The Chapman Group
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The Opportunity
The Chapman Group is assisting their client, The Village of Valley Waters in hiring a Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to join the municipal team. The CAO is the senior leader and administrative head of the municipality and reports directly to the Village's Council.
The role has a variety of tasks that require diverse skills and knowledge. The incumbent will need to be a self-motivated and visionary leader; with a proven track record for their engaging, strategic and collaborative leadership style.
This position will help lead the Council as the senior policy advisor, lead the municipal team to maintain peak performance of resources, and lead the delivery of programs and services to the community as approved by Council.
As the senior leader and representative of the municipality, they embody the local government's values in the community and lead by example to create and sustain an organizational culture where everyone feels valued and respected.
Valley Waters, was legally incorporated as a Village on January 1st, 2023, merging the communities of Norton, Springfield, Kars, Wickham, the former Norton LSD and part of the former Upham LSD. It is governed by six Councillors representing four Wards, and a Mayor.
It is a rural area covering 726 square kilometers, with an economy largely tied to farming and forestry. Its year-round population of 5000 expands in summer months welcoming many cottage owners and boaters to the Belleisle Bay and Saint John River.The municipality provides services including three fire departments, recreation assets, and a Public Works Department and wastewater system in Norton.
Note: This position requires the individual to work in an office and team environment with normal business interruptions expected. The individual must be willing to step outside of the job description and possibly take on additional responsibilities and work flexible hours as needed.
What you'll do
Responsibilities
▪ Develop and maintain a meaningful relationship of trust with Council, organizing and attending all Council and committee meetings, providing recommendations to address strategic and governance issues as necessary
▪ Direct the operations of the municipality, ensuring plans, policies, procedures, and by-laws are developed, ensuring directions of Council are implemented
▪ Assist Council and make recommendations in the preparation and execution of strategic plans, including the development of business and action plans, measuring the success of those plans
▪Direct interface with the community, managing operational expectations and articulating and promoting the strategic vision of Council
▪Fiscal and administrative management, including office management, budget preparation and management, financial controls, optimizing resources, procurement and contract negotiation, business and capital planning as well as financing
▪Monitor and manage all matters associated with risk, legal, regulatory compliance, finance, policy, business development, infrastructure and asset management, public and employee safety, environment
▪ Act as the official link between Council and Municipal operations
▪ Lead, motivate, and develop the municipal team, fostering employee, volunteer, and contractor engagement to provide a high level of service to the residents of the Village
▪Asset and infrastructure stewardship, management, and planning, including fleet, heavy equipment and emergency response assets, structural assets, roads and linear assets, wastewater system, and recreational, tourism and heritage assets
▪ Fosters relationships with other municipalities and the Regional Service Commission to address common issues
▪ Develop relationships and liaise with provincial and federal levels of government, ensuring regulatory compliance and promoting collaboration where possible
▪ Develop and manage relationships with community, residents and businesses, organizations, institutions, contractors, and other potential stakeholders, communicating effectively and transparently to influence the outcome of potential opportunities and challenges, and bringing those to Council as appropriate
▪ Act as the sustainable economic development, tourism development, and community development officer for the Village, and work with current and potential planners and developers for long-term viability of the community
▪Other related duties, responsibilities, and functions as necessary.
What you'll need
Qualifications
▪ Relevant degree in Business or Public Administration, or equivalent
▪ Minimum five (5) years of progressive senior managerial experience, preferably in a public sector, multi-stakeholder environment having a transparency and public accountability paradigm
▪ Demonstrated knowledge of applicable governance, legislative, regulatory, legal, and financial framework within which local governments operate
▪Administrative and fiscal planning and management experience
▪Experience with infrastructure planning and management
▪ Understanding of organizational structure and processes as they apply to a municipal setting
▪ Experience in a public-facing role, with strong interpersonal, diplomacy, and consensus-building skills
▪Excellent verbal and writing skills and a knowledge of effective marketing and public communications
▪Advanced skills in leadership, citizen-engagement, intergovernmental relations, grantsmanship, and stakeholder relations
▪Ability to work collaboratively with elected officials, community volunteers, boards and committees, and the general public
▪ Strategic thinker with strong analytical, planning, decision-making and problem-solving skills
▪ Experience with policy development
Compensation: The salary range for this role is between $75,000-$99,000 commensurate with qualifications and experience.
We're looking for
Core Skills
A little bit about us
The Chapman Group
We are happy to support our client with this recruitment.
Are you interested?
Work With Us
We thank all candidates for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.