Dayton, Texas is a rapidly growing community, and is a great place to live, work, and play.  Located 30 miles east of Houston, Dayton offers the slower pace of a small community, with every amenity offered nearby in the country’s 4th largest city, offering a quality of life not easily found in suburbia.  With a steady growth rate and a proud community spirit means that Dayton is not only a great place to raise a family but is looking for highly trained outstanding professionals to take on the task of helping the city grow.  Well-paying jobs and economic stability lead to growing neighborhoods and retail centers which Dayton is already experiencing.

Dayton operates as a council-manager form of government with home rule status. The Dayton City Council is comprised of five Council Members, and a Mayoral position elected at-large by place.  The Mayor and Council are looking for a new City Manager to serve as the chief executive and provide administrative oversight to all functions of the City of Dayton, lead a highly dedicated professional city staff of over 100 FTE positions, and manage an annual operating budget of $20.3 million.

Dayton’s conservative approach to its finances has earned an S&P AA- (stable) bond rating and has created a fiscally sound organization.  The city is served by an all-volunteer fire department, with an ISO 2 rating, and contracts Emergency Medical Services. In addition, the city has established a Type B economic development entity, the Dayton Community Development Corporation.

The City Manager will be responsible for planning and executing community development and economic development projects in partnership with the DCDC, which is comprised of a city-council appointed board.  The City Manager will report to the Mayor and City Council and will have a contractual agreement with the DCDC board related to any current and future economic development activities and projects.  The DCDC board is a legislative body that is subject to Council approval.

The new City Manager will need to have the political aptitude and emotional intelligence to effectively lead a high-performing team, have a heart for the community, a passion for public service, and a business-mindset dedicated to the continuous improvement of City services across all sectors of the population.  The successful candidate will be a bridge builder that embraces collaborative partnerships, has exceptional communication skills and a leadership presence, both within the organization and in the community. This dynamic leader must also be a values-based professional that is deeply committed to transparency and will make decisions that are in the best interest of the Dayton employees and the community as a whole.

A bachelor’s degree in Public Administration or related field is required.  A master’s degree is preferred.  A minimum 5 years of experience in Public Administration, and at least 3 years of which were in supervision. A combination of education and experience that indicates a level of skill and knowledge necessary to fulfill the duties of this position may be considered in lieu of the education and experience requirements listed above.  The selected candidate must live in the City of Dayton or move to the city within 6 months of employment.  Economic Development certification (CEcD) is desirable.