City Manager

Review the job description for City Manager. A number of the underlined keywords have links to interview questions for that keyword or job function.

Description:  The City Manager leads a committed staff of more than 300 employees. The City provides municipal services including public safety; community development & redevelopment; public works; community services, including parks, recreation, youth, disability and senior services; human resources; information technology; and a sanitation/solid waste collection division. The selected candidate will be an inclusive and communicative leader with excellent administration skills, and a collaborative management style.

• Directs and administers all departments, agencies, and offices of the City to achieve goals within available resources; appoints, removes and evaluates management staff directly and other staff indirectly; reviews operational progress and directs changes as needed.

• Establishes policies and procedures for the City in order to implement directives from the City Council

• Directs and evaluates the long-range operational needs of the City with respect to equipment, personnel, and services; directs the implementation of such plans across departments.

• Directs the formulation and enforcement of all City rules, regulations, and procedures in accordance with applicable City polices; handles grievances, maintains discipline and the general conduct of all City employees.

• Supervises and coordinates the preparation and presentation of the annual City budget; oversees the expenditure of City appropriations; evaluates the need for and recommends staffing levels and the purchase of new equipment, supplies, and services.

• Oversees the development and implementation of growth management, land use, economic development, and other community development programs and services to meet the City's needs pursuant to adopted plans, regulations and budgets.

• Directs the preparation of monthly reports to the City Council regarding the activities of all departments and supervises a variety of other reports as appropriate.

• Attends conferences and meetings to keep abreast of current trends in the profession; represents the City in a variety of local, county, state and other meetings.

• Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of effective supervision and administration; thorough knowledge of modern policies and practices of public administration; considerable knowledge of municipal finance, human resources, community and economic development, public works, and public safety operations.

• Skill in planning, directing, and administering municipal programs and services; skill in operating the listed tools and equipment.

• Ability to efficiently and effectively administer a municipal government; ability to analyze the effectiveness of City operations, to diagnose its problems, and to correlate its development with changing conditions within the community; ability to effectively supervise staff; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, City officials, consultants, other governmental agency representatives and the general public; ability to communicate effective orally and in writing.

You have the management experience and skills for a City Manager.  Make a perfect presentation with the Complete Interview Guide with Supervision Interview Guide including behavioral/situational questions for supervisors and answers to the toughest supervisory questions.  Answer questions naturally without sounding rehearsed and be confident for your interview.

• Learn how to practice right for the interview.

• Good or bad?  I wish, I think, I feel.

• How can hand gestures improve your interview performance?

• Why are mock interviews important?  Why isn't one mock interview enough?

• Why you shouldn't use limiting words such as "only" or "just"?

Plus:

• Answers to the toughest interview situations - follow-up letters, illegal questions, salary, job history questions and more!

• How to answer and how not to answer

• Questions to ask the interviewers

• What should you do the day of the interview?

• Identify possible interview questions

Review these critical interview tips before your interview:

• Interview Etiquette

• How to Dress for Your Interview

• Questions to Ask the Interviewers

Search for current trends and subject areas for your City Manager interview:

• Economic development

• Job creation

• Community policing

• Pension reform

• Benefits

Practice City Manager Interview

1. Tell us about yourself and what interests you in the City Manager position?
   Tips on your interview opening.

2. Tell us about your qualifications.

3. What do you see as the role of city government in keeping the cost of government down while providing essential services to residents?

4. The citizens are diverse and are very involved in this community with many different perspectives. Have you ever been in a position where two people wanted you to take opposite positions on the same subject?

5. Please tell me about one mistake you made in a previous job and how you handled it.

6. What do you think you bring to this job that others might not?

7. Do you consider your management style to be most like a commander or a coach? 

Follow-up:  Give us an example.

8. In this job every day is different, and even though you have a to-do list for the day, a telephone call or e-mail can change everything. How do you take care of the unexpected and still get your other work done?

9. What do you see as the threats and opportunities facing our city?

10. Thank you for your time today. Before we conclude, do you have any additional information regarding your qualifications for this position? 

11. Do you have questions you would like to ask the council members present today?
    Tips on your interview closing.