What are the responsibilities and job description for the Chief Operations Officer - Savannah, GA position at City of Savannah?
Salary : See Position Description
Location : Savannah, GA
Job Type : Full-Time
Job Number : 2025-15
Employer : City of Savannah
Opening Date : 03 / 05 / 2025
Closing Date : 4 / 5 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Eastern
About Us
The City of Savannah seeks an exceptional and strategic leader to serve as its Chief Operations Officer (COO). The successful candidate for this internal-facing position will complement the City Manager's leadership approach and work with leaders in the City Manager's Office, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the City.
Organization Overview :
Under the City Charter, the City Manager is the City's chief executive officer and is responsible for implementing the policies of the City Council, directing business and administrative procedures, and appointing departmental officers. The City Council comprises the Mayor and eight aldermen who all serve concurrent four-year terms. This full-service municipality employs 2600 employees across 26 departments and has a FY 2025 budget of $601M and AA bond ratings.
The City is guided by a robust strategic plan tied to a fact-based approach and the FY 2025 Budget. Additionally, there is a strong commitment to data and transparency, as evidenced by best-practice good government initiatives. View the Mayor kicking off the 2025 updates to the plan and the importance of using data to yield results. More information about the City can be found here (or by copying and pasting https : / / www.savannahga.gov / into your browser).
About the Community :
As America's first planned city, Savannah boasts historic architecture, luxurious parks, and a government culture that aims to build upon its early success in providing superior planning, infrastructure, and services for its citizens and visitors. In addition to its assets as a city, Savannah offers great weather, nearby beaches, and a tradition of hospitality and cultural offerings. Savannah is home to a vibrant arts and cultural scene that hosts over 200 festivals each year focused on various themes, including music, food, and film. A growing Savannah Music Festival has garnered international acclaim as performers from Savannah and worldwide showcase talent in different musical genres. The city is committed to promoting numerous festivals and special events throughout the year and is particularly known for its St. Patrick's Day celebration.
Savannah's warm weather allows participation in outdoor activities year-round. The city has more than 100 public recreational neighborhood parks, 13 swimming pools, more than 70 athletic fields, more than 75 basketball courts, 50 tennis courts, two public golf courses, and a marina. Savannah offers marinas throughout the 420 miles of navigable waters and 87,000 acres of tidal marshland, as well as the Intracoastal Waterway for boating, fishing, and swimming enthusiasts. Tybee Island is Savannah's public beach, approximately 20 minutes east of downtown.
Savannah has a diverse economy consisting of manufacturing, one of the fastest-growing seaports in the nation, tourism, regional medical services, and the military. Retail and service businesses are also essential factors. Savannah is a splendid spot for sightseeing with its well-preserved history, fascinating architecture, natural beauty, unique squares, and mild climate. The city boasts the nation's largest National Historic Landmark District.
The City of Savannah is a wonderful community for your next career move. It's earned reputation and accolades include the following :
- Voted one of "The World's 30 Friendliest Cities" and the fifth "Best Small City in the United States" according to Cond Nast Traveler's Reader's Choice Awards.
- One of the best employers and top local government in the State of Georgia" - Forbes, 2019.
- Top 10 Most Beautiful Places in America" - USA Weekend Magazine.
- World's Top Ten Trendy Travel Hot Spots" - New York Times
- Top 10 U.S City to Visit" - Conde Nast Traveler.
- Southern Living placed Savannah second on its "Best Southern City" list.
- called the city one of the "Top 25 Places to Live and Work" - Outlook Magazine.
With over 146,000 year-round residents, the population of Savannah also includes the students of four colleges and universities offering bachelor's, master's, and professional or doctoral degree programs : Georgia Southern University- Armstrong Campus, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Savannah State University, and South University. With six distinct historic districts, coastal beaches, and a globally recognized food and art scene, tourism is a significant economic driver, with over 17 million visitors in 2024. Home to the Port of Savannah, nearby Fort Stewart-Hunter Air Base, International Paper, Gulfstream Aerospace, Titlemax, and others, Savannah's economy is diverse and robust.
Duties / Responsibilities
The COO will play a pivotal role in leading and directing cross-functional teams, fostering a collaborative and efficient work environment, and leading the day-to-day management of the administrative functions of government. They will oversee essential departments such as Budget, Financial Services, Audit, HR, Risk Management, Real Estate, and Capital Construction, ensuring their effective operation and alignment with the City's strategic goals. A key responsibility will be collaborating with the Budget Director to develop and execute the City's annual budget, exceeding $600 million. The COO will also ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and policies, managing and mitigating risks to the City's assets, and leading capital construction projects to ensure timely and cost-effective completion. Furthermore, they will foster a positive and productive work environment that promotes professional growth and development, while building and maintaining strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Key Position Priorities :
Qualifications
The Successful Candidate is :
Additional Information
Salary and Benefits :
The salary range for this position is $153,582-$222,694 with a midpoint of $188,138. Savannah offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement options, and relocation expenses, which can be found Residency is encouraged but not required.
To apply, please visit and click on the Chief Operations Officer - City of Savannah, GA title.
The City of Savannah, GA, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Developmental Associates, LLC manages the recruitment and selection process for this position. To learn more about our selection process, visit and scroll down to "Important Information for Applicants."
The recruitment and selection processes are being managed by Developmental Associates, LLC.
Benefits are specific to the employing organization. Please refer to the benefits information that is in the ad as well as in the recruitment brochure. If you need further information, please contact the employer associated with the position
CONFIDENTIALITY DISCLOSURE AND APPLICATION COMPLETION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT : Developmental Associates works on behalf of this client to recruit and collect information on candidates for this position. All applicant materials will be shared with the employer and their employees who are involved in the hiring process for this position. This application process uses a combination of automated and hand scoring of all application materials against screening criteria that have been established by the employer. 1) By submitting this application, I am consenting to have my application materials shared with this employer. 2) I understand that if I have not completely and fully answered all application questions and / or supplemental questions with details, my application may not be able to be accurately evaluated. 3) Omissions of requested information are the sole responsibility of the applicant. 4) Further, I understand that merely referring to my resume (e.g. "see resume" in lieu of providing detailed responses - INCLUDING work history and time at rank or level) is not sufficient for purposes of ensuring accurate application evaluation.
The minimum educational requirement is a master's degree with a strong preference for an MPA or equivalent graduate degree. What is the highest degree you hold?
In what area (major) is your highest degree?
This position requires local or municipal government experience in a comparably-sized municipal government organization. Do you have local or municipal government experience?
If you have local or municipal government experience, what is the name of the organization (s) where you have worked and with what title?
What it the highest management position level you have held in a municipality or local government?
If you said Other above, please specify your position.
This position requires 10 years of progressively responsible experience in municipal government, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role. How many years of progressive experience in a senior role do you have?
What certifications, if any, do you hold? (If none, list "not applicable".
What is the largest number of people for whom you have held managerial responsibility (direct and downline)?
What level General Fund budget have you been ultimately responsible for managing?
What is the largest population in a community where you were a member of senior management?
In which of the following areas are you proficient (NOTE : proficient means that you have personally implemented or have great depth of knowledge in the identified area) : Check all that apply (For PC, point at the desired item and click, hold down the shift key and point and click on other desired items - For Mac, hold down control and function "fn" and then point and click on each desired item).
If you indicated other above, please specify :
Which of the following departments / functions have you supervised? (Choose all that apply)
If you stated "additional" above, please specify :
What is your experience, if any, in a tourism community? If no experience, how would you "get up to speed" regarding this important economic driver for the City?
The hiring range for this posiiton is $153,582-$222,694 with a midpoint of $188,138. Marking yes indicates understanding of this range.
Residency is strongly encouraged but not required. Marking yes indicates understanding of this preference.
The City is using a multi-step screening and evaluation process including a virtual skill evaluation process for selecting the next City Manager. Finalists will participate in virtual interviews and skill assessments on May 20 -21, 2021. This requires about four hours of time, not including preparation. Interviews with the City Council will follow at a subsequent time. . We encourage you to hold these dates should you be invited to participate. Participation as a candidate involves engaging in 3-4 activities to assess key competencies. These are not public meetings but there will be substantial interaction with other professionals in the field who will serve as assessors. Further, we have all participants sign letters of confidentiality. GA Law does not require the announcement of applicants until the top finalists are selected. Indicating "yes" below represents your understanding of these elements of the process.
Required Question
Salary : $188,138
