City Manager

The City of Statesboro, Georgia, is seeking an experienced, visionary, and collaborative executive to serve as its next City Manager. Following the retirement of long-tenured City Manager Charles Penny, Statesboro stands at an extraordinary turning point. Ranked as one of the fastest-growing cities in Georgia, Statesboro combines a rich Southern heritage with the dynamic, high-energy environment of a major university town. Supported by an exceptional administrative staff and a committed Mayor and City Council, the incoming Manager will lead a high-performing organization, navigate historic regional economic development, and guide critical infrastructure and downtown revitalization projects that will define the city for generations to come. This is a Transformative Leadership Opportunity "The economy is booming... We are in a space no one is familiar with. We want a City Manager who can leverage what we have, embrace our rapid growth, and help us become the next regional powerhouse." * Mayor Jonathan McCollar "This is a great community and an excellent opportunity. We have stability, a good Council, and a dedicated, highly capable staff. The new manager will inherit an organization firing on all cylinders and ready for the future." * Charles Penny, Retiring City Manager Statesboro is entering a period of major growth, presenting exciting leadership opportunities for an incoming City Manager: * Managing Smart Regional Growth: With historic industrial investment in the region and thousands of permitted residential units in the pipeline, the City Manager will guide strategic growth management while preserving Statesboro's authentic community character. * Infrastructure Innovation & Capital Expansion: The Manager will lead major utility and public works initiatives, including expanding natural gas delivery to support regional economic industrial partners, updating wastewater treatment capacity, and advancing key downtown infrastructure investments. * Catalyzing Downtown & Economic Revitalization: A top strategic goal is advancing the Blue Mile Project-that marries Statesboro's past with its future through a multi-million-dollar revitalization initiative designed to connect the Georgia Southern University campus to the historic downtown district along a one-mile stretch of South Main Street in order to create a vibrant downtown corridor. * Building Collaborative Regional Partnerships: The next Manager has a key opportunity to deepen strategic alignment and win-win partnerships with key regional stakeholders, including Bulloch County, Georgia Southern University, the Bulloch County Board of Education, local development authorities and neighboring municipalities. * Workforce Mentorship & Organizational Excellence: Building on a strong organizational culture, the Manager will champion workforce development, strategic succession planning for retiring leaders, and continued investments in staff growth and competitive compensation. * Community Enrichment & Youth Engagement: The Manager will work collaboratively across departments and community partners to enhance neighborhood revitalization, expand affordable housing efforts, and advance innovative, non-policing community programs that empower local youth. About the Organization and the Position The City of Statesboro operates under a highly professional council-manager form of government, where the democratically elected Mayor and City Council appoint a professional City Manager to direct day-to-day municipal operations. Appointed by and working under the direction of the Mayor and City Council, the City Manager serves as the City's Chief Executive Officer. Statesboro's annual FY2026 budget of $103,985M (all funds) supports a dedicated workforce of 360 full-time employees who are passionately driven by the city's mission: to provide the most responsive and progressive public services so that residents, businesses, and visitors can enjoy the highest quality of life the region has to offer. Employees function in alignment with a unified vision to build a vibrant, safe, and inclusive community, prioritizing organizational values such as integrity, innovation, stewardship, and remaining explicitly mission focused. The City Manager directly supervises an executive team and oversees comprehensive municipal operations across core functional areas, including: * General Government & Judicial: Administration, Human Resources, Finance, Planning & Development, Engineering, Central Services, Public Affairs, and Municipal Court. * Public Safety: Police and Fire Services. * Public Works: Streets, Parks, Fleet Maintenance, Solid Waste, and Stormwater. * Public Utilities: Natural Gas System, Water Distribution, Sewer Collection, Reclaimed Water, and Wastewater Treatment. The City Manager also works continuously with Mayor and Council to enhance community engagement through nine advisory boards and commissions. About the Community: Founded in 1803 and serving as the county seat for Bulloch County, Statesboro is a dynamic municipality that serves as the economic and cultural hub of its region. Recognized as a finalist in America's Best Communities Competition and with its downtown named a Renaissance City by Georgia Trend Magazine, Statesboro offers a high standard of living committed to inclusive, high-quality public services. While the permanent city population stands at approximately 35,000 residents, the daytime population frequently swells to 100,000 or more due to a massive influx of students, workers, and visitors. Statesboro is proudly home to Georgia Southern University (GS), which hosts over 20,000 students and injects a unique, energetic social dynamic into the area, giving residents front-row access to collegiate sports, world-class lecture series, and diverse cultural arts. Located just 45 miles from Savannah, the region is currently experiencing a historic economic boom, fueled in part by its proximity to the new Hyundai manufacturing mega-plant, which is driving substantial residential subdivision development and business expansion across the city. Statesboro is a diverse, majority-minority community with highly engaged residents. The community offers an exceptional quality of life, combining a rich Southern heritage and active neighborhood associations with the progressive amenities of a major university town. Statesboro's tight-knit connection is reflected in the city's thriving tradition of community events-ranging from interactive municipal town halls to popular, family-centric gatherings like "Pizza with Police" nights and holiday trick-or-treating at the Police Department. Residents of Statesboro enjoy a wealth of recreational and wellness opportunities that enrich daily life for all demographics. The city's dedicated Parks Division and active environmental initiatives, such as "Keep Statesboro-Bulloch Beautiful," ensure access to beautifully maintained public spaces, neighborhood greenways, and robust athletic programs. Key Organizational Priorities: * Strategic Plan Facilitation: Lead an inclusive strategic planning process incorporating input from the Mayor, City Council, municipal staff, and the public to chart a unified roadmap for Statesboro's future. * Organizational & Leadership Assessment: Conduct a comprehensive review of operations, infrastructure needs, and staffing structures while earning trust across all city departments. * Capital Infrastructure Strategy: Identify federal, state, and intergovernmental grant opportunities to fund critical utility expansions, especially gas, and advance the $8M-$10M Blue Mile infrastructure phase. * Elected Body Alignment: Ensure strong, transparent communication and individual working relationships with the Mayor and members of the City Council to support policy execution. Qualifications: * The successful candidate will have a minimum of 10 years increasingly responsible professional experience in local government management, with five years of progressive experience as a department head or assistant city manager. * Minimum of bachelor's degree is required while a master's degree is strongly preferred. Must have proven track record in effective intergovernmental relations, personal community engagement, economic development successes, leading cohesive and strategic change, visionary leadership, and being adept at leading and implementing strategic planning to meet community goals. * ICMA certification is desired. The Successful Candidate: * High ethical integrity and conviction, combined with a humble, compassionate, and collaborative leadership style. * Demonstrated expertise in municipal finance, budget management, and capital project execution. * Exceptional intergovernmental and diplomatic skills to navigate complex political environments and build regional consensus. * A track record of empowering department directors while holding operations accountable to performance metrics. * Comfort and poise in representing the City's interests before state legislators, regional authorities, and community organizations. Salary and Benefits: The salary range for the position is $210,000 to $255,000. Starting salary is dependent on qualifications and experience. The City of Statesboro provides a comprehensive benefits portfolio. View more of the City's excellent wellness-focused benefits here. * Comprehensive health, vision, and dental insurance plans. * Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and robust retirement savings plans. * Dedicated, free employee health clinic and wellness/fitness facilities for staff and dependents. * Performance increases. * Negotiable relocation assistance.