City Manager

The City of Suffolk is excited to announce a rare opportunity for visionary and dedicated leaders to apply for the role of City Manager. This pivotal position offers the chance to make a significant impact on our vibrant community, driving innovation and fostering collaboration among residents, businesses, and government entities. As the City Manager, you will be at the forefront of shaping policies that enhance the quality of life for all citizens while promoting sustainable development and economic growth. You will ensure that leadership across all City departments operate in accordance with City Council’s vision, optimize the use of the City’s resources, and keep City Council informed about the status of various projects and programs, as well as the overall financial condition of the City. If you are passionate about public service, community engagement, and strategic leadership, we want to hear from you!

Picture yourself serving as the executive and administrative leader of a passionate team, engaging with a diverse community, and being at the heart of decisions that shape the future of Suffolk. This role offers you the unique opportunity to be a catalyst for progress and to turn visionary ideas into reality. If you are a dynamic leader with a commitment to public service and a desire to make a difference, we encourage you to apply and embark on this rewarding journey with us.

This position requires a high level of availability and responsiveness. The City Manager must be accessible and on call, including outside of regular business hours, to address urgent matters, provide leadership during emergencies, and ensure the continuity of operations in alignment with the City's needs and expectations.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.

• Participates with Council in framing Council's vision, organizational values, and strategies for achieving the Community for a Lifetime.
• Represents and supports City Council with both individual and member and group discussions. Monitors the pending items list, and keeps City Council informed about projects and issues of importance to Council. Provides staff support for Council/Departmental issues, and provides liaison support as needed.
• Fosters a pro-active environment where all levels of staff anticipate, develop, and provide services valued by citizens and those required by code and charter.
• Oversees development of human resources, including volunteers, through effective management practices (e.g., coaching, delegation, and rewarding member successes).
• Provides direct oversight and supervision of programs and operations of assigned departments and offices and works to resolve interdepartmental issues as necessary.
• Ensures decisions relating to commons resources are made in collaboration and in acknowledgment of their impact on the entire organization.
• Works to assure the resolution of issues impacting multiple departments irrespective of organizational origin.
• Provides effective leadership to achieve desired outcomes in concert with process management guidelines.
• Ensures organizational accountability (e.g., through demonstrated systems thinking, issues and trends identification, and effective resolution).
• Supports Council through completed staff work.
• Advocates City, Federal, State, and regional cooperation where opportunities exist to further the City's and region's goals.
• Coordinates workforce planning, and learning and development to meet current and projected needs.
• Plans and creates learning opportunities in partnership with members by creating an environment conducive to learning at all levels.
• Performs other related duties as required.

A master's degree in Public Administration, Government Operations, Business Management, or a similar program and 8 years of experience as a high-level municipal executive and/or higher-level education and experience equivalent to 14 years in fields utilizing the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed above, including 8 years as a high level municipal executive.

• Knowledge of public administration as applied to municipal government.
• Knowledge of the objectives, functions and operations of municipal service and staff agencies.
• Knowledge of local, state and federal laws, regulations and procedures applicable to a municipal corporation.
• Skilled in coordinating the work of managerial staff.
• Skilled in the preparation and presentation of information in a clear and concise manner.
• Skilled in the diplomatic resolution of controversial matters.
• Ability to plan and coordinate the many functions and activities of municipal government.
• Ability to communicate complex ideas effectively orally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with legislative and administrative officials, other employees, citizen boards, groups and associations and the general public.
• Ability to speak effectively in public; good judgment; persuasiveness; creativity; personal fortitude; political acumen.
• Ability to incorporate roles and responsibilities in job performance, and apply them throughout the organization.