City Manager - City of Elmhurst, IL

City Manager Opportunity in Elmhurst, IL

The City of Elmhurst, IL (pop. 45,700) is seeking a dynamic and accomplished municipal leader for a once-in-a-career opportunity to serve as the next City Manager. Only three City Managers have served the City of Elmhurst since adopting the Council-Manager form of government in 1953. This coveted position is available following the retirement of the current City Manager after more than 15 years of service.

Located approximately 18 miles west of downtown Chicago in eastern DuPage County, Elmhurst is a home-rule community serving over 45,000 highly-engaged citizens. The City is proudly home to key institutions, such as Elmhurst University, Endeavor Health Elmhurst Hospital, the top-rated Elmhurst Public Library and the corporate headquarters of McMaster-Carr.

Three thriving business districts uniquely complement Elmhurst, featuring a variety of restaurants, boutique shopping and retail opportunities. With convenient access to O'Hare and Midway airports, and major transportation corridors such as I-88, I-294, I-290, and the Metra commuter rail, Elmhurst offers an appealing blend of suburban charm and metropolitan accessibility.

The City Manager serves as the City's chief executive officer and is responsible for directing all municipal operations and services in accordance with policies established by the City Council. Reporting directly to the City Council, the City Manager is appointed by the mayor and fourteen aldermen representing the seven wards of the City.

The City Manager oversees all City departments and operations – administration, communications, community and economic development, finance, fire, human resources, information technology, police, public works, including a wastewater treatment plant and engineering services, and the cultural cornerstone, the Elmhurst History Museum.

The City has a total budget of over $200 million with 243 full-time and 35 part-time employees. The full-service municipality has received numerous honors and accolades, including a AAA bond rating, the highest possible long-term credit rating awarded by S&P, Tier-1 police department accreditation from ILEAP, ISO Class 1 fire department rating, and multi-year DuPage Mayors and Managers Innovation Awards.

Qualifications to Lead Elmhurst

• Master's degree in public administration, business administration, or related field preferred; bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum of eight years of progressively responsible municipal management experience, including a minimum of five years in a supervisory capacity.
• Proven leadership abilities to guide a dynamic organization with high customer-service expectations.
• Strong strategic planning, fiscal management skills, and economic development experience.
• Excellent communication, diplomacy, and relationship-building skills.

The Ideal Candidate

The City is seeking a strategic, steady, and highly ethical municipal executive who can lead a sophisticated, high-performing organization while preserving Elmhurst's strong tradition of stability, professionalism, and exceptional public service. The ideal candidate will be calm under pressure, grounded in sound municipal practice, and able to earn trust through transparency, follow-through, and balanced judgment. Success in this role will require strategic vision, fiscal discipline, and the ability to manage change in a community with high service expectations. The next City Manager will be an excellent communicator and relationship builder who is comfortable working with a large City Council, strong department directors, active residents, civic organizations, business leaders, regional partners, and institutional stakeholders. They will understand that Elmhurst values accessibility, responsiveness, and thoughtful public engagement, and they will be able to communicate complex financial, infrastructure, land use, and organizational issues in a clear and credible manner.

Compensation & Benefits

The established salary range is $196,200 to $294,300. The compensation and benefits package will be competitive and negotiable depending on the experience and qualifications of the chosen candidate. Benefits include the following: a vehicle allowance; paid holidays, vacation, personal and sick time; Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois medical and dental insurance; the City contributes annually half the cost of the medical insurance deductible to the employee health savings account (HSA) for those enrolled in this plan at the beginning of each year; VSP vision insurance; life insurance; IMRF pension eligibility; an employee assistance program; voluntary deferred compensation plan options; and a flexible spending account plan option. Residency is desired, but not required.

Application Process

Interested candidates should apply online at and submit a resume and cover letter no later than July 1, 2026. The City of Elmhurst is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, marital status or any other type of discrimination prohibited by law.