Assistant City Manager

City of Tigard; Tigard (OR); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Tigard, Oregon, seeks a seasoned executive to lead a diverse leadership team of directors and professional staff in a complex public-sector organization. The ideal candidate inspires, navigates competing priorities, and translates strategic vision into measurable results.

The Assistant City Manager will drive strategic planning, implement city-wide initiatives, and provide strategic support and accountability to department leaders while empowering them to manage with appropriate

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in public administration or related field.
• Five years of management or administrative experience in city government.
• Ability to lead diverse leaders, foster collaboration, and translate strategy into results.

Responsibilities

• Lead a strategic planning process and implement city-wide initiatives.
• Provide guidance to department heads and empower autonomy.
• Collaborate with neighboring communities and regional partners.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Collaboration

Verbal communication

Written communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in public administration

Job description

The City of Tigard, Oregon is in Washington County within the Portland metropolitan region, approximately 10 miles southwest of Portland. The city is home to more than 56,000 residents, and functions as both a residential community and an employment center, supported by its proximity to Interstate 5, Highway 217, and Highway 99W. As a part of the Tualatin Valley, Tigard features gently rolling terrain, elevations generally ranging from 150 to 300 feet, and a landscape defined by established neighborhoods, tree canopy, and access to waterways such as the Tualatin River. The region experiences a temperate marine climate, with mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Tigard maintains an extensive system of parks, trails, and open space, totaling more than 600 acres and over 16 miles of paved pathways. Facilities such as Cook Family Park and the Fanno Creek Trail support year-round recreation, including walking, cycling, and water access. Community events held throughout the year, including the Festival of Balloons, Farmers Market, and seasonal celebrations, contribute to local engagement and civic life. The City’s location also allows convenient access to regional destinations such as the Oregon Coast and the Columbia River Gorge.

The City employs approximately 375 staff who deliver a full range of municipal services across ten departments. These include City Management, Community Development, Finance and Municipal Court, Human Resources, Information Technology, Library, Police, and Public Works, among others. Departments are organized in a typical municipal structure, each led by a director that currently reports to the City Manager.

City operations and service delivery are guided by an adopted strategic vision: Tigard as an equitable, walkable, healthy, and accessible community. This vision is implemented through established Council goals and organizational priorities focused on service excellence, transportation connectivity, and managed growth and development. The City’s work is further framed by its Community Promise, referred to as the “Five E’s”: Equity, Environment, Economy, Engagement, and Excellence. These principles guide decision‑making, resource allocation, and community engagement across all departments.

Position Profile and Desired Attributes

The City of Tigard is seeking a seasoned executive with experience leading a diverse leadership team of directors and professional staff in a complex public‑sector organization. The successful candidate has a proven ability to inspire leaders, navigate competing priorities, foster collaboration across departments, and translate strategic vision into measurable results.

The new Assistant City Manager is a strategic and forward thinker who will quickly understand the values of Tigard and easily sees the big picture and long‑term vision for the city. The Assistant City Manager brings a fresh yet experienced voice and perspective with a strong ability to see the interdependencies between all departments as an experienced organizational leader. As a creative problem solver, the successful candidate has a strong background in strategic planning and understands the importance of advancing new initiatives while supporting current programs, services, and daily operations. This candidate will also be a trusted leader, relationship builder and collaborator who recognizes that Tigard’s success is connected to its neighboring communities and regional partners.

In addition to direct responsibility for a set of departments, this position will lead the City’s functional efforts to establish and implement a strategic plan. It will have high internal and external visibility, and require advanced interpersonal, leadership, and verbal and written communication skills.

More specifically, the Assistant City Manager will be the following:

• Strategic without losing sight of day‑to‑day service.
• A visionary while remaining practical.
• Confident without being hierarchical.
• Decisive while genuinely collaborative.
• A trusted advisor and thought partner to the City Manager.
• Provide strategic support, guidance, and accountability to department leaders while empowering them to manage their areas with appropriate autonomy.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

• Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four‑year college or university with major coursework in business or public administration, public policy, finance, or a related field AND
• Five (5) years of management or administrative experience in administration and City government.