Special Projects Manager

Under general supervision, conducts analyses and makes recommendations on a wide range of municipal programs, operations, services and policies. Resolves highly sensitive and complex issues; coordinates or serves as City Administrator's liaison to a variety of interdepartmental and multi-organizational teams. Reports to the City Administrator.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Participates with City Administrator in framing Council's vision and strategies for accomplishing organizational initiatives; advocates City, Federal, state, and regional cooperation where opportunities exist to further the City's and region's goals.
• Represents and supports the City Administrator with City Council, community meetings and civic events; make presentations, deliver programming, and provide input as needed.
• Recommends, reviews, and evaluates proposals for new programs and services; confers with administrative and management level staff, public officials, and members of the public; recommends changes in administrative policies, organization, programs, methods, and procedures.
• Works as the city project manager to coordinate, consult, and communicate with other departments, architects, landscape architects, contractors, planners, commissions or committees, public agencies, developers and in the development of public infrastructure and buildings, feasibility studies, concepts, planning, design, and construction related to city-lead and involved capital construction projects.
• Directs the work activities of assigned technical and administrative support personnel; prioritizes and coordinates work assignments, reviews work for accuracy; recommends improvements in workflow, procedures and use of equipment and forms.
• Provides the City Administrator with accurate and timely information to support decision-making and policy direction.
• Assists the City Administrator in the preparation, coordination, review and presentation of a variety of citywide financial and organizational planning documents including the City's Comprehensive Review Plan, Strategic Plan, and Capital Improvement Plan.
• Assists the Assistant City Administrator, Planning and Zoning Department and staff with special projects, including planned developments, zoning code updates, and comprehensive planning.
• Responsible for annexation coordination.
• Serves as liaison to the Architectural Review Board, including but not limited to oversight of submittals and attending meetings.
• Serves as primary point of contact on commercial site plan review.
• Research grant opportunities, provides initial grant review and summary to assess feasibility; prepares grant request and information reports.
• Collaborates with key personnel related to grant administration and compliance; provides regular updates with appropriate parties.
• Assist with the preparation of grant proposals to include writing and submitting grant application, supports copy-editing of grant application and grant reports to ensure accuracy, consistency, and alignment with application requirements.
• Provides professional planning assistance to member communities on varied land use projects.
• Promotes innovation, critical thinking and creativity in developing approaches and solutions to City needs.
• Empowers all levels of staff to be proactive and participatory. Promotes, encourages and leads collaboratively in seeking new ways to share resources, ideas and best practices in order to optimize service delivery organization wide.
• Attends City Council meeting and works session, researches, responds, and prepares correspondence, performs as necessary follow up and communicated with City management on sensitive and confidential issues.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Master of Public Administration degree, required.
• Two years of professional planning experience, required.
• A valid Driver's License is required.
• Candidate shall have a strong knowledge of South Carolina planning and land use regulations, to include annexation.
• A combination of education and experience totaling five (5) years may be considered.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of principles, practices and methods of public administration; functions and services of City government and the roles of Administrator and City Council.
• Knowledge of principles, methodology, practices of research, data collection, program analysis and report preparation.
• Knowledge of effective public relations techniques.
• Knowledge of administration and monitoring of contacts and grants.
• Knowledge of computer programs and applications, which may include Microsoft Office, Internet applications econometric or transportation modeling, and database management.
• Principles of leadership, supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills for preparing and presenting planning reports and projects.
• Excellent interpersonal skills for facilitating relationships with elected/appointed officials or other decision-makers.
• Creative problem-solving skills to gather relevant information to solve less well- defined planning problems.
• Group facilitation skills for use with community workshops.
• Ability to work on several projects or issues simultaneously.
• Ability to provide effective supervision and staff management.
• Ability to manage projects effectively and meet firm deadlines.
• Ability to facilitate in-person and virtual public participation activities.
• Ability to interpret and apply pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, rules, and regulations.
  Ability to exercise effective judgment, tact and diplomacy in policy and personnel matters and consider the needs of all interests and effected parties as well as the long-term impacts on the City.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The work requires exerting up to 5 to 15 pounds of force occasionally and the following physical abilities:
hearing, mental acuity, repetitive motion, speaking, talking, and visual acuity.

MENTAL DEMANDS

Frequently requires performing multiple tasks simultaneously and working closely with others as part of a team. Occasionally requires time pressures, emergency situations, frequent change of tasks, irregular schedule/overtime, and tedious or exacting work.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work is typically performed indoors with limited exposure to adverse environmental conditions. Some travel required to attend meetings or conduct site visits.

SAFETY

Employee is responsible for adhering to all safety procedures and regulations established by the Department, the City and all State and Federal organizations. Any safety concern should be reported to a supervisor immediately.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

The City of Goose Creek is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Prospective and current employees should contact Human Resources to request an ADA accommodation.

DISCLAIMER

Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were written out in this job description.

The City reserves the right to revise this position description at any time.