Mulberry, FL – City Manager

About the Position

Are you an experienced, highly energetic, ethical, decisive, strategic, and values-driven servant leader who has a passion for local government? If so, apply to become the City of Mulberry’s next City Manager.

 The City is seeking an exceptional leader who is:

• Experienced in economic development and community engagement
• Collaborative, transparent, and strategic leader with outstanding communication skills
• Passionate about developing teams to deliver exceptional public services

Conveniently located at the intersection of Florida State Roads 60 & 37, the City is centrally located on a main travel route between Lakeland and Bartow, providing easy access to shopping, healthcare, restaurants, and employment while maintaining a more peaceful residential environment. Nearby metro areas of Tampa and Orlando, along with their international airports are each about an hour drive from Mulberry.

The City of Mulberry operates under a Commission-Manager form of government. The Mulberry City Commission consists of five members and a Mayor. Mulberry provides an array of traditional municipal services including Administration; Code Enforcement & Permitting; Public Works; Utilities; Finance; City Clerk; Human Resources; Community Library; Culture & Programs; and Outreach & Engagement. Law Enforcement and Fire/EMS services are provided through service contracts with the Polk County Sheriff’s Department and the Polk County Fire/EMS Department, respectively. Planning services are provided by the Central Florida Regional Planning Commission (CFRPC) in Bartow.

The City Manager serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the City of Mulberry and has, in the past, served as the Executive Director of the Mulberry Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). The position is responsible for the professional administration and day-to-day operations of the City and its Departments, implementation of the City’s strategic vision, and directing all municipal activities, redevelopment initiatives, and economic development efforts.

The City of Mulberry seeks an experienced, highly energetic, ethical, decisive, strategic, and values-driven servant leader who has a passion for local government to become its next City Manager. The ideal candidate will be a person with a high level of emotional intelligence who possesses advanced interpersonal and listening skills, a proactive, transparent, collaborative, and “no surprises” management style. A demonstrated history of building consensus to achieve community and organizational goals is desired. The selected individual will be an experienced municipal leader who understands the details associated with municipal operations, can help set the vision for the organization, establish obtainable goals, and be a visible champion for exceptional customer service that Mulberry’s residents and stakeholders expect.

Required qualifications include:

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Planning, Finance, Political Science, or closely related field.
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible executive or senior management experience in municipal government, county government, special district administration, or a related public sector organization.
• Minimum five (5) years of supervisory experience in municipal government, public administration, or a related leadership role.
• Valid Florida Driver’s License (or ability to obtain).
• At the time of appointment, the City Manager need not be a resident of the City or State of Florida but shall reside within the City during tenure of office.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Master’s degree in Public Administration, Leadership, Business, Management, or related field.
• At least five (5) years of experience managing or working as a CRA Director.
• Certified Public Manager, ICMA Credentialed Manager (ICMA-CM), FRA Redevelopment Administrator (FRA-RA), Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), Emergency Management certification, or similar professional credential.
• Experience with economic development, downtown revitalization, grant acquisition, and public-private partnerships.
• Knowledge of Florida Sunshine Law, Public Records Law, procurement, budgeting, ethics, and land use regulations.

The salary range for this position is $145,000 – $185,000, depending on experience and qualifications, coupled with an array of traditional municipal benefits.

For more information on this position, contact:

Doug Thomas, Executive Vice President – Recruitment & Leadership Development

[email protected]

863.860.9314