The City of Richmond is seeking an experienced municipal leader to serve as the next Chief Administrative Officer.
ABOUT CITY GOVERNMENT
The City of Richmond operates under a strong Mayor-Council form of government whereby the Mayor is elected at large by a plurality of voters in at least five of the city’s nine council districts.
The Mayor serves a full-time, four-year term overseeing the executive management of the city’s departments and agencies. The Mayor acts as chief executive officer (CEO) with responsibilities that include submitting the
annual budget to City Council, selecting a Chief Administrative Officer, issuing regulations, and making recommendations on revenue and funding transfer matters. The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), who reports to the Mayor, is directly responsible for the city’s day-to-day municipal operations. The CAO is appointed with the approval of City Council.
Richmond City Council consists of one elected representative from each of the City’s nine council districts to represent their residents in creating and amending local laws, providing policy and government oversight, and approving the annual city budget.
ABOUT THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
The City of Richmond’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) provides overall strategic direction and management oversight to City departments and functions and ensures implementation of the goals, policies, and performance expectations of the Mayor and City Council. The role of the CAO is a critical and mission essential leadership position that establishes and maintains strong working relationships with elected and appointed officials, contractors, vendors, employees, regulatory agencies, professional organizations and the community.
The CAO’s responsibilities include comprehensive management and overall leadership for the organization including policy development and interpretation and administration of programs, processes, functions, budgets, and staff. The CAO is also responsible for the effective and efficient operation of all City departments and for developing and implementing the 2025 Strategic Action Plan, which ensures the successful operation of City Departments.
The annual salary range for this position is $227,280 – $379,568.
Supervision and Reporting
The CAO supervises management, professional, paraprofessional, and support level staff, including conducting performance evaluations, coordinating training, and implementing hiring, discipline, and termination procedures. The CAO reports to the Mayor.
Example of Duties
In alignment with the responsibilities of the position, the Chief Administrative Officer has duties across the following areas:
- Administration and Management: Responsible for the administration and management of the day-to-day operation of a full-service municipal organization that includes more than 30 agencies, a general fund of over $1 billion, and over 4,000 employees.
- Budget: Oversees the development and management of the City budget, executes the strategic priorities of the City, ensures organizational effectiveness and responsiveness to the Mayor, and manages the City in accordance with established policies and procedures.
- Personnel: Responsible for the recruitment, appointment, evaluation, development and retention of key senior executives and department heads.
The CAO is also responsible for the City’s overall communications, customer service, organization effectiveness, finances, information technology, human resources, operations, major projects, and other agencies/functions as assigned by the Mayor and mandated by the City Charter.
QUALIFICATIONS
The qualified candidate for the Chief Administrative Officer position with the City of Richmond will possess a bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, or a related field. A master’s degree in a related field is preferred. The qualified candidate will also have at least ten (10) years of substantial relevant municipal experience at the City or County Manager/Administrator or Deputy City or County Manager/Administrator level and the demonstrated knowledge, experience, leadership, complex problem solving ability, professional
competence, and organizational vision and excellence required to lead the City of Richmond.
The ideal candidate will be knowledgeable in the following areas:
- City Council procedures and processes
- Human Resources Management
- Local government planning and processes
- Interaction among departments and divisions of local government, including City Council and their staff
- Budget administration
- Federal, state, and local government
- Accounting/Finance
- Process for O&R submissions and approvals
- Government and governance
- State codes
The ideal candidate will be a demonstrated collaborator with excellent communication and conflict resolution skills, a high level of political acumen, and an appreciation for working with a diverse population with a commitment to customer service. Additionally, the ideal candidate will possess sound judgment, ethics and integrity, and will have the ability to motivate employees and unite them under a clear vision in service of all residents of the City of Richmond.
TO APPLY
The City of Richmond is partnering with PoliHire and The Robert Bobb Group to recruit their next Chief Administrative Officer. The first review of candidates will occur in mid-February. If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply below to submit a letter of interest and your resume.
Once your application is successfully transmitted, you will receive an auto-generated acknowledgment email. Please be aware that this conformation email may be in your junk/spam folder.