City Manager Job Description

City of Vancouver, WA

City Manager Position Description 

Vancouver is situated on the north bank of the Columbia River directly across from Portland, Oregon. The Pacific Coast is less than 90 miles to the west and the Cascade Mountain Range rises on the east. Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and Mt. Hood are less than two hours away while the spectacular Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area lies 30 minutes to the east. A vibrant, growing city, Vancouver has an incorporated population of 200,000, a direct service population of nearly 300,000 (utilities and fire/EMS), and an urban growth area population of nearly 400,000.  The city is in a sustained period of significant growth and urbanization, adding more than 30,000 new residents in the last 10 years.  After 17 years of service with the city – 14 as City Manager - the current City Manager is retiring from public employment.  The organization is remarkably stable due to the departing City Manager’s long tenure of leadership and has an organizational structure that includes a leadership core of two Deputy City Managers and 14 department directors that collaborate on organizational direction and strategy in alignment with policy direction from the Council.  

The City Council is seeking a candidate that can reinforce and accelerate the current trajectory of the city and support a seamless transition of leadership.  Vancouver’s next City Manager will be a seasoned municipal leader with demonstrated skill and experience in the full range of core leadership and management competencies.  They will be actively engaged with all facets of the city organization and be skilled at cultivating relationships and partnerships external to the organization. As a proven strategic leader with high interpersonal competence and emotional intelligence, the next City Manager will be capable of defining and communicating a unified vision and purpose, leveraging all resources and tools to achieve it. Qualified candidates possess a bachelor’s degree in public administration, Planning, Business Administration, or a closely related field as well as fifteen (15) years of increasingly responsible municipal experience, including a minimum of five (5) years as a City Manager or Deputy City Manager of a comparatively large, complex, full-service organization. A master’s degree is preferred.  

The retiring manager has an executive compensation package that includes a base salary of $344,000 plus fringe benefits, and the successful candidate will be competitively compensated based on the knowledge, skills, abilities and experience they bring to the role.  Residency inside the city limits is required by city Charter. 

If you are interested in this outstanding opportunity, please visit our website at www.bobmurrayassoc.com to apply online. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Ms. Valerie Phillips at 916-784-9080. 

Filing Deadline: May 26, 2024