City Manager - Kings Mountain, NC

The growing community of Kings Mountain, NC, seeks a collaborative, diplomatic, and visionary leader to serve as its next City Manager. This executive will bring experience and expertise in implementing long-term plans for the City that support growth, infrastructure, and alignment with the community's needs. 

The next City Manager will immerse themself in the community - passionately building connections and establishing respectful and trusting relationships with community members, staff, councilmembers, and other stakeholders. Joining Kings Mountain at a time of significant growth, the City Manager will strategically lead and navigate the City through the completion of $100M in capital projects ($82M water/sewer, $12M Electric, $11M Natural Gas. and $4.5M in Other General Government projects, including Streetscape, Parks, City Hall, and Moss Lake).  The City of Kings Mountain is at an inflection point of growth and development.  The current pipeline of residential, commercial, and industrial projects is indicative of the continued growth anticipated, with more than 15 projects that will lead to 1000 new residential lots, 800 townhomes, and 400 market-rate apartments.  There are more than 16 commercial and industrial projects resulting in over 5 million square feet of new development.

The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent decision-making skills and excel in uniting leaders, staff, and the community around a collective vision. In their next Manager, the City seeks someone with high ethical standards, one with significant skill and experience in economic development, and a willingness to learn about and effectively engage with the industrial partners in the community. 

About the Community:

Situated in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, Kings Mountain is located within the Charlotte metropolitan area, with most of the City in Cleveland County and a small portion in Gaston County. The City is ideally located between Greenville, SC, and Charlotte, NC.  Easy highway access allows you to imagine snow and skiing in one direction and the Carolina coast in the other direction, with an array of metropolitan centers located nearby.

With a current population of approximately 12,000 the City has seen steady, sustainable growth as more people are realizing that the City of Kings Mountain is a wonderful place to live, work, and play. Multiple residential projects are in the pipeline as Kings Mountain is growing to be a part of the greater Charlotte area.   

With a strong focus on economic development, Kings Mountain offers a winning combination of assets that make it a premier community in which to do business. Notable businesses within the City of Kings Mountain include the Two Kings Casino, Albemarle Lithium Corporation, Firestone, STI, Utz, and Carolina Power Partners. Whether it's our convenient location, low tax-rate, top-notch utility services, or exceptional schools, prospective employers will agree that Kings Mountain is the place to be. Kings Mountain offers a high quality of life in a small-town setting – we've got it all!

Our dedicated educational system includes schools in the Kings Mountain attendance zone, which showcase exceptional educational experiences for our city’s families.  With a rich tradition of academic excellence in Kings Mountain, our schools combine first-class arts programs, athletic opportunities, and career development experiences making education a priority in our city.  Students benefit from Advanced Placement (AP), dual enrollment with Cleveland County College, and a variety of hands-on career learning classes. 

Secondary education systems include two local community colleges – Cleveland Community and Gaston College– as well as Gardner Webb University and Belmont Abbey nearby. UNC Charlotte and Davidson College are less than an hour away. 

 Recreation opportunities abound, as the City of Kings Mountain is the closest municipality to: Crowder's State Park, Kings Mountain Gateway Trail, Carolina Thread Trail, Kings Mountain State Park with RV camping, and Kings Mountain Federal Military Park. These attractions collectively draw over 1,000,000 tourists annually. Additionally, the City of Kings Mountain owns and maintains three lakes. Moss Lake is the largest, with a 15 billion-gallon impoundment located 7 miles west of Kings Mountain and serving as the City of Kings Mountain Water supply.

About the Organization:  

The City of Kings Mountain was incorporated in 1874.  The City Manager, who reports to the Mayor and a seven-person, non-partisan City Council, leads 230 full-time and 36 part-time employees across 21 departments.  The 2024-2025 adopted budget of $60.9M is supported by a tax rate of $.48 per $100 of assessed tax value and utility enterprise funds. The City of Kings Mountain is one of only two NC cities offering six city-owned and operated utilities to businesses and residents, including gas, electric, sewer, water, stormwater, and a dark fiber telecommunications network. The City also benefits from a self-funded health insurance plan, which creates critical cost-benefit opportunities. 

About the Position: 

The City Manager is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and implementing the Council's goals and objectives. The Kings Mountain City Manager will have the opportunity to lead the second-largest municipality in Cleveland County and improve collaboration and communication with the Council and across departments. The City Manager is also a liaison with the City's 10 boards and commissions. 

With a 24% poverty rate and a median household income of $45,507 in Kings Mountain, the City Manager will have significant experience embracing growth opportunities for municipalities while also preserving the community's small-town culture and aesthetic. They will also prioritize program and facility development to improve quality of life. Numerous economic development opportunities and strong policies support incentives for targeted growth in Kings Mountain. The next city manager must leverage the opportunities while maintaining and enhancing the quality of life desired by community members and driving orderly, well-planned growth, economic diversity, and recreational and leisure opportunities. As a result of the City Manager's intentional and sincere efforts, the community's reputation and image will be recognized as superior. The next City Manager must be an approachable leader with a track record of working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.

Key priorities for the next City Manager are:

• Facilitate the creation of a strategic plan, including mission, vision, and values for the city to articulate priorities and inform the budget process and organization’s operations.
• Enhance the relationship and partnership with the City Council and between the City Council and staff, maintaining trust and ensuring transparent communication. 
• Lead staff to capitalize on strengths and enhance employee engagement and retention by fostering a culture of candid dialog, inclusiveness, equity, consistency, and accountability for delivering excellent customer service both internally and externally.
• Engage, educate, and support the community to trust local government through accurate, timely, and transparent communication.
• Manage growth and revenue likely to result from the reopening of the Albemarle Lithium Mine and the completion of the Two Kings Casino.

Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree in public or business administration, civil engineering, planning, or a closely related field is required; a master’s degree in public or business administration and/or ICMA credentialed manager certification is preferred. Candidate must have 7-10 years of successful and progressive levels of supervisory and management experience, and preferably experience in local government with a similar-sized city. 

The Successful Candidate: 

• is strategic and innovative regarding areas for growth, new development, and redevelopment;
• enjoys proactively engaging with the community, telling its story, advocating for opportunities, and marketing community strengths;
• effectively leads a diverse group of employees with varying backgrounds, tenures, and skillsets;
• effectively models, communicates expectations, and holds employees accountable for delivery of excellent customer service to both internal and external customers; 
• constructively advises and provides guidance to the City Council in executing the vision and priorities of the City of Kings Mountain;
• has a proven track record in developing and supporting staff to achieve excellence and has developed organizational succession plans in preparation for turnover through retirements;
• is experienced in evaluating and implementing opportunities to work with the City Council in order to strategically diversify the City tax base while creatively assessing ways to increase revenue and manage expenses; 
• diplomatically engages with a diversity of stakeholders, such as the school system, individual community members, community groups, commissioners, employees, regional, state, and federal authorities in order to leverage City opportunities and mitigate challenges;
• communicates excellently both verbally and in writing, and possesses outstanding interpersonal skills both one on one and in groups; and,
• values accountability and holds high expectations of self and staff while also being an effective and respected leader.

Salary and Benefits: The hiring range for the City Manager is $170,000-- $225,000. Starting salary will be based on experience and qualifications. The City of Kings Mountain offers an excellent benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance available to employees and their families at a competitive premium.  Life insurance is provided to employees. Additionally, the City contributes to the NC State retirement system and makes a 5% 401K contribution. Residency within corporate City limits is required within a negotiated timeframe.

To apply, please visit: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/developmentalassociates/ 

Please note the following: 

• All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal (link above) – NOT the City’s employment application portal or any other external website. 
• Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application. 
• Applicants should apply by March 6, 2025.  
• The hiring team will invite successful semi-finalists to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluations on April 10-11, 2025. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate. 
• Direct inquiries to hiring@developmentalassociates.com. 

The City of Kings Mountain, NC, 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 https://developmentalassociates.com/client-openings/ and scroll down to "Important Information for Applicants."

Salary : $170,000 - $225,000