Deputy Town Manager

Blacksburg, Town of (VA); Blacksburg (VA); In loco; USD 145.000 - 174.000; Tempo pieno

Vantaggi offerti da questo lavoro

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Virginia Retirement System membership

Life and long-term disability

Flexible spending accounts

Deferred compensation plan

Employee assistance program

Paid leave (annual, sick, holiday)

Descrizione del lavoro

The Town of Blacksburg seeks an experienced local government professional to serve as Deputy Town Manager, reporting to the Town Manager as part of the Executive Leadership Team. The role directs town operations, supports the annual operating budget and CIP, and works with Town Council, boards, and partners to advance community priorities.

The position involves leadership of department directors, intergovernmental liaison work, and serving as Acting Town Manager when needed.

Competenze

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, urban planning, business, finance, or a related field.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience in local government administration.
• Experience with budgets and capital improvement programs.
• Experience with council-manager government.
• Strong communication and ethics and integrity in public service.

Mansioni

• Energizes staff to achieve the Town of Blacksburg's vision and goals.
• Assists the Town Manager with direction, control, and evaluation of Town operations.
• Helps prepare the annual operating budget and the Capital Improvement Plan.
• Represents the Town with regional, intergovernmental and intergovernmental organizations.
• Provides leadership, supervision, and guidance to department directors and staff.
• Ensures operations comply with laws, policies, and Town standards.

Conoscenze

Public administration

Leadership

Communication

Strategic planning

Intergovernmental relations

Formazione

Bachelor’s degree in public administration/urban planning/business/finance

Master’s degree preferred

Descrizione del lavoro

The Town of Blacksburg, Virginia, is seeking an experienced local government professional to serve as its next Deputy Town Manager, as part of the Town Manager’s Executive Leadership Team. Reporting to the Town Manager, the Deputy Town Manager assists the Town Manager with the direction, control, and evaluation of Town operations. The Deputy Town Manager provides leadership, supervision, and guidance to assigned department directors and plays a central role in preparing the annual operating budget and the Capital Improvement Plan. The position works closely with the Town Council, advisory boards, community partners, and residents, and represents the Town with regional and intergovernmental organizations. This position also serves as the Acting Town Manager in the Town Manager’s absence, when designated.

The Town of Blacksburg is an EEO Employer M/F/D/V

About the Community

Blacksburg is a beautiful town located in the New River Valley of Virginia, nestled on a plateau between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains. Blacksburg serves as the hub of the Roanoke/New River Valley region. Established in 1798, Blacksburg has grown from a town of a few dozen families to a population of over 45,000 people, making it one of the largest towns in Virginia. The town is comprised of a healthy, highly educated, and diverse population, making it a very progressive community with a high quality of life. Blacksburg has activities that appeal to young professionals, families, and seniors. There are numerous parks to choose from, making the town an excellent venue for a lover of the outdoors.

Downtown Blacksburg contains a unique collection of specialty retail and dining establishments, art galleries, and performance halls. Wide brick sidewalks line streets flanked on each side by decorative streetlamps, hanging flower baskets, and park benches.

At the core of Blacksburg’s vibrant and engaging downtown is Virginia’s largest land-grant university, Virginia Tech. The university continues to position itself as a major research institution. The presence of Virginia Tech as a corporate citizen brings significant advantages to the town’s economy. The combination of approximately 37,000 students and 10,174 faculty, administrative staff, and support positions brings significant buying power to the merchants and tax base of the town. Growth in technology-based research and the spawning of businesses from the university’s research park, the Corporate Research Center, reflect well on the area. The wealth of resources offered by a major academic institution makes the town an attractive venue for businesses.

The Town of Blacksburg is part of the Montgomery County School System, with four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school within Blacksburg. The public school system enjoys a reputation for graduating well-prepared students and has a low teacher-to-student ratio, offering each child an opportunity to obtain the best education possible. Several private schools also operate facilities within the region.

About the Organization

Since 1952, the Town of Blacksburg has been organized under the Council-Manager form of government. Council members are elected for four-year terms on a staggered basis, with elections held every two years. The Blacksburg Town Council, comprised of seven members, serves as the legislative body of the local government and is responsible for adopting all ordinances and resolutions, approving the annual operating and capital budgets, setting all tax rates, approving the five-year Capital Improvement Program, setting all user fees, making land use and zoning decisions, and establishing long-range plans and policies. The mayor is elected and has the right to vote on matters brought before the governing body. The council appoints the Town Manager to act as the administrative head of the town and the Town Attorney to serve as legal counsel. The council also appoints the Town Clerk.

The FY2027 Operating Budget totals $125.7 million for all funds [update to current fiscal year]. The town staff consists of 379 full-time employees and 98.98 FTE part-time employees who deliver a wide range of services to the town’s citizens. Services provided include parks and recreation, housing inspection and community development programs, public transportation, public works, police, planning and zoning, and water, sewer, and refuse services. Fire protection is provided with four full-time employees and a volunteer force, and emergency medical services are provided by an all-volunteer force. The town develops programs and serves the citizens in a proactive manner, anticipating issues and working toward carefully crafted community-based solutions.

Town Recognitions

• Blacksburg Farmer’s Market named No 2. Farmer’s Market (Virginia Living 2026)
• Steppin’ Out named Top Festival and Top Art Event (Virginia Living 2026, 2025)

• Named One of the Safest Places to Live in Virginia (AreaVibes 2026)
• Montgomery County named No. 7 Best County to Live in Virginia (Niche 2026)
• Montgomery County named Top 10 Best County to Live in Virginia (NerdWallet 2025) via Virginia’s New River Valley website
• Named No. 2 Best Small College Town (USA Today 2026)
• Named No. 15 Best School Districts in Virginia (Niche 2026)
• Named one of the Best Places to Live in Virginia (Livability 2024)
• Named 5th Safest City in Virginia (National Council for Home Safety and Security 2021)
• Named Best Place in VA for Working Families (Zippia 2021)
• Named the No. 4 Best Affordable College Towns for Recent Grads – And Everyone Else (Realtor.com 2018)
• Named one of the Top 100 Best Places to Live (Livability 2018)
• Ranked No. 15 Best Places to Raise a Family (Wallet Hub 2019)
• Named the Shortest Commute in Virginia (Business Insider 2019)
• Named 13th Best College Town to Start a Career (Business Insider 2019)
• Blacksburg Transit named Outstanding Transit System of North America (American Public Transportation Association 2019)
• Blacksburg High School named one of the Top 100 Best STEM High Schools in Virginia (U.S. News 2021)
• Virginia Tech ranked 3rd in 2020 Best College Campuses (Niche.com)
• Recipient of the Virginia Municipal League Innovation Award (2022 and 2023)
• The Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad received the 2024 Governor’s Award for Outstanding EMS Agency from Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin

Salary and Benefits

The hiring range for the position is $145,370 - $173,730 annually. The Town provides an excellent benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision insurance; Virginia Retirement System membership; life and long-term disability insurance; flexible spending accounts; a deferred compensation plan; an employee assistance program; annual, sick, holiday, and flexible leave; leave to volunteer for community services and/or children’s schools; an educational incentive program; and the MyTOB wellness and recognition programs. Visit https://www.blacksburg.gov/departments/departments-a-k/human-resources/benefits to learn more.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Responsibilities

• Energizes staff to have a passion for the Town of Blacksburg vision, meet high standards of performance, work together in a unified fashion, and collaborate with partners to meet strategic goals
• Assists the Town Manager in strengthening a collaborative, progressive, creative, innovative, service-driven, problem-solving organizational culture
• Strategically plans for organizational and community growth and development, and helps ensure that the Town’s financial resources align with its strategic priorities
• Continues to build trusting, collaborative relationships with the Council, the Town Manager’s Office, department heads, community partners, and local and regional organizations
• Facilitates cross-department communications
• Develops strategies for accomplishing organizational goals; researches and drafts policies for consideration and implementation by the Town Manager and Council
• Provides direction, leadership, supervision, coaching, and guidance to assigned directors and staff, as well as establishing clear expectations, delegated responsibilities, and performance accountability
• Coordinates solutions within and between departments and works with Human Resources to advise assigned directors on employee matters, consistent with Town policies
• Assists the Town Manager with the direction, control, and evaluation of Town operations, including informing the Manager of operational issues, progress on Town council priorities, and emerging needs. Assists in the preparation of the annual operating budget and Capital Improvement Plan
• Guides cross-department projects and organizational change initiatives, and develops operating procedures to improve coordination and efficiency of service delivery to improve the customer experience
• Represents the Town in various settings and with various intergovernmental groups and officials, and serves on various boards and committees
• Conducts analysis, studies, and reports on complex administrative and operational issues and presents information to the public, outside agencies, advisory committees, commissions, and/or Town Council
• Participates in the development of goals, objectives, policies, and priorities
• Maintains a thorough knowledge of the principles and concepts of municipal administration, including ensuring assigned departmental operations comply with applicable laws, ordinances, Town policies, and direction from the Town Manager and Town Council
• Interprets, explains, and answers questions on ordinances, policies, services, and programs for the public, news media, and staff
• Exercises sound judgment and maintains composure while managing competing priorities and responding to urgent high-pressure operational issues
• Undertakes a variety of special projects and handles general management issues as directed by the Town Manager

Qualifications

• Knowledgeable about the full range of local government operations and able to work across departments to solve problems and deliver results
• An impeccable communicator who builds trust with residents, businesses, community partners, and elected officials, and who can explain complex issues clearly and with respect and empathy to diverse stakeholders
• Experienced working in the council-manager form of government and skilled at supporting the Town Manager and Town Council with sound analysis, clear recommendations, and timely information
• Experience developing, monitoring, and communicating operating budgets and capital improvement programs
• Experienced working across a broad range of municipal departments, coordinating shared priorities, resolving complex issues, and strengthening collaboration to deliver effective Town services
• An excellent problem solver who is adaptable, proactive, and responsive, and who seeks win-win solutions where divergent interests lie
• A person of high ethical standards and integrity who leads by example and thrives in a culture of accountability and high performance

Education and Experience

• A bachelor’s degree in public administration, urban planning, business, finance, or a related field
• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in local government administration, including leadership or supervisory experience
• An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered
• Knowledge of the principles and concepts of municipal administration and general local government operations
• Experience working with the public, community groups, and elected officials
• Preferred qualifications:
  • A master’s degree in public administration, urban planning, business administration, or a related field

Special Requirements

• Valid driver's license with a satisfactory driving record
• Residency within the Town of Blacksburg is required
• This work requires the frequent exertion of up to 10 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 50 pounds of force
• Work regularly requires speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle, or feel, and repetitive motions; frequently requires sitting and reaching with hands and arms, and occasionally requires standing, walking, pushing or pulling, and lifting; work has standard vision requirements
• Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly
• Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound
• Work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities
• Work occasionally requires exposure to outdoor weather conditions
• Work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g., business office, light traffic)