Buffkin / Baker, an executive search firm, has been retained to assist Mecklenburg County, North Carolina in the search for Director, Office of Strategy & Innovation (Director). Mecklenburg County (County), one of the two largest counties in the state, is home to over 1,100,000 residents, the City of Charlotte, and six neighboring towns. Mecklenburg County is also the second most populous county between Atlanta, GA and Washington, D.C. Between 2010 and 2020, the County’s population grew by 21.3%. Recent data presented by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance indicates that from July 2022 through June 2023, the Charlotte region and Mecklenburg County had a daily inflow of 117 new residents, placing the region among the top 10 highest growth major metro regions in the country.
With this rapid growth over the last decade, Mecklenburg County has attracted people from around the country and the world. As a major hub for American Airlines – one of the country’s largest airlines – it is easy to get to Mecklenburg County. This access has helped attract several Fortune 500 and 1000 companies that bring millions of investment dollars into the local economy. With a world- renowned park and recreation system, a range of professional and minor league sports teams, and diverse communities, people who come to Mecklenburg County find an energized downtown and a variety of living options.
Mecklenburg County Government represents a partnership of the people, elected officials, County employees, and community advisors all working together to serve County residents by helping improve their lives and community. As such, the County operates with the Vision to be the best local government service provider, and the Mission to serve Mecklenburg County residents by helping them improve their lives and community.
The Office of Strategy & Innovation (OSI) is responsible for managing the County’s strategic business planning work, leading operational and organizational performance management processes, and conducting annual evaluations throughout the organization. Striving every day to provide services to the community in an effective and efficient manner, the OSI works to provide decision-makers the information needed to fully grasp the impact of County programs and services across the community, as well as helps to set the strategic direction for the County.
Reporting to the Deputy County Manager for Sustainable Communities, the Director will lead a team of eight professionals and is responsible for developing, overseeing and executing enterprise strategic planning, and the execution of strategic business plans, performance management and program/service evaluation processes. Responsibilities include executing the county-wide strategic planning process for the corporate and department levels, developing program and service evaluation methodologies, supporting funding recommendations based on the review of performance data and program/service evaluation findings, and overseeing research and statistical analysis studies.
The successful candidate will possess a combination of 10 years of experience in strategic planning, performance management, and/or program evaluation, and supervisory experience. A knowledge of economic, accounting, business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership techniques, production methods, coordination of people and resources is needed, along with statistical and database management and customer service principles and processes. A bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Finance or related fields (such as Public Policy, Organization & Management, Organizational Development, Psychology) is required with a preference for a master’s degree.
