Berkeley, California is a small city with a big reputation. At just ten square miles of land and seven square miles of water, Berkeley is famous around the globe as a center for academic achievement, scientific exploration, free speech, and the arts, and home to over 50 parks, a top-ranked university, and the largest public marina in the San Francisco Bay.
As an employer, the City of Berkeley offers all the benefits of a career in the public sector while fostering diversity, creativity, and innovation. Join a team of high-caliber, experienced staff with a shared mission of serving the Berkeley community and promoting an accessible, safe, healthy, environmentally-sound and culturally-rich city.
Salary: $145,454.40 - $176,800.00 Annually
Application link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/berkeley/jobs/5271388/risk-manag…
The City of Berkeley invites you to apply for the position of Risk Manager in the City Attorney’s Office!
THE DEPARTMENT
The City Attorney's Office provides the City with the highest caliber legal services and advice, and protects and advances the interests of the City by all legal and ethical means. The department provides legal advice and support to the City Council, City Manager, all City Departments, as well as appointed City Boards and Commissions.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Although the City Attorney’s Office collectively serves as the City’s Risk Manager, this is the first time the role has been established as a stand-alone position. As the inaugural Risk Manager, the incumbent will have the unique opportunity to shape and develop the program. Under the general direction of the City Attorney, the Risk Manager administers the general liability claims program, provides advice and education to City officials and employees on risk avoidance, retention, and transfer, and serves as the City’s liaison to the Bay Cities Joint Powers Insurance Authority.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate is an experienced and forward-thinking risk management professional with a strong foundation in government claims, public liability litigation, and insurance practices within public agencies. They bring experience working with attorneys on liability cases, guiding mediation strategies, and supporting the City’s interests in settlement negotiations. The successful candidate is well-versed in general liability and property insurance, public agency risk pools, and contractual risk transfer, and is able to analyze complex data, assess financial impacts, and make informed recommendations to identify emerging risk issues.
Strengths include being proactive, analytical, and solutions-oriented, with a demonstrated ability to strengthen risk management practices across an entire organization. The ideal candidate will provide clear, practical advice to departments citywide, review contracts with a critical eye toward risk exposure, and recommend strategies to avoid, reduce, or transfer risk. The ideal candidate is comfortable meeting with a wide variety of groups, serving as the City’s representative on a risk pool board, actively participating in governance, and presenting information in a clear, concise, and accessible manner to a wide range of audiences.
They are highly organized, detail-oriented, and skilled at managing multiple priorities, including reviewing invoices, overseeing work, engaging in case assessments, and navigating mediation processes. The ideal candidate brings strong writing skills, sound judgment, and the ability to work independently with minimal direction – looking at things with a fresh mindset and consistently seeking better, data-informed approaches. A collaborative spirit and the ability to work effectively with a diverse team round out this candidate’s strengths.
While advanced expertise in public agency insurance and risk management terminology is ideal, candidates with strong transferable skills and the ability to quickly learn the nuances of municipal risk management are encouraged to apply.
THE RISK MANAGER
This is a supervisory position in which incumbents direct, coordinate and perform the work related to managing the City’s claims through the Bay Cities Joint Powers Insurance Authority and outside counsel conducting legal work on behalf of the city. Incumbents work collaboratively with attorneys within the City Attorney’s Office and with staff from City Departments related to liability claims made against the City. This classification is distinguished from other classifications responsible for occupational health and safety and workers’ compensation by the absence of those program elements.
A typical way of gaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities for this position is:
Education
Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in public or business administration, human resources, industrial engineering, risk management, or a closely related field.
Experience
Four (4) years of progressively responsible professional experience in risk management, loss prevention or municipal/corporate insurance administration, including supervisory experience.
Licenses, Certifications, and Other Requirements
Designation as Associate in Risk Management for Public Entities (ARM-P) is highly desirable. When driving on City business, must possess a valid California driver’s license.