Kansas City seeks a collaborative and experienced leader to serve as its next CITY MANAGER
Starting salary range: $250,000 - $325,000 DOQ/E + Excellent Benefits
COMMUNITY PROFILE
Kansas City, Missouri is a growing, world-class community of over 512,000 residents that serves as the central hub for a thriving bi-state, 18-county metropolitan area of 2.5 million residents. Spread throughout 318 square miles, Kansas City derives numerous benefits from its large geographic size while facing the demand of providing exceptional services to areas ranging from higher-density urban development to more rural and agricultural zones.
Kansas City is the largest city in the state of Missouri and continues to expand an already strong business base as a significant economic engine in the Midwest and nationally. The city continues to benefit from significant investments, including the recently completed new terminal at Kansas City International (KCI) Airport, thousands of new and renovated units of attainable housing, preparation to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and an ongoing downtown renaissance that has transformed the urban core since 2000.
GOVERNANCE AND ORGANIZATION
Kansas City operates under a council-manager form of government with a 13-member City Council that includes the Mayor. As the chief administrative officer, the City Manager oversees an organization with 4,700 budgeted FTEs supported by a total operating budget of approximately $2.5 billion. The City Manager reports directly to the Mayor and City Council and oversees all aspects of the City’s operations, directing the departments of Aviation, City Planning and Development, Civil Rights & Equal Opportunity, Convention and Entertainment Facilities, Finance, Fire, General Services, Health, Housing & Community Development, Human Resources, Law, Municipal Court, Neighborhood Services, Public Works, Water Services, and all divisions and responsibilities established under the Charter and the Kansas City Code of Ordinances. The City Manager works collaboratively with leadership at the Parks and Police Departments, with ultimate reporting authority for those departments to city and state-appointed boards of directors, respectively.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
• Bachelor’s degree plus 7-10 years of increasingly responsible executive-level experience in either public or private sector organizations
• Experience leading and developing an executive-level leadership team
• Supervisory experience of professional staff
• Strong financial and budgeting skills
• Excellence in strategic planning and implementation
Preferred:
• Master’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, or related field
• Advanced executive-level training
• Experience with Kansas City or similar-sized municipal organizations or organizations of similar complexity
• Demonstrated success in community engagement and working with varied stakeholders
• Experience with labor relations and collective bargaining
• Knowledge of urban planning, economic development, and infrastructure management
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Kansas City seeks a highly experienced and collaborative strategic leader with outstanding communication skills. The successful candidate will be:
• Proficient at leading and managing a complex, multi-faceted organization
• Knowledgeable about various local government operations
• Skilled at working effectively with employees and labor groups
• Focused on customer service and responsiveness
• Able to create a leadership team adept at problem-solving and pursuing continuous improvement
• Committed to transparency, stakeholder inclusiveness, and engaging with active citizenry
• A person of high integrity and ethical behavior who ensures accountability
• Possessing outstanding interpersonal skills and open to differing viewpoints
• Patient, with good instincts and excellent judgment
• Respectful of community and organizational traditions while moving forward in positive directions
• Receptive to new technologies and promoting innovation
• Able to remain calm and effective in politically charged situations
IMPORTANT NOTES
Residency Requirement: The selected candidate must establish residency within the city limits of Kansas City upon appointment or within a reasonable timeframe as determined by the City Council.
Contract Term: Though an “at-will” position, the initial contract is anticipated to run at least through the end of the current Mayor and Council term ending on August 1, 2027. Upon contract expiration, the City Manager will continue to serve subject to future action of the City Council.
Application Process: Both internal and external candidates are welcome to apply.
HOW TO APPLY
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and professional resume to KCMOManagerSearch@kcmo.org with the subject line “City Manager Application.”
Resumes are due by 12:00 pm (noon) Central Daylight Time on Wednesday April 16, 2025.
• Only finalists will be contacted for interviews
• Background checks and academic verifications will be conducted for finalists
• For more information about Kansas City, please visit www.kcmo.gov
The City of Kansas City, Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).