Description
Parchment, a small-town community located in the Kalamazoo metro area in southwest Lower Michigan, seeks a City Manager looking for a long-term relationship with the community. With a population of 1,919, Parchment “The Paper City” offers a wonderful place for families, businesses, and industry. Residents highly value the small-town atmosphere, safe and walkable neighborhoods, and excellent parks and schools. The ideal candidate will be a leader who wishes to immerse themselves in the attributes that make Parchment a charming and thriving place to live and work.
The Commission encourages the next City Manager to treat Parchment as their home and enjoy the many local events, including the Kindleberger Festival of Performing Arts in early July each year. Summer concerts are on the Kindleberger stage on most Sundays from June through August, the Scottish Festival is held at the Parchment Community Library, and numerous events are held there.
In Parchment, you will find a forward-thinking City Commission, solid departmental leadership, and a supportive and hardworking staff. This position demands strong collaboration and communication skills both internally and externally. Excellent written communication skills are necessary as the writing of grants has brought significant money into the community. Transparency is a core desire of Parchment local government, and the ideal candidate should embrace this attribute. The successful candidate will find a City with solid financials, high-quality parks, and good relationships with local area governments, including Kalamazoo County.
The City seeks a manager who values teamwork and has excellent communication skills with the Commission, staff, and citizens. The greater Parchment community engages with the City because of Parchment Schools’ boundaries. The City Manager is expected to work together with the Parchment Schools, various community organizations, and neighboring municipalities.
Candidates with a bachelor’s degree in public administration, finance, or a related field are preferred. We also prefer the candidate to have some related governmental experience or a master’s degree.
The salary range for the City Manager position is $75,000 to $90,000; the final salary will be based on qualifications and experience.
DEADLINE January 6th, 2025
To Apply:
Please submit resume, cover letter, consent form, and five professional references to or by selecting the "Apply Now" button on the right-hand side of the page (you CAN upload more than one document):
Email: execsearch@mml.org
Subject Line: Parchment Search
Questions can be directed to MML Executive Recruiter Curtis Holt at cholt@mml.org.
Candidates desiring confidentiality of their interest, as allowed for and provided by Michigan law, must indicate such in a separate subject line above the body of the cover letter.
This search is conducted by an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Requirements
The City is seeking a motivated and experienced local government administrator and will consider applicants who possess the following knowledge and experience:
- Grant writing
- Marketing and branding
- Understanding of economic development tools
- Understanding of local government finance
- Have astute negotiation skills
- Strong administrative skills
- Ordinance enforcement
All applicants need to be prepared to address these important skills that the City Commission and staff are focused on:
- Outstanding communication skills
- Willingness to listen to citizen and Commission concerns and be responsive to those concerns
- Aspirational approach to management
- Open door to staff, Commission, and citizens
- Detail oriented with vision
- Ability to manage people through empowerment
- Servant leader
The incoming city manager will be an effective leader and a partner working collaboratively with the City Commission, staff, and the community. They should have the following traits:
- Personable, humble, accountable
- Ability to communicate with a diverse group of citizens
- Understands the unique needs of a small municipality
- Accountable and will ALWAYS provide follow-up
- Thick-skinned and ability to stand ground with development community
- Big picture thinker
- Communicates with the Commission, staff, and the community on multiple platforms and in person
- Understands the commission–manager relationship fully
