Assistant Town Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Town of Garner Seeks Next Assistant Town Manager 

The Town of Garner   seeks a dynamic, innovative, problem-solving, and service-oriented leader for its next Assistant Town Manager . This executive will be a partner to the Town Manager, Assistant Manager, and staff as well as an effective contributor to a strong Council-Staff relationship with a commitment to the Community’s goals and the Town’s Strategic Plan.

Successful candidates will have a track record of working effectively within the Council-Manager form of government, leading talented staff, managing the challenges of growth in alignment with Town values and priorities. They will have experience working with a diverse and participatory community, regional partners, and the Council to carry out the community’s strategic priorities.

About the Community: 

This All-America City of over 47,000 residents is in Wake County, adjacent to Raleigh, the capital city of North Carolina. Wake County is part of the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area, one of the largest research parks in the world. Located in a region consistently ranked among America's best places to live, work, raise a family, and earn a quality education, Garner is a diverse community that truly offers something for everyone.

In addition to being known for its hometown character, historic downtown area, good schools, and quiet neighborhoods, Garner residents enjoy over 874 acres of parkland and recreational open space, a thriving economy, and great community events, with various shopping and local entertainment venues. Through public and private investment in Garner’s historic downtown, the Town continues to expand its effort to make historic downtown a destination for recreation, entertainment, and entrepreneurialism.

White Deer Park and neighboring Lake Benson Park—located in the heart of Garner near or adjacent to numerous neighborhoods—have 160 acres of open space and several miles of paved and unpaved trails. White Deer Park’s LEED Gold-certified Nature Center offers educational programming year-round for kids and adults. Residents can also enjoy boating and fishing on scenic Lake Benson. Garner has retained the hometown persona that reminds us that family, quality of life, and service to others are keys to a thriving community. Garner is conveniently located between the striking Blue Ridge Mountains and the beautiful North Carolina coast.

About the Organization: 

Operating under a non-partisan Council-Manager form of government, the Town Manager reports to a Mayor and five Council members. The Assistant Town Managers report to the Town Manager. With AAA bond rating from Standard and Poor’s rating agency and excellent stewardship of tax dollars, the Town is regarded as a fiscally responsible and well-managed government. The FY27 budget is $97.4M with a property tax rate of $.535 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. A team of 346 employees, not including part-time and seasonal staff, serve the citizens of Garner across 15 departments. The FY26 and FY27 budgets have made insignificant investments in the Town’s workforce to ensure salaries and benefits remain competitive. The Town is hard at work advancing projects identified for the 2021 Bond Program totaling $69 million.

Current and future plans for Garner are guided by its strategic plan, which staff uses in developing and implementing the annual budget and work plans within the following focus areas:

• Fiscal Responsibility
• Efficient and Timely Service Delivery
• Orderly Growth
• Quality of Life

Garner’s Strategic Plan Refresh is underway with a target to complete by the end of 2026.

About the Position: 

Under the general direction of the Town Manager, the Assistant Town Manager (ATM) serves as a member of the senior management team which also includes the Town Manager and a second Assistant Town Manager. This position will assist the Town Manager in a variety of broad Town management and leadership issues. As one of two ATMs reporting to the Town Manager, the experience and credentialing of the successful candidate is equally focused on both technical and leadership skills. The current portfolio for this ATM position includes operating departments such as Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources, and Public Works; and service departments including Communications, Information Technology, and Strategic Initiatives. The final portfolio will depend on the skills and strengths of the person hired. 

The successful candidate is an energetic, proactive collaborator and coordinator of people and tasks with excellent interpersonal, project management, and operational skills. 

Key Priorities for the next Assistant Town Manager:

• Lead multiple complex and sensitive assessments of Town operations and management projects including implementation of the Town’s refreshed Strategic Plan.
• Conduct and supervise studies of operational problems and make recommendations for improvements or evaluate recommended changes in organization, policies, procedures, or courses of action.
• Prepare reports and correspondence to express objectives, findings, recommendations, and goals to the Town Manager, Town Council, etc.
• Serve on the Town’s Budget Team which works collaboratively to recommend and manage the Town’s annual budget and CIP.
• Support the work of the Town’s Public Art Advisory Committee.
• Identify and seek grant opportunities to increase accomplishment of fiscal goals.

Qualifications: The successful ATM candidate will have a minimum of 5-7 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in municipal management with at least three years at a department director level role or above. Experience as a Town Manager or Assistant Town Manager is preferred. Completion of a master’s degree in public administration, business, or related area and considerable experience in public sector management; or an equivalent combination of education and experience required.

The Successful Candidate is: 

• A progressive leader with a proven track record in innovative municipal management;
• Skilled in leading cross-functional teams using a collaborative, team-based style to resolve complex problems and capitalize on opportunities with creative solutions;
• Knowledgeable of governmental organization and public administration theories, principles, and practices, including budget administration; management research and evaluation techniques, methods, and procedures;
• Has an excellent track record in establishing and maintaining working relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders such as Town staff, Council Members and other public officials, business and community leaders, the development community, and the general public through demonstrated personal community engagement;
• Decisive and willing to make decisions while keeping key stakeholders informed;
• Resilient in the face of challenges and seeks creative solutions to problems; 
• Keenly analytical and critical thinker while being accessible and personable; 
• Commits to the highest level of customer service and community collaboration by routinely seeking stakeholder input to effectively achieve Town goals; 
• Someone who possesses executive level skills in interpersonal and written communications, strategic planning, finance and budget development, critical thinking, administration, personnel management, and intergovernmental relations; 
• Someone who effectively cultivates an outstanding workforce through development and management of staff talent; 
• Someone who thrives in a high accountability culture to ensure that the Town continues to succeed and meet the expectations of citizens and employees alike; and,
• Proactive and can monitor and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures against performance metrics.

Salary and Benefits: 

Please note that the Town is willing to negotiate starting salary for the selected candidate commensurate with experience (determined by qualifications, background, and experience). To learn more about why Garner is a great place to live and work, click here (or copy and paste the following into your browser: Employee Benefits | Town of Garner, NC (garnernc.gov)

Application Process:

Applicants should apply by Oct. 11. Application review begins the week of October 12, 2026. All inquiries   about this position should be emailed to Chief Human Resources Officer Karen A. Harris at View email address on us.fitly.work

Equal Opportunity Employer