City Administrator

Background

The City of Cleveland Heights is an inner‑ring suburb of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, with a population just under 45,000 people. The City boasts a diverse populace, rich in engaged residents and community activism and participation. We were established as a city in 1921 and operated under a Council‑Manager form of government until 2022, after a citizen‑led ballot initiative, when the City changed its charter to transition to a Mayor‑Council form of government.

This charter change also created the position of the City Administrator, envisioning a collaborative leadership partnership between the Mayor and City Administrator, with the Mayor providing vision, guidance, and goals, and the City Administrator providing the strategic planning and operational oversight to achieve the City’s objectives.

The City Administrator position reports exclusively to the Mayor of Cleveland Heights, with delegation of authority granted by and through the executive. Subject to the supervision and control of the Mayor, the City Administrator acts as the chief operating/administrative officer of the City and manages the operation of departments in their fulfilment of the functions and responsibilities of the City government.

The City Administrator serves as a primary advisor to the Mayor of Cleveland Heights in the administration of the City’s operations, budget, policies and procedures, and implementation of a clearly defined vision and strategy.

The list of duties and responsibilities is illustrative only, and is not a comprehensive listing of all the duties and responsibilities performed.

• Assists the Mayor in the development and implementation of a clearly defined strategic plan for the City’s operations, delivery of services, and growth and development.
• Advises the administration on organizational process improvement and performance assessment, including direction to department directors and other division heads on issues relevant to the efficient operation of the City.
• Serves as the direct supervisor for all department directors, except those related to public safety, and provides day‑to‑day oversight and management of overall organizational operations.
• Oversees all finance and budgeting operations, working closely with the Finance Director and communicating regularly with the Mayor.
• At the direction of the Mayor, assists with the negotiations and administration of the collective bargaining contracts with the City’s bargaining units. Assists, manages, and provides oversight to the grievance procedure process while working with bargaining units to bring cases to resolution and/or settlement.
• Manages and conducts special studies and projects, including researching, analyzing, and recommending strategies relating to organizational, administrative, and operational issues throughout the City. Participates in teams and committees in support of these efforts.
• Ensures adherence to state and federal laws such as ADA, EEO, FMLA, and OSHA, as well as other applicable rules and legislative requirements. Similarly ensures that subordinates adhere to and meet federal, state, and local laws applicable to their positions.
• Collaborates with the Human Resources Director regarding the City’s performance measurement/metrics and training programs, providing assistance and oversight to staff as deemed necessary by the Mayor. May oversee the disciplinary review process and subsequently make recommendations of appropriate discipline, exercise supervision of personnel in related areas of responsibility, and perform other tasks as requested.

(These are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work performed. The omission of specific duties does not exclude them for the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment of the position.)

Exercises supervision of personnel in related area of responsibility.

This position requires analytical skills, organizational skills, customer service abilities, as well as oral and written communication skills. Incumbent must manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously in a…