Job Description

THE CITY OF VALDEZ IS SEEKING A DYNAMIC LEADER TO PERFORM THE DUTIES OF CITY MANAGER

JOB DETAILS
Job Function: Chief Administrator (City Manager)
Credential: No preference.
Salary: $160,000 - $180,000 (DOQ / DOE), fully benefited

Signing bonus negotiable
Position Type: Full Time
Population: 3950
Where: 212 Chenega Street, Valdez, Alaska 99686
Form of Government: Council-Manager

Persons interested in this position must submit an online application, cover letter and current resume detailing size and scope of leadership and management experience. Supplemental questions must be answered in detail; expected length is between 1 and 3 paragraphs.

The position is open until filled, first review of applications is ongoing.

This position will be responsible for department and services typically seen in both city and county/borough administration: Law Enforcement, Fire/EMS Services, Ports and Harbor, Public Works, Parks Recreation and Cultural Services, Capital Facilities, Human Resources, Finance, Planning, Information Technology, Communications, and Economic Development. The City Manager also serves as an Ex-Officio member of several Boards, Commissions, and Task Forces to include the Providence Community Advisory Board and the Permanent Fund Committee.

Desirable Qualifications
The successful candidate must have demonstrated leadership skills to assist elected officials in establishing a vision for the community. The successful candidate must also possess extensive knowledge of municipal operations and best practices to effectively create and direct strategies for implementation of Council priorities.

The preferred candidate will have direct experience in the following Council priorities:

• Master Planning - The City has recently completed its Master Plan and Waterfront Plan and is currently working on Title XVII and zoning to align with the comprehensive plans.
• Housing - Council has identified increased housing availability, including affordable housing, as an urgent priority.
• Child Care Services - Council has identified childcare as a priority for the City.
• Emergency Management and/or ICS settings - the City is cultivating and reinforcing its ICS structure and capabilities for a variety of emergency scenarios.

Applicants will possess a bachelor\'s degree in public administration or related field, and ten (10) years of progressively responsible management experience in public administration, or any combination of education and experience which would provide the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge, and ability required to perform the job. Must have the ability to complete executive level ICS training within six months of hire date, if not already completed prior to hire. Must have the ability to furnish a bond as required by city council under Valdez Municipal Code.

ABOUT VALDEZ
Valdez is a home rule city that operates under a Council Manager form of government. Policymaking and legislative authority are vested in the City Council consisting of the mayor and six council members. Council members are elected at-large on a nonpartisan basis for three-year staggered terms with elections every year. The council appoints and directs the City Manager, City Clerk, and City Attorney.

The organization is a full-service municipality which includes functions commonly performed by County/Borough governments. The City Manager has twelve direct reports, and the organization employs 134 FTEs. The City has an annual budget of $60M, and fund balances totaling $350M; $250M of which is held within its Permanent Fund endowment.

The City of Valdez, population 3950, located in south central Alaska on Prince William Sound, has a relatively mild climate which is attributed to the marine currents in, and weather generated by the Pacific Ocean. Its distinguishing characteristics are the incomparable rugged beauty of its natural mountain-ringed setting, its deep-water, ice-free access to magnificent Prince William Sound, and an extremely high average annual snowfall of almost 30 feet, the most of any other city in the world at sea level.

Although geographically remote, Valdez is reachable year-round by road. It is approximately 305 road miles east of Anchorage and 365 road miles south of Fairbanks. Valdez is the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System ("TAPS"). The assessed valuation of taxable property in the City is approximately 2.5 billion, with 90 percent of this valuation attributable to TAPS. Ninety percent of the City\'s revenues derive from property tax.

Economy
The Valdez economy is dominated by transportation, mostly related to the transportation of crude oil. As America\'s northernmost ice-free port, Port Valdez is a deep-water fjord with depths greater than 750 feet. Approximately 7% of all U.S. oil - 80% of west coast oil - is transported through Port Valdez in the deep draught oil supertankers, with hundreds of shipments annually. Port Valdez is a major seaport with a $48 million cargo and container facility. Valdez processes cargo through one of the largest floating concrete docks in the world. The depth of the water in front of the Valdez Container Terminal is 50 feet.

The City has a developed tourism economy with approximately 70,000 people visiting Valdez annually, primarily in the summer months. Sport fishing and sightseeing are significant sectors of the economy. In addition, commercial fishing is a significant player in the overall Valdez economy, the fish processing plants located in Valdez are among the 10 largest employers of the community.

Valdez continues to develop winter tourism by promoting winter sports resulting from the abundant snowfall and proximity to the Chugach Mountains. Valdez is the birthplace of the World Extreme Skiing Championships with several Heli-ski operators currently providing this experience in Thompson Pass. Abundant snowmobiling opportunities have resulted in championship competitions in Valdez.

Examples of Duties / Knowledge & Skills

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Prepares and recommends to the city council the annual budget for the city.
• Executes and enforces all ordinances, resolutions and motions of the city council and administer all contracts entered into by the city.
• Appoints, removes, supervises and/or coordinates the work of the administrative officers and departments of the city.
• Promotes a positive and productive work environment through inspirational leadership; ensures effective cross-departmental communications and participative decision making occurs; encourages creativity and innovation; values excellence in performance by promoting a workplace culture of engagement, collaboration, teamwork, accountability, and service to community.
• Supervises and coordinates the personnel policies and practices of the city.
• Makes recommendations to the city council as he/she may deem expedient or necessary and once a year present a detailed statement of what he/she has accomplished during the year covered by the report.
• Serves as the Incident Command System (ICS) incident commander, member of the ICS unified command leadership, or member of the Prince William Sound Regional Stakeholders\' Committee during actual incidents and emergency exercises.
• Serves as ex officio member without vote of all city boards and commissions to include the Providence Community Advisory Board. Also serves as a member of the Permanent Fund Committee and is City liaison to Providence Valdez Medical Center.
• Administers and manages utilities and other such municipal services or enterprises.
• Oversees strategic development of departmental work plans based on council priorities and operational requirements.
• Directs departmental operations; evaluates issues, and recommends solutions.
• Develops capital and short-range project plans, and prioritizes and assigns projects to optimize budgeted funds.
• Identifies and communicates strategies and objectives.
• Responds to grievances and oversees all personnel actions. Recognizes and reinforces excellence in performance.
• Maintains cooperative working relations with the city departments, and outside agencies; serves as liaison between various organizations, agencies, and commissions: serves on committees, task forces and other groups to coordinate municipal services programs.
• Performs other duties as outlined in Valdez Municipal Code or as may be assigned by city council.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS:
Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of public administration, leadership, and professional rules of conduct.
• Principles of municipal budgeting and finance.
• Principles of contract law and contract management.
• Principles and practices of employee relations, supervision, grievances, worker\'s compensation, Affirmative Action, personnel administration and training.
• Techniques and practices for efficient and cost effective management of resources.
• Principles and practices of economic and community development.
• Principles and practices of incident command system structure.
• Principles and practices of communications and media relations.

Skill in:

• Inspirational leadership and development of positive workplace culture through promotion of open communication, respectful collaboration, teambuilding, and professional development.
• Highly effective written and verbal communications.
• Reading, interpreting, understanding and applying federal, state and local rules and regulations, and city policies and procedures.
• Analyzing complex administrative and operational data and issues, evaluating alternatives, and making logical recommendations based on findings.
• Developing and implementing long-range fiscal and operational plans.
• Assessing and prioritizing multiple tasks and projects.
• Supervision, coordinating staff, and delegating tasks and authority.
• Performing or the ability to perform in an executive leadership role within the incident command system (ICS) structure.
• Monitoring and controlling the confidentiality of personnel files and reports.
• Responding to inquiries from management, citizens and regulatory agencies.
• Interacting with news media. Comfortable speaking as an agency representative on camera, radio, and by telephone.
• Assisting in development of state and federal legislative priorities.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with other city employees, community stakeholders, and representatives from other local, state and federal agencies.

Minimum qualifications & Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
A bachelor\'s degree in public/business administration or related field; and 10 years of progressively responsible senior management experience in the public administration field; OR an equivalent combination of education and experience. Must have the ability to complete executive level ICS training within six months of hire date, if not already completed prior to hire. Must have the ability to furnish a bond as required by city council under Valdez Municipal Code.

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