Board Clerk of Multnomah County

Current employees: Please apply through the employee portal to be considered for this opportunity.

Pay Range:

$0.00 - $0.00 Annual

Department:

Non-Departmental

Job Type:

Elected Official Staff

Exemption Status:

United States of America (Exempt)

Closing Date (Open Until Filled if No Date Specified):

May 05, 2026

The Opportunity:

Salary: $95,000-$120,000

Help us make local government more open, accessible, and accountable. As Board Clerk of Multnomah County you will lead the administration of the legislative operations for the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners. 

In coordination with the Multnomah County Chair, the Clerk to the Board of Multnomah County is responsible for managing all Board meetings, agendas, and official records for the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners. The Clerk is responsible for providing accessible public meetings and opportunities for testimony. This role ensures that the Board’s legislative actions are documented accurately and made accessible to the public in compliance with Oregon Public Meetings Law. The Clerk reports to the County Chair's Chief of Staff.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Meeting Management: Schedule, coordinate, and attend all regular, special, and executive Board of County Commissioner meetings.

• Agenda Preparation: Oversee the placement of agenda items in accordance with Board rules and procedures, including timely preparation and distribution of Board agendas and packet materials. Coordinate with Commission offices, other elected officials, county departments and leadership. 

• Official Records: Create and maintain accurate minutes, audio recordings, and transcripts of all Board proceedings.

• Legislative Processing: Process and index adopted resolutions, ordinances, and proclamations for county operations as well as the public interest.

• Public Notice & Accessibility: Post public notices and manage "interested person" lists for meeting notifications. Ensure meetings are accessible through tools like live closed captioning, translation, and interpretation.

• Liaison Services: Act as a primary point of contact for the Board's offices to facilitate smooth board meetings and coordinate public testimony during hearings.

• Lead Direction & Supervision: Plans, assigns, and reviews the work of the Deputy Clerk. This includes providing training on board procedures and evaluating performance, planning staff work schedules, deadlines, workflow, and methods; recommending unit goals and standards; providing staff with leadership, direction, and support; establishing staff performance requirements; mentoring for staff performance improvement. 

• Legislative Analysis: Coordinates with the County Attorney's Office to review complex federal, state, and local laws (such as Oregon Public Meetings Law) to ensure board actions, such as emergency ordinances, remain in strict legal compliance.

• Policy Development: Recommends and implements administrative policies, guidelines, and procedures that impact  the board’s operations, including revamping board rules and improving public access technologies.

• Strategic Project Management: Leads cross Departmental projects, such as transitioning employees and Commissioners to agenda setting practices, updating records management systems, or overseeing the county's website redevelopment for the Board Clerk's office.

• Records Management Leadership: Acts as a technically authoritative knowledge leader for the county’s records retention and archiving functions, ensuring indexing standards are met across all legislative documents. 

• Office Operations: Reviews and vets vendor and professional contracts. Creates and manages the office budget. Ensures all devices and equipment are functioning and clean. 

About us: 

Who we are, what we do, where we work, and why it matters.

At Multnomah County, meeting the many needs of our residents is our top priority. We provide a wide array of essential services in the areas of health, community justice, roads, elections, libraries, jails, bridges, tax and assessment, records, animal services, mental health and addiction services, and more.

The County and its departments are governed by the County’s nonpartisan, publicly elected Board of Commissioners. The Board is made up of four commissioners representing their respective districts and the Chair, who serves as the County’s chief executive officer. Our diverse, dynamic workforce consists of more than 6,000 employees whose work collectively touches every person who lives, works or does business in Multnomah County. We value a culture of inclusivity, sustainability and innovation, and we continuously strive to improve the quality of life for County employees and residents alike. When you work for Multnomah County, you will make a positive impact on the community, no matter what position you hold.

What You’ll Bring to the Table

1. Professional Experience & Education

• Experience: 5 years of growth in a public agency, specifically in administrative leadership or senior-level clerking.

• Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Policy, Business, or a related field (or an equivalent mix of education and experience).

2. Technical & Legal Expertise

• The "Rulebook": Mastery of Robert’s Rules of Order, Oregon Public Meetings Law, and records retention schedules.

• Digital Tools: Proficiency in Google Workspace and meeting tech (Granicus/One Meeting, WebEx, Zoom, Teams).

3. Strategic Communication & Diplomacy

• Ability to provide politically neutral expertise and handle sensitive information with absolute discretion.

• Relationship Building: Skilled at navigating a complex political environment with tact, diplomacy, and patience.

• Responsive

• Public Voice: Experience presenting recommendations in public settings and resolving sensitive citizen inquiries.

4. Inclusive Leadership & Analysis

• Equity in Action: Proven ability to facilitate participation for underrepresented communities and communicate effectively across cultures.

• Problem Solving: A knack for policy analysis—taking complex, controversial topics and turning them into sound, independent recommendations.

• Change Management: Knowledge of how to lead an office through operational shifts and evolving political landscapes.

To Qualify

We will consider any combination of relevant work experience, volunteering, education, and transferable skills as qualifying unless an item or section is labeled required. Please be clear and specific about how your background is relevant. 

Minimum Qualifications/Transferable Skills:

• Education/Training: Bachelor degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in business administration, public administration, public policy, political science, or a related field.

AND 

• Experience: Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience developing, implementing, and managing programs, projects and/or personnel functions within an organizational unit, including a minimum of three (3) years in a supervisory role. 

Preferred Qualifications/Transferable Skills: You do not need to have the following preferred qualifications/transferable skills to qualify. However, keep in mind we may consider some or all of the following when identifying the most qualified candidates. Please clearly explain on your application how you meet any of the following preferred qualifications/transferable skills.

• Experience working with public entities or governments, preference for experience with elected officials and public meetings

• Advanced degree or professional certification in a related field may be preferred.

Screening and Evaluation 

The Application Packet:

•  A completed online application including a resume and cover letter. If your application does not include these two documents your application will be considered incomplete and not considered further.

• A resume covering relevant experience and education. Please be sure your resume includes the following for each employer: name of employer, location, dates of employment, your title, and a summary of your responsibilities.

• A cover letter that expands on your resume, addresses why you are interested in this position and demonstrates how your experience and skill set aligns with the minimum and preferred qualifications and the primary responsibilities of this role.  
   

The Selection Process: For details about how we typically screen applications, review our overview of the selection process page. We expect to evaluate candidates for this recruitment as follows:

• Initial review of minimum qualifications

• An evaluation of application materials to identify the most qualified candidates. Subject matter experts will evaluate your resume and cover letter based on a rubric that has been built from the qualifications listed in this job announcement and the primary responsibilities of this position.

• Consideration of top candidates through interview/s and/or assignments.

• Reference check of three references with one being a current of former employer.

Additional Details 

Hybrid Telework: This position is designated as “hybrid telework,” meaning you will be working both remotely (from home) and in person at an onsite location (at least 3 days per week). The designation of Hybrid Telework may be subject to change at a future time. All employees must reside in Oregon or Washington; the county cannot support ongoing telework from other locations. The onsite work location for this position is the Multnomah Building located at 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland, Oregon 97214. 

Serving the Public, Even During Disasters

Everyday, Multnomah County staff work together to serve as a safety net for our communities. During a disaster, this safety net becomes even more critical. All County employees have a role in serving the public during inclement weather, natural disaster, or other types of community emergency response. During these emergency responses, while typically there begins with a call for volunteers, county employees may ultimately be reassigned from their current position to a role in the emergency response in order to support the critical needs presented by our communities. For more information, please visit the Disaster Service Worker Information page.  

In accordance with Oregon Law, Multnomah County is not collecting school attendance dates in the initial application process; please do not include these dates in your resume, cover letter and other application materials.

Diversity and Inclusion: At Multnomah County, we don't just accept difference; we value it and support it to create a culture of dignity and respect for our employees.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran or protected veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics. The EEO Know Your Rights poster is available for your reference. Multnomah County is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We request priority protected veteran referrals.

Veterans’ Preference: Under Oregon Law, qualifying veterans may apply for veterans’ preference. Review our veterans’ preference page for details about eligibility and how to apply.

Accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act: We gladly provide reasonable accommodation to anyone whose specific disability prevents them from completing an application or participating in this recruitment process. Please contact the recruiter below in advance to request assistance. Individuals with hearing or speech impairments may contact the recruiter through the Telecommunications Relay Service by dialing 711.

Questions?

Recruiter:

Dale Cornelius

Email:

dale.cornelius@multco.us

Phone:

+1 (503) 9395990

Application information may be used throughout the entire selection process. This process is subject to change without notice.

Disclaimer: This announcement is intended as a general descriptive recruitment guide and is subject to change. It does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

Job Profile:

9400 - Staff Assistant