This position performs a variety of complex administrative and other assignments within the Town Administrator’s office, including analysis, evaluation, research, writing, and communicating; and oversees programs and projects that require experience in administration and involve Town Council, interdepartmental and community interaction. Responsible for planning and overseeing projects to ensure they are completed in a timely fashion and within budget, including planning and designating project resources, preparing budgets, monitoring progress, and keeping stakeholders informed the entire way. Exercises leadership and has highly effective communication and interpersonal skills. This position is supervised by and shall aid the Town Administrator in the administration of municipal functions and works as liaison with Town staff and the public for complaint resolution. The incumbent prioritizes tasks and usually performs them independently with little supervision or review necessary.
PERFORMANCE STANDARD
Employees at all levels are expected to effectively work together to meet the needs of the community and the organization through work behaviors demonstrating the Town’s Values. Employees are also expected to lead by example and demonstrate the highest level of ethics.
Essential Functions:
- Develops, coordinates, implements, and performs special projects and assignments, and oversees projects and programs. Performs project management functions, including project planning, resource management, time management, budget management, quality assurance, stakeholder communication, risk management, documentation, and compliance and regulatory adherence.
- Conducts complex and sensitive administrative, operational, and management analyses, studies, and research projects including those involving Town-wide issues, programs, policies, and procedures to compile data for reports, cost estimates, etc.; selects, adapts, and applies appropriate research and statistical techniques; gathers and analyzes data and information from various sources on a variety of specialized topics; calculates, figures, develops graphs, presentations, and other visual aids.
- Acts as Town Administrator’s liaison with Town departments. Coordinates with department personnel and monitors projects assigned to them.
- Research issues, processes, and systems Town-wide to make recommendations and implement solutions.
- Coordinates and attends meetings with staff members to plan programs, identify issues, and improve services and programs.
- Assists the Town Administrator with development and implementation of the Town’s Strategic Plan, performance measures and improvement system.
- Participates in monitoring and coordination of State and Federal lobbying efforts.
- Participates with implementation and management of the Town’s Comprehensive Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans. Performs emergency response duties as necessary.
- Serves as Town Administrator’s representative on a variety of committees, project teams, task forces, and community stakeholders.
- Coordinates with Department Heads or other appropriate parties to respond to citizen inquiries. Investigates and follows up on citizen inquiries and complaints as appropriate.
- Assists with coordination and management of Town Council agenda materials. Writes, edits, or coordinates the preparation of agenda items, ordinances, resolutions, reports, letters, minutes, or other printed material. Monitors the pending items list and keeps the Town Administrator informed about projects and issues of importance to Council.
- Attends Town Council meetings and workshops; performs necessary follow up.
- Provides the Town Administrator with accurate and timely information to support decision-making and policy direction.
- Promotes, encourages, and leads collaboratively in seeking new ways to share resources, ideas, and best practices in order to optimize service delivery organization wide.
- Performs other duties as assigned or required by the Town Administrator.
(These essential job functions are not to be construed as a complete statement of all duties performed. Employees will be required to perform other job-related marginal duties as required.)
Minimum Qualifications
- Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with major coursework in public or business administration, or a related field.
- Three (3) years in a responsible professional/administrative capacity.
- Project management experience, including guiding a project through the complete Project Life Cycle: project initiation, project planning, project execution, project monitoring and controlling, and project closing.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Public Administration, Business Administration, or related field.
- Three to five (3-5) years of project management experience and grant research and funding experience.
- Experience with a village, town, city, or county government agency.
- Advisory Board Liaison:
- Participates as required.
- Certifications:
- Possession of a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent is preferred.
- ICS certifications in accordance with current NIMS requirements. Must obtain ICS certifications within two (2) years of the date of hire.
- Knowledge, Abilities, and Skills:
Knowledge of public administration principles and modern management theory; of the functions and organization of municipal government, including the functions and operations of departments, divisions, and work units; and knowledge of government policies specifically related to organizing, directing, and coordinating local government operations.
- Knowledge of leadership development practices and principles and methods for implementation within municipal government organizations.
- Proficiency of Microsoft Office Suite software, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, as well as Adobe Acrobat, document management, and database programs.
- Strong familiarity with project management methodologies, best practices, and software tools such as Microsoft Office, Trello, Slack, or Microsoft Project.
- Familiarity with relevant social media.
- Ability to serve the public and fellow employees with honesty and integrity in accordance with the Town’s Ethics and Conflict of Interest policies.
- Uses logic and reasoning to analyze, understand, and evaluate complex situations. Identifies the strengths and weaknesses of alternative approaches, solutions, or conclusions to a situation.
- Exercises appropriate judgment in establishing priorities. Considers the relative costs and benefits of potential actions.
- Strong interpersonal skills. Develops and maintains cooperative and professional relationships with employees, citizens, community and private organizations, elected officials, boards, and commissions. Handles all interactions with poise, tact, and diplomacy.
- Manages own time and the time of others.
- Monitors/assesses performance of individuals or the organization to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Skilled in both writing and oral communication for effective expression and clarity. Prepares concise, informative reports and recommendations.
- Proven ability to solve problems creatively.
- Excellent analytical skills
- Management skills, including team-leading and building, decision-making, and task delegation.
- Leadership skills to effectively guide and motivate others to successful completion of a project.
- Ability to establish and implement effective administrative and management programs and procedures. Ability to plan and organize daily work routine and establish priorities for the completion of work in accordance with sound time-management methodology.
- Ability to evaluate plan alternatives in relation to trends, costs, and social pressures and needs.
- Ability to communicate, orally and in writing, ideas, and proposals effectively to diverse audiences to include preparing and presenting a wide variety of related public relation materials. Excellent ability to synthesize and clearly articulate complex information and ideas presented verbally and in writing. Ability to handle a variety of issues with tact and diplomacy and in a confidential manner.
- Ability to analyze, organize and review work for efficient results and accuracy.
- Ability to employ economic and accounting principles and practices in the analysis and reporting of budgeting data.
- Proven ability to complete projects according to outlined scope, budget, and timeline.
- Ability to successfully organize and run a meeting.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisor, support staff and other departments with which position interacts.
- Ability to handle a multitude of diverse tasks simultaneously while maintaining required attention to detail to ensure accuracy in performing assigned tasks.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality regarding sensitive information.
- Ability to make sound decisions in a manner consistent with established departmental policies and procedures and essential job functions, and to use initiative and exercise independent judgment.
- Ability to read and comprehend a variety of materials relevant to government, legal, and town administration operations that ranges from moderate to complex levels.
- Ability to evaluate complex systems and make recommendations for simplification and improvement.
Essential Physical Skills:
The Town of Southwest Ranches is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C.12101 et. seq.), the Town of Southwest Ranches will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Tasks involve the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, but which may involve sitting, standing, walking, bending, reaching, kneeling, crouching, stooping, squatting, twisting, and maintaining a sustained posture in a seated or standing position for prolonged periods of time; lifting and carrying, pushing and/or pulling 35 pounds, files,
and other materials; and traveling to different sites.
Physical capability to effectively use and operate various items of office-related equipment, such as, but not limited to, a personal computer, calculator, copier, and fax machine. Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or Town workstation. Work is performed in usual office conditions and in the field with rare exposure to disagreeable environmental factors. Some tasks require visual abilities. Some tasks require oral communications ability.
Environmental Conditions:
Usually works inside in an office environment, with occasional field visits and inspections .
Additional Requirements:
An acceptable general background check to include a local and state criminal history check and a valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record.
Key Competencies:
Microsoft Office environment. Integrity, business acumen, professional knowledge, analysis, attention to detail, interpersonal skills, communication (oral and written). Work is performed under general supervision of the Town Administrator and is reviewed through reports, periodic internal and external audits, conferences, and an annual performance appraisal review.