City Manager Jobs

Ojai's Government

The City functions under a Council-Manager form of government, with an elected Mayor and four Council Members. The Council appoints the City Manager, who hires all staff other than the City Attorney. Police services are provided by contract with Ventura County; fire services are provided by a county special district. The City has approximately 28 full-time employees and numerous part-time and contract employees. Departments include Finance, Community Development, Public Works, Recreation and the City Manager's Office. Human Resources and Risk Management are functions of the City Manager's Office.

The Community

The City of Ojai, a town of 8,000 residents, is nestled in the northwest corner of Ventura County. Ojai is known for its tourist and arts activities, including Southern California's renowned tennis tournament "The Ojai," and the Ojai Music Festival, a classical event which attracts talent from national and international sources. It is also the home of the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa resort, an upscale full-service destination venue that attracts tourists from the across region and abroad. Ojai offers spectacular living in a small-town atmosphere and is adjacent to the Los Padres National Forest. For more information visit https://ojai.ca.gov/

Opportunities and Challenges

The City Manager Will Be Responsible For

• Dealing positively with a variety of citizen activists in the delivery of services
• Developing a reasoned and effective infrastructure maintenance program within available resources
• Maintaining the unique nature of the community while playing an integral role as one of ten cities in Ventura County
• Becoming and staying active in the Community
• Stabilizing redevelopment programming and funding
• Maintaining a stable financial base
• Achieving a positive public attitude toward the business of the City and its employees
• Addressing long-term unfunded liabilities for employee retirement and retiree health
• Displaying a strong leadership position with City staff and its delivery of municipal services
• Following Council priorities for short and long-term planning projects

The Candidate

The City desires a combination of educational achievement and experience from its next City Manager.

Education And Experience

• Experience in overseeing infrastructure development and maintenance
• Experience in managing finances and budget development
• Experience in development of urban planning policies
• Equivalence of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in public administration, political science, business administration or related field (an advanced degree in public administration or related field is desirable)
• Seven years of increasingly responsible management experience in municipal government with at least three years as an Assistant City Manager or Department Head

Skills And Knowledge

• Planning, organizing and directing the work staff
• Developing and administering department goals, objectives and procedures
• Selecting, supervising, training and evaluating staff
• Identifying and responding to community and City Council issues, concerns and needs
• Analyzing problems, identifying alternative solutions, projecting consequences of proposed actions and implementing recommendations in support of goals
• Preparing clear and concise administrative and financial reports

Management Style and Personal Traits

The candidate will be expected to be a hands-on manager without micromanaging. The candidate must be a good listener, accessible, and approachable by the community.

Licenses; Certificates; Special Requirements:

A valid Class C California driver's license and the ability to maintain insurability under the City's Vehicle Usage Policy.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this class, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, talk, and hear, both in person and by telephone; use hands to operate standard office equipment; and reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, or crouch to access or place records or files; lift and carry records, documents, and presentation materials, typically weighing less than 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Mental Demands

While performing the duties of this class, the employee is regularly required to use oral and written communication skills; read and interpret data, information and documents; analyze and solve problems; observe and interpret data and situations; use math and mathematical reasoning; perform highly detailed work under changing, intensive deadlines, on multiple concurrent tasks; work with constant interruptions; and interact with officials, citizens groups, employees, management, and others encountered in the course of work; occasionally subject to conflicts.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The employee primarily works in an office setting but also works in the field, traveling to different locations within the city to view proposed projects, assess city facilities, and meet with department heads and other officials. In the office setting, the noise level is usually quiet or moderately quiet. In field settings, the employee could be exposed to loud noise and be under variable weather conditions at different sites. Driving may be required to visit project sites, and public meetings.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Ojai is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Ojai will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective employees and incumbents to discuss potential accommodations with the city.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary: $168,096.00 to $181,543.68 annually

Deferred Comp: ICMA; City matches lesser of 3% of salary or $200/month.

Retirement: City participates in California Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) and Social Security.

Health, Dental, Vision, Disability: Participation in PERS health plans; City pays 100% employee and 80% of dependent premium up to PERS Choice rate; City pays 100% of employee premium for dental and vision. City paid short- and long-term disability and life insurance.

Holidays: 13 Holidays

Vacation: Initial 88 hours per year with subsequent additions for longevity.

Sick Leave: 96.0 hours per year.

Life Insurance: City paid, $30,000 Life plus ADD

Post-Employment Benefits Program: Employees hired after Nov. 1, 2010, who work 10 years continuously and retire from the City, will be eligible to participate in the CalPERS health plans after retirement; City pays the "Employer Minimum Contribution" toward the retirees' premium.

Disaster Service Worker: In accordance with Government Code Section 3100, City of Ojai Employees, in the event of a disaster, are considered disaster service workers and may be asked to respond accordingly.

This recruitment is continuous, but may close at any time without notice. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible. Facsimiles, electronic mail, photocopies, and final filing date postmarks will not be accepted.

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