover letter and resume. The position will be open until filled, with a first review of applications beginning April 24, 2026.
Please direct questions to Serena Wright-Black at swrightblack@raftelis.com and Kelsey Batt at kbatt@raftelis.com.