Position Details

A Transformational Leadership Opportunity

The City of Auburn is seeking an experienced and strategic leader to serve as its first-ever Chief Administrative Officer. This newly created position will play a key role in defining and shaping Auburn's administrative operations within its strong mayor form of government.

This position is open until filled and may close at any time.

Under the direction of the Mayor, the Chief Administrative Officer will be responsible for leading City operations, ensuring the effective implementation of policies, and fostering collaboration across departments. This position presents an exciting opportunity to drive strategic initiatives, enhance municipal services, and support Auburn's continued growth and success.

About Auburn

Located in the Puget Sound region, Auburn is a dynamic and growing community of almost 90,000 residents. With a strong local economy, diverse neighborhoods, and a commitment to innovation, Auburn is well-positioned for continued development. The City is home to a highly skilled leadership team dedicated to providing exceptional public service and advancing Auburn's strategic priorities.

Primary Duties

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership: Oversee the daily operations of city government, ensuring efficiency, accountability, and alignment with Mayor's vision.
Strategic Advising: Serve as a trusted partner to the Mayor, providing guidance on policy implementation, budgeting, and intergovernmental relations.
Department Oversight: Lead and coordinate the executive leadership team, fostering collaboration and interdepartmental synergy.
Budget and Policy Management: Assist in developing and monitoring the City's budget, ensuring fiscal responsibility and alignment with strategic goals.
Community and Stakeholder Engagement: Represent the City in discussions with community leaders, regional organizations, and state and federal agencies.
Public Service Excellence: Promote a culture of accountability, inclusion, and transparency across City operations.

For a comprehensive job description, click here.

Minimum Qualifications

We are looking for leaders who have:

A Bachelor's degree in Public Administration or related field,
At least 10 years of administrative and supervisory experience in municipal or public sector management roles,
A valid Washington State driver's license without impending loss at the time of appointment (or ability to obtain a WA State license within 30 days),
A strong knowledge of government operations, policy development, and budget administration,
Exceptional leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills, AND
The ability to build relationships with elected officials, city staff, and community stakeholders.

This position will be required to be fingerprinted and complete the CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services) Security Certification Test to be allowed to have unescorted access while at the Police Department (per Washington State Patrol ACCESS unit).

Additional Information

Compensation And Benefits

The salary for the Chief Administrative Officer is $258,444/year. This position is unaffiliated and exempt. The City of Auburn offers a generous benefits package, including full family medical benefits, a VEBA tax-free health savings account, contributions to the WA State PERS pension program, and 80 hours of management leave annually, in addition to generous vacation accruals. The total non-cash compensation package is estimated to be valued at over $85,000. The Chief Administrative Officer will be assigned a City vehicle or receive a monthly vehicle stipend. If significant relocation is required for the role, assistance with a portion of the expenses may be available.

For more details on all the benefits the City offers, please visit www.auburnwa.gov/benefits.

Commitment to Inclusion

Team Auburn values a wide range of perspectives and life experiences and believes our strength comes from the diversity of people and ideas. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals who will help us foster a workplace built on respect, collaboration, and service to the community.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

The City of Auburn is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay, or other forms of compensation.

To learn more about the Inclusive Auburn initiative, please visit:

https://www.auburnwa.gov/InclusiveAuburn

READY TO APPLY?

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, or would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

The City of Auburn is dedicated to building an inclusive, informed city, with opportunities for all. In alignment with that goal, the City has adopted an anonymous application process that prevents hiring managers from seeing personal identifiers, including names, addresses, and other similar information. This eliminates the possibility of unintentional or implicit bias during the initial screening of applications. For that reason, hiring managers will not be viewing any attachments to your application, including a cover letter or resume, during the initial screening.

Please make sure to submit a complete, detailed, and updated job application, and thoroughly answer the supplemental questions. You must meet the minimum qualifications to move forward in the screening process.

Please note that if you are selected to move forward after an interview, a background check, driving abstract review, reference check, and fingerprinting will be completed before a formal job appointment will be made.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITY OF AUBURN

We primarily communicate via e-mail during the recruitment process. E-mails from auburnwa.gov and/or governmentjobs.com should be placed on your safe domain list to ensure you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk e-mail folders.

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources Manager, Melissa Medisch, or Human Resources Director, Candis Martinson.

Please Visit Our Employee Benefits Webpage For Details

https://auburn.attract.neogov.com/p/benefits

01

What is your highest level of education?

High School diploma or equivalent
Associate's degree in Public Administration or related field
Associate's degree in unrelated field
Bachelor's degree in Public Administration or related field
Bachelor's degree in unrelated field
Master's degree in Public Administration or related field
Master's degree in unrelated field

02

Please indicate your years of administrative and supervisory experience as part of a municipal or public sector management team.

I have no administrative and supervisory experience as part of a public sector management team.
I have less than 4 years of administrative and supervisory experience as part of a public sector management team.
I have at least 4 but less than 8 years of administrative and supervisory experience as part of a public sector management team.
I have at least 8 but less than 10 years of administrative and supervisory experience as part of a public sector management team.
I have at least 10 but less than 12 years of administrative and supervisory experience as part of a public sector management team.
I have at least 12 but less than 15 years of administrative and supervisory experience as part of a public sector management team.
I have more than 15 years of administrative and supervisory experience as part of a public sector management team.

03

Do you have a valid Washington State driver's license at the time of this application?

Yes, I have a valid WA State driver's license without impending loss at this time.
No, but I have a valid driver's license in another state without impending loss and have the ability to obtain a WA State license within 30 days of my appointment date, if selected to fill this role.
No, I do not have a driver's license at this time.
Required Question

City of Auburn (Washington)

New Jobs

Chief Administrative Officer