He was an engineer and director of the office of Hulan County Automobile Repair Factory between August 1985 and March 1986.
Zhang got involved in politics in March 1986, when he was appointed head of the Office of the United Front Work Department of the CCP Hulan County Committee and deputy director of the Taiwan Work Office.
In May 1990, he was transferred to the United Front Work Department of CCP Heilongjiang Provincial Committee and rose to become deputy head in October 2000.
Five months later, he was elevated to deputy party secretary of the city, concurrently holding the mayor position since March 2008.
[1] He was appointed party secretary of Mudanjiang in March 2015, concurrently serving as chairman of its People's Congress.