Jennifer Maguire

Appointed in August 2021, Jennifer Maguire serves as the City Manager for the City of San José, the nation’s 12th largest city and the largest city in Northern California, with an ethnically diverse population of nearly one million people. Reporting to the Mayor and City Council, Jennifer is the Chief Administrative Officer for the city, leading a workforce of just over 7,000 full-time equivalent employees and overseeing a $6.1 billion annual budget. She ensures the effective and efficient delivery of services to the community through 14 different city departments as well as eight offices within the City Manager’s Office, advises and makes recommendations to the City Council on a wide variety of issues, and implements City Council policies. She is responsible for fulfilling the City’s mission to provide quality public services, facilities, and opportunities that create, sustain, and enhance a safe, livable, and vibrant community for our diverse residents, businesses, and visitors.

Jennifer brings a wide range of experience to the City Manager position with her over 32 years with the city. She rose through the ranks from her start with the City of San José in 1991 as a Budget Analyst in the City Manager’s Budget Office. Through a succession of promotions, Jennifer became an Assistant to the City Manager in 1998; the city’s first Assistant Budget Director in 2000; and, in 2008, was appointed to Budget Director. As Budget Director, she led the city through one of its most difficult financial times in recent history, addressing budget shortfalls of almost $700 million over a ten-year period which required significant adjustments to city programs and services. In 2013, Jennifer was appointed to the dual role of Deputy City Manager and Budget Director. As Deputy City Manager, she served as a key advisor and performed complex policy analysis and special projects for the City Manager while overseeing the Police, Fire, Airport, Environmental Services, and Transportation departments. Her role was expanded again in 2015 when she was named Senior Deputy City Manager and Budget Director. In addition to the Police and Fire departments, she oversaw the Finance and Human Resources departments as well as the Office of Employee Relations. In 2017, Jennifer was promoted to Assistant City Manager where, as Chief Operating Officer, she served as principal advisor to the City Manager regarding matters related to the operations of the city, ensuring departments and offices worked proactively toward achieving quality service delivery and organizational goals, providing strategic guidance to Senior and Executive Staff, and helping to anticipate and resolve complex policy and other issues.

Jennifer has been a resident of San José for over 25 years and has lived in Santa Clara County most of her life. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Business Administration, both from Santa Clara University. She was recognized in 2021 by the Latino Business Foundation with a Woman in Power Award, and in 2012, she received two distinguished awards, the San José/Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 100 Women of Influence Award and the YMCA Tribute to Women Award.