We’re seeking a visionary, forward-thinking executive to serve as our Assistant Director, Aging and Adult Services, overseeing the County’s Protective Services Bureau, including the Public Administrator/Guardian/Conservator Division and Adult Protective Services (APS). This is a rare opportunity to modernize a complex, high-impact system and safeguard the dignity, rights, and safety of our community’s most vulnerable adults.
Your Mission
Lead and elevate a countywide protective-services system that is grounded in equity, accountability, compassion, and innovation. As the Assistant Director, and the County Public Guardian, you will guide strategic direction, strengthen operations, and drive performance excellence across a continuum of legally mandated, compliance-heavy services. You will partner closely with the Director of Aging and Adult Services, serve as a trusted operational strategist, and oversee managers and teams who execute estate administration, APS investigations, Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) conservatorships, and emergency protective interventions.
What Makes This Role Unique
A Critical Community Impact: You will directly influence systems that protect thousands of adults experiencing abuse, neglect, exploitation, or diminished capacity, ensuring safety, dignity, and due process.
Legal and Regulatory Complexity: From probate to LPS conservatorships to APS regulations, this role oversees programs governed by multilayered state and federal requirements, requiring both technical expertise and strategic oversight.
Growth and Modernization: With an aging population and increasing program demand, you’ll lead modernization efforts, redesign workflows, and use data to improve outcomes and service equity.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration: You will coordinate across courts, County Counsel, District Attorney’s Office, law enforcement, hospitals, behavioral-health partners, and community-based organizations, strengthening a broad protective-services ecosystem.
Executive Partnership: You’ll serve as a key advisor to the Director on policy, systems design, and long-range planning that shapes the County’s entire aging and adult-services landscape.
Application Process and Key Dates
Filing Deadline: Continuous – Open until filled. First review deadline: Friday, May 8, 2026.
Santa Clara County, sometimes referred to as “Silicon Valley,” is unique because of its combination of geographic attractiveness and social diversity. With its numerous natural amenities and one of the highest standards of living in the country, it has long been considered one of the best areas in the United States to live and work. The County’s population of 1.92 million is the largest in Northern California, one of the State’s most heterogeneous, rich in ethnic and cultural diversity, and enjoying access to all of the attractions of the San Francisco Bay Area.
The elected Board of Supervisors establishes policies to address issues that affect the day-to-day operation of County government and is responsible for an annual operating and capital improvement budget of more than $6.5 billion. It adopts ordinances that affect the unincorporated communities and oversees the budget.
The County operates under a “charter” form of government, which gives the County more responsibility and authority. Under this charter, the Board appoints a County Executive to administer County Government. Santa Clara County is the third largest employer in the Silicon Valley with over 19,000 employees.
