Salary: See Position Description Location : Lincolnton, NC Job Type: Full-Time Job Number: 2024-50 Employer: City of Lincolnton Opening Date: 09/19/2024 Closing Date: 10/18/2024 11:59 PM Eastern About Us The close-knit, cohesive community of the City of Lincolnton, just outside of the Charlotte metropolitan area in NC, seeks an empathetic and empowering municipal professional with a generalist approach to serve as its next Assistant City Manager. Lincolnton's Assistant City Manager is tasked with planning, directing, managing, and reviewing the activities and operations of multiple City departments under the general guidance of the City Manager. This vital position joins a hard-working team committed to supporting and encouraging one another. The Assistant City Manager successfully coordinates services and activities among city departments and with outside agencies, provides highly responsible and complex administrative support to the City Manager, and assumes the duties of the City Manager in their absence. Though the City of Lincolnton has been operating without an Assistant City Manager for four years, the reinstated position of Assistant City Manager has an essential and strategic focus to support the organization's succession planning efforts, preparing for the retirement of the City Manager and several department heads in the next three years. As a result, the city has identified a tiered approach to the Assistant City Manager's responsibilities. Within the first two years, the Assistant City Manager will be assigned and oversee specific departments based upon the needs of the City while supporting special events and projects. In their next Assistant City Manager position,Lincolnton desires candidates who are passionate about serving their community, are customer-service minded, who manage and mentor with a team approach, and who solve challenges and pursue opportunities proactively. Intentionally establishing relationships within the community is not only a cultural norm within the organization but is paramount for this position. This position is for the team player who thrives in a fast-moving environment, remains calm under pressure, and doesn't shy away from hands-on work. Demonstrating excellent leadership, people, project management, and operational skills, Lincolnton's next Assistant City Manager will prioritize the following overlapping responsibilities over the next three years:
- Acclimate themselves to the organization, learning the culture of the organization, its operations, systems and processes, and its most valuable resource, its dedicated and talented staff; integrate the position into the organization and offload responsibilities of the City Manager, establish collaborative, mentoring relationships with department heads, and learn the organization's budget process.
- Support the city's administration and its staff in greater capacity, engage and work with the City Council, and enhance community relations by growing relationships within the community, demonstrating a sincere interest in networking and garnering community input.
- Assume full responsibilities of the Assistant City Manager position, including preparing the city's annual budget with the City Manager serving as an advisor, creatively managing/controlling the budget's growth with limited opportunities to grow revenues outside of the tax rate.
Lincolnton's next Assistant City Manager will facilitate the organization's overall succession planning efforts to retain institutional knowledge and recruit and retain viable candidates for department head retirements. Additionally, this position will be actively involved in downtown development/economic development and supporting and enhancing the city's relationship with Lincoln County. Duties/ResponsibilitiesAbout the Organization and Position: The City of Lincolnton operates under the Council-Manager form of government, with the City Manager reporting to the mayor and City Council. The City Council has five members elected at-large, including a non-voting mayor and one council member from each of four wards. The city employs 173 full-time and approximately 50 part-time employees across 11 departments. Approximately half of the positions are public safety personnel (police and fire). The of $34.7M ($17.5 General Fund) is supported by a tax rate of $.50 per $100 of assessed tax value. The city provides water and sewer utilities and is an ElectriCities City. Budget growth over the past ten years has been small, about 2% or less each year and changes to water and electric rates have also been limited. Like many small communities, Lincolnton is tasked with balancing economic growth while preserving its roots. City leaders envision a downtown district serving as the epicenter for arts, shopping, dining, leisure, and history. They work collaboratively with many stakeholders, including internal staff, the Downtown Development Association of Lincolnton, and the Lincoln Economic Development Association, to bring growth and opportunities sustainably and successfully. Lincolnton's Assistant City Manager will support the City Manager in facilitating the development of the city's next strategic plan process. City leadership is focused on improvements and enhancements to the city's facilities and infrastructure (especially water and parks/recreation), employee benefits, downtown development, and recreation. The Assistant City Manager will bring a fresh perspective to the city's growth challenges and opportunities, explicitly balancing growth with the desire to retain its small-town culture. Growth opportunities are primarily residential, with limited commercial growth centralized in the city's downtown area. Land resources are limited for industrial development. The Assistant City Manager will approach funding for these projects with innovation and strategy. Qualifications Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in public or business administration or a related field and 5 - 7 years of progressively responsible municipal government management experience is required. Any combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job's essential functions will be considered. Preferred qualifications include an MPA, MBA, or other related master's degree. Prior North Carolina experience as a City/Town Manager, Assistant City/Town Manager, or department director in a small to medium-sized community, and completion of the Municipal/County Administration Course from the School of Government, UNC Chapel Hill. The Successful Candidate is:
- a progressive leader with a proven track record in innovative municipal leadership and management;
- realistic, practical, and proactive in goal setting for staff, departments, and projects;
- someone who applies long-term, visionary perspectives and strategic approaches to both projects and operations;
- skilled in leading cross-functional teams using a collaborative, team-based style to resolve complex problems and capitalize on opportunities with creative solutions;
- knowledgeable of land use and infrastructure development and redevelopment;
- knowledgeable of principles and practices of public administration to include planning, administration and supervision, and preparing and implementing proposals that affect the operations of city government;
- known for their excellent track record in establishing and maintaining working relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders such as city staff, Council Members and other public officials, business and community leaders, the development community, and the public through demonstrated community engagement;
- keenly analytical and a critical thinker while being accessible and personable;
- committed to the highest level of customer service and community collaboration by routinely seeking stakeholder input to achieve city goals effectively;
- someone who possesses executive-level skills in interpersonal and written communications and presentations to a variety of stakeholders, strategic planning, critical thinking, administration, and intergovernmental relations;
- knowledgeable of the practices of budget development and implementation for operational budgets and capital budgets;
- familiar with the principles and practices of securing grant funding for projects, including the grant writing, management, and reporting process;
- effective in cultivating an outstanding workforce through the development and management of staff talent;
- one who thrives in a high accountability culture to ensure that the city continues to meet and exceed the expectations of community members and employees alike; and,
- proactive in monitoring and evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures against performance metrics.
Additional InformationAbout the Community: The charming City of Lincolnton, established in 1785, is in the Piedmont region of NC, just minutes from I-40 and I-85. Lincolnton is ideally located just northwest of Charlotte, where professional athletics and world-class cultural activities are easily accessible, and the mountains are just an hour away. The city's proximity to rivers, lakes, and state parks provides an abundance of recreational opportunities. A portion of the Carolina Thread Trail, the Cloninger Rail Trail, passes through the heart of downtown Lincolnton and connects three city parks. The city's rich history of drawing early pioneers to its inexpensive land, water, and natural resources is still present today through three eighteenth-century residences - Vesuvius Furnace (1792), Andrew Loretz House (1793), and Woodside (1798) - and many historic structures from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Each June, Lincolnton celebrates its pivotal role in the American Revolution with the Battle of Ramsour's Mill Battle Weekend event. This event features Revolutionary War reenactments and music, period cooking, firearms demonstrations, battle site tours, and a wreath-laying ceremony at the mass gravesite by the Sons & Daughters of the American Revolution. As downtown Lincolnton welcomes new businesses, the redevelopment and repurposing of historic buildings brings exciting opportunities for growth while paying homage to the city's founders and early leaders. The Downtown Lincolnton Development Association refers to Lincolnton as a hidden gem of opportunity as the hub of distinctive arts and artisans and active living. The city offers many grants to entrepreneurs to bring their businesses to downtown Lincolnton to help encourage the growth and revitalization of its downtown area. Convenience and opportunity are often used to describe Lincolnton. Lincolnton's 12,000 community members cite the city's quality of life as the most prized benefit of living in Lincolnton. Its public school system, Lincoln County Schools, has 13 schools and ranks #9 out of 115 NC school districts for the best teachers. Graduating seniors have many quality higher education opportunities close to home. Belmont Abbey College, a 4-year private liberal arts institution with 1,500 students, is one of the only Catholic colleges in the Southeast. For the first time in Belmont Abbey College's history, U.S. News & World Report has selected it as the Top Institution for Undergraduate Teaching in the U.S. Southern Region of colleges. In addition to Belmont Abbey College, the 10-county Charlotte region has 49 other colleges and universities serving nearly 240,000 students, one of the closest of which is the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Offering more than 150 graduate programs, UNC Charlotte is just over 30 minutes away via I-85. Salary and Benefits: The salary range for this position is $108,456 (min) - $135,567 (mid) - $162,684 (max). The City of Lincolnton offers a , including health and dental insurance. To apply, please visit: 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 October 18, 2024.
- The hiring team will invite successful semi-finalists to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluations on Nov 12-13, 2024. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate.
- Direct inquiries to
The City of Lincolnton 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. 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 01 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 accurately evaluated. 3) Further, I understand that merely referring to my resume (e.g. see resume in lieu of providing detailed responses) is not sufficient for purposes of ensuring accurate application evaluation.
02 A minimum of a bachelor's degree in public or business administration(or a related field is required for this position. An MPA, MBA, or other related master's degree is strongly preferred for this position. What Is your highest degree?
- No Degree
- Some College
- Associate's Degree
- Bachelor's Degree
- Some grad school, no degree
- Master's Degree
- Doctorate Degree
- Other
03 Please list in what field your degree (s) are in as well as any additional degrees. 04 Please list certifications/ licensures you hold, if any: 05 NC municipal or local government management experience as a City/Town Manager, Assistant City/Town Manager, or department director in a small to medium-sized community is preferred for this position. Do you have municipal or local government experience as a City/Town Manager, Assistant City/Town Manager, or department director?
06 If you answered yes above, in which municipalities or local governments (e.g. County) did you hold a management level position? 07 This position requires 5 or more years of increasingly responsible municipal government management experience. How many years of management experience do you have, if any?
- No management experience
- Less than 1 year
- 1-3 years
- 3-5 years
- Greater than 5 years experience
08 Other - Please list (if nothing, type NA): 09 What is the highest level position you have held in a municipal government environment?
- Town/City Manager
- Assistant/Deputy Town/City Manager
- Department Head, multiple departments
- Department Head, one department
- Division Manager
- Supervisor
- Consultant with supervisory responsibility
- Consultant no supervisory responsibility
- I've never worked in Municipal Government.
10 What is the largest population in a community where you were a Manager or higher?
- Under 5,000
- 5,000-9,000
- 9,001-10,000
- 10,001-20,000
11 What is the total number of employees in the largest organization in which you have been serving at management level or higher?
- I have not served as a manager.
- Less than 50
- 50-100
- 101-200
- Greater than 200
12 What is the largest number of employees supervised within your span of control?
- I've never supervised any employees.
- Below 10
- 11-20
- 21-40
- 41-60
- Greater than 60
13 What level operating budget (not construction or project budgets) have you directly managed?
- No direct budget management experience
- Less than $1M
- $1M - $20M
- $20.1M - $30M
- $30.1M - $40M
- Greater than $40M
14 In which of the following do you consider your knowledge and experience proficient? Proficient means a minimum of two years independent experience applying knowledge and skills and/or supervising in a given area. To multiple select, follow instructions for your PC or Mac.
- Budgeting
- Building inspections and permits
- Economic Development
- Engineering
- Finance
- Fire Safety
- GIS
- Human Resources
- Parks and Recreation
- Planning
- Police
- Public Works and Transportation
- Other
15 If you said other in the prior question, please list areas of experience here. 16 I understand that the salary range for this position is $108,456 (min) - $135,567 (mid) - $162,684 (max), depending on qualifications and experience.
17 The City uses a multi-step screening and evaluation process including a skill evaluation process for selecting executive management. The dates for this virtual process are November 12-13, 2024 which will require 3-4 hours of engagement during that time, not including preparation. We encourage you to please hold these days open should you be invited to participate in this stage of the process. 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. NC Law does not require the announcement of applicants until a finalist is selected. Indicating yes below represents your understanding of these elements of the process.
Required Question