City Manager

The City of Roanoke is seeking an experienced professional to serve as City Manager, the chief administrative officer, responsible for implementing the Council’s vision and directing programs and operations of the City government.

The experience expected from applicants, as well as additional skills and qualifications needed for this job are listed below.

An eight-time All-America City designee, the City of Roanoke is a mid-size independent city with a population of approximately 100,000 located within a region with a population of approximately 350,000.

The largest city west of the State Capitol of Richmond, Roanoke serves as the region’s educational, medical, shopping, and cultural hub.

The scenic beauty of the Roanoke Valley, nestled between the Blue Ridge mountains and the Virginia Alleghany Highlands, makes the City a pleasant as well as economically diverse place to live, work, and recreate.

Roanoke’s many distinct neighborhoods, each with its own unique character, foster a strong sense of community and exhibit the friendliness and charm of a small town.

The City of Roanoke provides a full range of services including general government administration, public safety, public works, recreational activities, judicial functions, health and welfare activities, environmental services, and community development activities.

It also operates a civic center, a stormwater utility, and public parking facilities. Additional municipal services are provided through multi-jurisdictional efforts such as the Western Virginia Water Authority (water and wastewater), the Regional Center for Animal Control and Protection, and the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority, a regional solid waste facility.

In addition, the City participates in commissions such as the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center Commission, the Roanoke Valley Juvenile Detention Commission, and the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport Commission.

The City Manager serves at the pleasure of the Council, carries out its policies, and directs business procedures. He or she is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the City government and manages and supervises all departments, agencies, and offices of the City except for the City Attorney, City Clerk, and Municipal Auditor who report directly to City Council.

City Council is also in the process of bringing the City Real Estate Assessor under its direct supervision.

The City Manager is responsible for developing and, upon adoption by the Council, implementing annual operating and capital budgets.

He or she recommends policies and priorities for the Council’s consideration and leads the City workforce in delivering services and responding to citizen issues or concerns.

The City Manager serves as the Emergency Management Director and as a liaison between the City Council, the Constitutional Officers, the Judiciary, regional, state, and local agencies and authorities, and community organizations.

City Council has adopted two documents that establish its goals and priorities for the community. City Plan 2040, the City’s Comprehensive Plan, will guide investment and decision making in Roanoke over the next 20 years.

The Plan is directed by six themes to ensure an all-inclusive planning approach that addresses environmental, social, and economic well-being : Interwoven Equity, Healthy Community, Harmony with Nature, Livable Built Environment, Responsible Regionalism, and Resilient Economy.

The 2024-2025 Strategic Plan, Star City Strong, was adopted in February 2024 and established a community vision of two components :

The City of Roanoke is a safe, caring, and economically vibrant community in which all have equitable opportunities to live, learn, work, plan, and prosper.

A vibrant urban center with strong neighborhoods set amongst the spectacular beauty of Virginia’s Blue Ridge.

That vision is pursued by focusing on seven areas of strategic importance : Education, Community Safety, Human Services, Infrastructure, Good Government, Livability, and Economy.

Additionally, Council identified the following principles that will ground actions to address the strategic priorities Equity, Community Engagement and Inclusion, Well-Being, Creativity, and Climate-Ready.

Finally, those actions will also be guided by the City’s core values of Integrity and Honesty, Diversity and Inclusion, Respect for Others, Listening and Communication, Continuous Improvement and Accountability.

Within the context of the comprehensive plan and the strategic plan City Council has identified the following priorities for the next three to five years : economic growth and economic mobility, reducing homelessness and violence, infrastructure, affordable housing, and regionalism.

The new City Manager can expect to address the following issues, challenges, and opportunities within the next one to two years :

The November election will result in a new City Council in January 2025, with the potential for four new members, including a new Mayor.

An effective onboarding, orientation, and team-building process will be important to building a productive consensus.

• Employee recruitment and retention, including addressing compensation issues, are ongoing challenges.
• Empowering employees to bring their best in service to the citizens and building a strong bench for succession are opportunities for the new manager to help shape the culture of the organization.
• Multiple projects such as the Riverdale redevelopment project, redevelopment of the East End locomotive shops, and Wood Haven Technology Park development will require collaboration with both the private sector and regional local government partners.
• Exploring greater regional collaboration in areas such as transit and economic development will provide a leadership opportunity for the City Manager.
• The planning for, funding, initiation, and completion of numerous projects identified in the strategic plan will be an area of focus.

The following education and experience factors are the expected qualifications for successful performance :

• A bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business Management, Political Science, or a related field; a master’s degree is preferred.
• At least five (5) years of progressively responsible senior level executive management experience as a chief executive / manager, deputy executive / manager, or department head in a high performing, comparably sized or larger, locality, business, or non-profit organization with a wide range of duties in operations and management;

possessing a broad skill set appropriate to the breadth of City government operations.

Comprehensive knowledge of the principles and practice of public administration, local government finance, economic development, and the broad array of municipal operations and service delivery.

An understanding of the statutory authority and requirements of City government and dedication to the principles of the Council / Manager form of governance.

Local government experience in Virginia would be a plus.

• Demonstrated experience in recognizing the different perspectives and needs of diverse community stakeholders, promoting inclusion, and fostering collaborative relationships.
• Experience as a leader in regional cooperation for service delivery, economic development, and other mutually beneficial collaborations.
• A demonstrated commitment to ongoing professional development through participation in organizations such as the International City / County Management Association (ICMA) and the Virginia Local Government Management Association (VLGMA).

Designation as an ICMA Credentialed Manager is a plus.

• Residency in the City of Roanoke is required within six months of employment.
• Any combination of education and experience that qualifies an applicant may be considered in lieu of the more specific criteria listed above.

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