Deputy City Manager

The Deputy City Manager is responsible to support the City Manager in implementing the mission of the organization, including strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation of projects and activities within the City, and ensuring that internal and external operations are efficient and effective. This position serves as Acting City Manager if the City Manager and Chief Operating Officer are unavailable.

A more in-depth community profile is available here:

Examples of Duties

• Builds and maintains positive employee relations, ensuring practices are fair and consistent with the City philosophy; leads and models a positive employee culture.
• Serves as a key strategic advisor to the City Manager, providing analyses and recommendations in areas including organizational development, administrative policy and procedure development, citizen concerns and City Commission relationships.
• Acts as the City Manager’s liaison to the Public Services and Parks and Recreation Departments, responsible for the following:
  • Provides guidance, support, and inspiration to department leadership and their teams;
  • Helps oversee organizational operations and the establishment and monitoring of productivity outputs and quality measures;
  • Assists with the development and implementation of department short- and long-range projects and plans;
  • Delivers key results from the Imagine Kalamazoo Strategic Vision; and
  • Serves as Acting Department Director when vacancies occur at the Director level.
• Oversees the agenda preparation for City Commission meetings, including final approval of all agendas, and monitors the strategic calendar of commission committee of the whole and business meetings.
• Develops community and stakeholder relationships and works with City leadership to align initiatives with community goals.
• Oversees comprehensive City communication matters and projects; works with Communications Team to manage media relations and promote City efforts.
• Oversees the lobbyist contract, coordination, and relationship management.
• Performs administrative approvals for the City Manager's office including purchasing, payroll budgeting and city-wide contracts.
• Leads special projects and assumes additional responsibilities, as assigned.

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Business Administration or a related field, Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in local government management, public policy development, organizational operations, organizational development or related experience.
• Minimum of five (5) years of supervisory experience.
• Experience in visionary leadership, municipal budgeting, and general project management.
• Strong commitment to accountability, transparency, and integrity through high ethical standards.

• Excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills; demonstrated ability to engage effectively and positively with the public and at all organizational levels.
• Ability to develop consensus around difficult topics and balance competing public and political views and desires.

• Demonstrates a sense of urgency, prioritizes well, shows energy, responds to opportunities, instills urgency in others, and meets deadlines.
• Previous experience with preparing comprehensive municipal reports, including budget/data analyses, project evaluations, and/or policy recommendations.
• Strong organizational and multi-tasking and skills.

• Asset management
• Crisis management
• Knowledge of Federal, State, and local rules, regulations, and laws
• Ability to develop budgets with multiple funding sources spread over multiple fiscal years
• Skilled negotiator
• Experience as a department director or deputy director

Acceptable Training and Experience

The City of Kalamazoo is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse, equitable, inclusive employer by creating an environment where different perspectives and experiences are welcomed and encouraged. This approach will give each current and potential employee the opportunity to learn, grow and contribute to the City of Kalamazoo.

The City of Kalamazoo offers competitive benefits including health, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, group life insurance, long and short-term disability, paid time off, a defined benefits pension plan, a 457 deferred compensation plan, and a retirement health care savings plan (HCSP). Benefits vary based on the bargaining unit of a position.

The City of Kalamazoo also operates a convenient health clinic that is open to employees, retirees, and their families and provides routine medical services and prescriptions.

The benefits for this position fall within the City of Kalamazoo Non-Bargaining Unit (NBU) employee group.

For a summary of City of Kalamazoo benefits in NBU positions, please visit our website: www.kalamazoocity.org/benefits

Please note: these benefits are subject to change.