Urbandale, IA (47,205) - The City of Urbandale is seeking a creative, passionate, and forward-looking leader to become its next City Manager. The current City Manager is retiring after 15 years in the position. The City has had only two City Managers in the past 40 years.

Incorporated in 1917, Urbandale today is the fourth largest community in the Des Moines metro area behind Des Moines, Ankeny, and West Des Moines. The City lies within two counties (Polk and Dallas) and is bordered by five other municipalities. Urbandale is also home to six public school districts and two private schools. The community is less than 15 minutes from the Des Moines International Airport, downtown Des Moines, the state capital, and an impressive array of cultural, entertainment, shopping, and dining opportunities.

Throughout the region, Urbandale is known for its high quality of life, safety, excellent schools, diverse housing options, and many special events and festivals that it hosts throughout the year. In 2020 and 2021, Urbandale was ranked as one of the Top 100 Places to Live by Money magazine.

The Municipal Government

The City of Urbandale operates under the Council/Manager form of government. It is governed by the Mayor and a five-member City Council elected at-large to four-year overlapping terms. The Council appoints the City Manager, who is responsible for overseeing the municipality's day-to-day operations and implementing Council policies and directives.

The City of Urbandale has 295 full-time and 63 part-time employees. The City's annual operating and capital improvements budget totals $77.8 million. The City provides a full range of municipal services, including police, fire/EMS, public works, engineering, parks and recreation, economic development, community development, library, finance, human resources, and water utility.

The City Manager is responsible for overseeing all operating departments and for advancing the policy priorities established by the Mayor and City Council. Candidates for the City Manager position should be well-versed in all aspects of municipal operations. The City Council desires a City Manager who is committed to upholding Urbandale's core values, including the following:

Sustainability - Commit to environmentally sustainable practices in all municipal operations, programs, projects, and facilities.
Quality of Life - Ensure all community members can access human services, cultural enrichment, recreation, and excellent urban infrastructure.
Safety - Work closely with departments to provide robust and effective services, including law enforcement, fire protection, and emergency preparedness, to ensure a safe environment for all residents, businesses, and visitors.

Candidate Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in public administration, business administration, or other related field.
- Master's degree is preferred but not required.
Ten years of progressively responsible leadership/managerial experience in a municipality or some similar organization.
A collaborative leader who builds and maintains strong relationships with diverse individuals and groups.
Is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all municipal operations and activities.
Has strong financial management and budgeting skills.
An empowering leader with a team-oriented management style that allows staff to perform duties without unnecessary intervention.
Committed to and experienced with regional approaches to addressing challenges and opportunities.
An outstanding communicator who values, understands, and practices community engagement, transparency, and open-minded listening.
Is results-oriented and takes pride in the timely delivery of the priority outcomes of the City Council.
Is a forward-leaning professional who pursues and embraces innovative approaches, methods, practices, and technologies to serve the needs of the City of Urbandale.
Is politically astute.

Challenges and Opportunities

The new City Manager will be expected to address the following major challenges and opportunities during the first 24 months of employment with the City of Urbandale:

Facilitate the support, communication, and resources to implement recently completed Council strategic plans, which include: Council Strategic Plan and the Human Services Strategic Plan.
Use recently completed plans (Urbandale GHG Emissions Report and the Sustainable Urbandale Action Plan) to position the community to address climate change and its impacts on the community.
Lead the revitalization of the City's central business district and the continued development of the North Park/Plum Drive corridors with direction from the Forward Urbandale Master Plan, NorthPark/Plum Drive Master Plan, and the Downtown Urbandale Master Plan.
Position Urbandale to address critical community housing needs, including housing affordability and availability.
Effectively lead the organization as currently structured and in planning for succession for several senior staff retirements that are expected over the next four years.
Proactively address revenue restrictions the State of Iowa has placed on local governments.

Compensation and How to Apply

The annual starting salary range for the position is $200,000 to $230,000 +/- DOQ/E. The City of Urbandale provides the City Manager with a highly competitive array of fringe benefits, including a monthly vehicle allowance. Relocation assistance may be negotiated with the successful candidate. Apply online at with a resume, cover letter, and contact information for five professional references by October 21, 2024. Confidential inquiries may be directed to Mark Peterson, MGT Approved Independent Executive Recruiter, at Tel: or Charlene Stevens, Vice President of Human Capital Solutions, at Tel: .

The City of Urbandale is an Equal Opportunity Employer

National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) jobs

City Manager - City of Urbandale, Iowa