Deputy County Manager (Unclassified)

Basic Function

Ramsey County is hiring a Deputy County Manager to lead the Health and Wellness Service Team.

This position requires an individual with a unique blend of leadership skills, strategic and analytical thinking, superior communication skills, and an ability to foster positive relationships with leaders of all levels, elected officials and community to:

• Assist the County Manager in managing and administering the operational and service delivery affairs of the county and carrying out the policies of the County Board.
• Provide executive leadership across the organization and oversight in the strategic priorities, planning, development, management, coordination, delivery, and evaluation of multiple complex functions of one of four service teams of the county organization.
• Ensure service teams have effective leadership, understand the strategic direction within and between the county service teams, and achieve countywide board goals.
• Improve county service alignment and performance through innovation and process improvement and through building effective cross departmental and interagency work teams.
• Champion the County’s mission, vision, values, and goals, and uphold the core values of our organization.

• Commit to the vision, mission, values, and goals of the Service Team and the County by fully supporting the department and County goals.
• Apply executive leadership experience and ability to quickly learn operations and goals of a multifaceted service team, identify links between departments and service teams, and identify opportunities, challenges, and risks.
• Collaborate, establish, and strengthen partnerships and build consensus with elected officials, governing boards, appointed leaders, staff, community stakeholders and other public, private, and nonprofit organizational partners.
• Lead with a high level of integrity, ethics, and values.
• Build trust and a trusting environment by leading by example, displaying honest and ethical behavior in all interactions, ensure that actions and words are consistent, and following through on commitments.
• Lead with adaptability, and accountability and encourage creativity and innovation in service delivery.
• Set expectations, delegate responsibilities, trust the leadership and abilities of individuals on their team to achieve results, while being accessible to problem solve and provide counsel.
• Commit to partnership with organized labor and its representatives to achieve the County's vision, mission, and goals.

• Create, communicate, and advance a compelling and inspired vision and sense of purpose that will motivate individuals and positively influence the current and future state of Ramsey County.
• Hire, identify, and develop exceptional organizational leaders and productive workforce while appreciating the benefits of work-life balance for the organization and individuals.
• Foster an inclusive work environment in which individuals collaborate in pursuit of a common mission and shared goals, promote innovation, change, and problem solving, and provide opportunities for staff to grow resulting in high morale and positive teamwork.

• Contribute to the development and leadership of the strategic direction of Ramsey County, connecting the work of all service teams to the County's strategic priorities to achieve the desired results.
• Formulate and implement organization-wide work and build cross departmental teams, identifying and eliminating artificial boundaries impacting departments and providers of County programs to ensure maximum effectiveness for users.
• Understand, analyze, prepare and manage a large complex comprehensive budget, including revenue forecasting.

• Apply knowledge and understanding of population-based disparities and the impact of these disparities on the development of a community, social justice, corrective justice, socio-economic statuses, and the affects to overall safety and justice of populations.
• Work tenaciously to eliminate population-based disparities and fostering a welcoming culture that engages the broad diversity of the community and ensures equity for populations engaged and served.
• Create a diverse, successful workforce in a large organization and respect for the diversity of customers and county employees, including individuals with a disability or whose first language may not be English.

• Facilitate creative problem-solving, recognize positive results, manage conflict, and negotiate satisfactory outcomes.
• Oversee and direct multiple and simultaneous projects that have the highest organizational and community impact, and which may have changing priorities and require adjustments mid-stream.
• Use the County and Service Team's strategic direction to inform the development, preparation, and implementation of the biennial budget and performance measurement process.

• Listen, speak, write, present, facilitate, and interact in an effective and persuasive manner and diffuse difficult situations and manage conflict appropriately with public and private individuals and groups, large and small
• Produce timely, accurate, and easily understood information to ensure effective communication with the intended audience.
• Cultivate effective relationships and communication with federal, state, regional and local governmental officials, and external agencies.

Examples of Work Performed

• Promote a diverse, culturally competent, and respectful workplace.
• Provide executive leadership, oversight and direction to departments in assigned service team and integrate various functional areas. Direct the operations, planning, and implementation of programs; monitor and evaluate program performance and recommend/implement needed improvements.
• Identify and seize opportunities to transform the county and achieve outcomes aligned with the County Board's vision, mission and goals. Lead staff and build a culture that supports innovation and creativity.
• Anticipate future trends, assess the impact of issues and approach them with a systems and county-wide perspective.
• Identify and break through county-wide administrative, programmatic, cultural, political and resource barriers that impede excellence. Assess county needs and develop plans and implementation strategies for the delivery of programs and services to ensure that intended outcomes are consistent with the overall goals of the county.
• Help shape county-wide strategic planning, priorities and budget as a member of the County's executive leadership team.
• Assist in the development of budget documents that align the work of departments within service teams toward accomplishment of County Board goals and federal and state mandates. Lead preparation of budget for service team; oversee operating and capital expenditures.
• Provide leadership and strategic direction and represent Ramsey County before federal, state, regional and local government units.
• Develop and maintain relationships with strategic partners and other organizations.
• Ensure strategic coordination between the service team and the County Manager's Office and County Board. Lead departments in development of requests for board action and County Board policy discussions and workshops, including advising and assisting departments with presentations.
• Lead inter-departmental and inter-agency work teams to improve county service integration and performance.
• Design, plan, direct, and implement county-wide special initiatives or projects.
• Develop, recommend, and implement county-wide administrative policies and procedures and advise departments on county policy interpretation.
• Assist in the coordination of county-wide leadership meetings, including but not limited to, the senior management team, county-wide leadership team, and supervisory and divisional leadership.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Master's degree in public policy, political science, public administration, public affairs, liberal arts or a related field.

Experience: Eight years of progressively responsible experience in public administration or business administration which includes a minimum of four years governmental experience at a managerial level.

Substitution: Equivalent combination of education and related experience.

Exam/Screening Process Information

This is an unclassified, at-will position, holding a confidential relation to the department head or elected official. This position requires an open screening and selection process. There is no exam for this unclassified, at-will, position. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be forwarded to the department for consideration.

Interested candidates should apply online by completing the online application prior to the close date listed and attaching a resume and cover letter detailing their experience.

Definition of Unclassified from the Ramsey County Personnel Act:
Subdivision 1. General. "The appointing authority may discharge employees in the unclassified service with or without cause. Employees in the unclassified service have no right to a grievance appeal from discharge or other disciplinary action under sections 383A.281 to 383A.301. An employee in an unclassified position shall not have tenure but shall be entitled to all benefits associated with tenure such as vacation leave, sick leave, health insurance, and other benefits as determined by the county board."

Criminal Background Checks: All employment offers are conditioned upon the applicant passing a criminal background check. Convictions are not an automatic bar to employment. Each case is considered on its individual merits and the type of work sought. However, making false statements or withholding information will cause you to be barred from appointment, or removed from employment.

E-Verify Participation: Ramsey County participates in the federal E-Verify program. This means that Ramsey County will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. If the Government cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Ramsey County is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact DHS and/or the SSA before taking adverse action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers may not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants and may not limit or influence the choice of documents you present for use on the Form I-9.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Ramsey County provides equal access to employment, programs, and services without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, sex (except when sex is a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification), disability, familial or marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity, public assistance status, place of residence, political affiliation, or national origin. Ramsey County is deeply committed to advancing racial equity and promoting diversity and inclusion within all areas of our workforce.

Ramsey County is deeply committed to advancing racial equity and promoting diversity and inclusion within all areas of its workforce. The county strives being equitable, inclusive, transparent, respectful, and impactful in how we serve and engage with residents, as well as Ramsey County employees. Advancing racial equity ensures all people who need access to opportunities and services we provide, will receive them. Racial equity is achieved when race can no longer be used to predict life outcomes, and outcomes for all are improved.

Ramsey County provides a wide range of employee benefits to support health, well-being, and work/life balance. Benefits eligibility can vary depending on union status/contract language. A summary of benefits is provided below. Detailed information is available for review at https://www.ramseycounty.us/employees/employee-open-enrollment-2025-benefits

• Medical, dental and vision insurance
  • The County contributes a bargained percentage to the medical and dental monthly premium
  • Employees choose from four enrollment tiers: Single, Employee legally married spouse, Employee Child(ren), Family
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Medical insurance – three plan options including a High Deductible Plan with a Health Saving Account offered. Earn up to $20/month in electronic gift cards for each enrolled employee or spouse for wellness activity
  • MetLife Dental Insurance – two plan options offered
  • VSP Vision Insurance – Advantage Plan offered

• Pre-tax Benefit Program
  • Pre-tax medical, dental, vision monthly premium deduction option
  • Dependent and Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts
  • County monthly contribution to a Health Savings Account for employees who elect the High Deductible medical plan

• Paid time off
  • Vacation hours, accrued based on years of service, ranging from 12 to 25 days per year (pro-rated for part-time employees)
  • 11 scheduled holidays and two floating holidays
  • Up to eight weeks of 100% paid parental leave, plus additional use of sick time as noted below
  • Sick hours accrued at a rate of three weeks per year, which can be used for medical and dental care; injury or illness for you, your spouse or children; the birth or adoption of a child (up to 80 hours) or the death of a family member (up to 40 hours)
  • Wellness incentive allows conversion of unused sick time to vacation or pay

• Retirement benefits
  • Pension - The county contributes at least 7.5% of your salary to your pension, depending on bargaining unit. Unlike other retirement investments, pension payments are a lifetime benefit once you start collecting payments
  • New employees become vested after three years. For the Police and Fire union, employees are vested after 10 years
  • Deferred compensation - 457(b) account with employer match
  • Health Care Savings Plan - all benefits-eligible employees contribute 1% of gross regular salary to a Health Care Savings Plan account for eligible health care expenses after retirement. Interest accrues tax free. County provides a scheduled contribution after five years of participation

• Transit and parking
  • Fully funded Metropass.
  • Transportation/parking expenses reimbursement account

• Employee well-being
  • Employee assistance program, including telephone counseling, financial counseling, rideshare benefits, etc.
  • Wellness programming
  • Flexible work policy with hybrid work options for eligible positions

• Life Insurance and Disability leave
  • County provided Basic Life coverage - 1x annual salary, minimum $10,000 up to a maximum of $50,000. Optional supplemental coverage available
  • Long-term Disability – County provided coverage replaces 40% of the employee’s lost income after six months of disability, subject to a $5,000 monthly maximum. Option to purchase an additional 20% income replacement up to $7,500 monthly maximum
  • Short-term Disability – option to purchase 60% income replacement coverage with 30, 60 or 90-day waiting period

• Career development
  • Tuition reimbursement, up to $4,000 per year
  • Online professional development opportunities through the Learning & Development Center
  • County employment qualifies as a public service organization for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
  • Employee resource groups – help employees build connections through common bonds with colleagues