The City of Des Moines has continued to receive accolades from manypublications over the past year. Distinctions in 2014 include #1Wealthiest City in America – TODAY show; #1 Best Medium-SizedMetro Area for Home Ownership – Nerdwallet; #4 Top Ten Places withthe Most Job Opportunities per Capita – Beyond.com. 2013 accoladesincluded “Three Best Cities to Start a Business” – Forbes; #1 “BestPlaces for Business and Careers” – Forbes; #1 “Best Midwest Cities forYoung Adults” – The Business Journals; and many more.

This is a fantastic opportunity to manage and provide leadershipto a progressive city in central Iowa. Des Moines is a capital Citylocated on the Des Moines River. The City of Des Moines is adynamic community that has experienced significant economicrevitalization and growth. Its citizens enjoy sophisticated artsand cultural attractions and a high quality of life from its manyparks and historic neighborhoods.

Des Moines seeks in its next City Manager a respected leaderand manager who is well-versed in finance and budgeting,economic development and municipal operations. The CityManager must work in concert with the Mayor and City Council,City staff, citizens and the business community to be an effectiveleader in Des Moines. The selected individual must also be asteady, progressive and transparent City Manager.

The current City Manager will retire May 30, 2014 after 42years of service to the City with the past eight years as CityManager. Des Moines is a well-managed City and a respectedorganization with dedicated, highly professional staff.

ABOUT THE CANDIDATEThe City Manager of the City of Des Moines is required to possessa Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration or a related field witha Master’s degree preferred and at least five to seven years ofmunicipal management experience as a City Manager orAssistant (or equivalent executive position). Evidence of continuedprofessional development is also important.

The successful applicant shall possess the skills, knowledge anddirectly related experience in effectively leading, managing,motivating and evaluating personnel in activities involvingmunicipal administration, municipal service delivery,neighborhood redevelopment, economic development,infrastructure, (including green infrastructure and sustainability),regional cooperation, and federal and state grants. Experiencein an urban area and management experience in a citygovernment where it would be easy to transition to the City ofDes Moines, are also important.

Other attributes sought in the new City Manager of Des Moinesinclude the ability to effectively communicate and to workcollaboratively with the City Council, employees and theirrepresentatives, various boards, commissions, neighborhoodassociations, and the general public and the ability to effectivelyset and maintain detailed goals and objectives. Also sought arestrong financial, budgetary, organizational and interpersonalskills and effective team building abilities with and among Citydepartments and personnel

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Ability to objectively view the big picture, understand thevision of the City Council and build on what is alreadyhere; and make changes as needed.

• A decisive individual with the ability to analyze complexproblems and identify and implement workable solutions.

• A dynamic, progressive, results-oriented individual who willoperate the City government like a business; listen and seekout new methods and principles and incorporate them intoexisting practices.

• A person with effective interpersonal skills who possessescommon sense and who has a firm hand on Cityoperations and finances; a person who gets things done.

• Thorough knowledge of the basic laws, ordinances andregulations underlying the management and administrationof municipal government.

• A collaborative individual who has the ability tocommunicate and express ideas effectively, both orally andin writing and the ability to establish and maintain a largenumber of effective working relationships.

• An outgoing individual with the ability to maintain effectiveworking relationships with other governmental officials,City employees, organized labor, and the general public.

• An honest, trustworthy, professional individual who willmake a commitment to stay in the position and with the Citygovernment for sometime into the future.

CITY OF DES MOINES — A GREAT OPPORTUNITY

ABOUT THE POSITIONThe City of Des Moines City Manager is selected by andreports to the City Council and he/she serves at its pleasure.

The City Manager of the City of Des Moines assumes theduties of City Manager as specified in the City of Des MoinesMunicipal Code. The City Manager is the ChiefAdministrative Officer of the City and is responsible for theadministration of all departments of the City Government.

Under the policy direction of the City Council, the CityManager shall:

Be the administrative head of the municipal government andexercise all of the powers and perform all of the duties prescribedby Iowa Code Section 372.1 et seq., except as otherwiseprovided by ordinance, resolution, or motion of the City Council.

See the City of Des Moines Municipal Code athttp://library.municode.com/index.aspex?cleintId=13242for further explanation of the powers and duties of the DesMoines City Manager.

ABOUT DES MOINESDes Moines is the commercial, financial, transportation, and governmentalcenter of Iowa. The City’s insurance industry is the third largest in the world –after London and Hartford – and growing. There are over 200 insuranceoffices and headquarters located in Des Moines employing more than 20,000people. Insurance activities are part of a strong local economy that is alsobased in agriculture, manufacturing, technology, education, health care, andother services.

While Iowa is an agricultural state, Des Moines’s economic diversificationreaches beyond the farm economy. As many of the state’s rural communitiesexperience population decreases, the Des Moines metropolitan area continuesto grow, with much of the expansion resulting from the relocation of residentsto Des Moines from rural areas. The variety of components contributing to theCity’s economy creates a stability that is apparent from unemployment figures.The City has historically enjoyed a relatively low unemployment rate for eachof the last three calendar years: 4.9 percent June 30, 2013; 6.0 percent June30, 2012; and 6.0 percent June 30, 2011.

Des Moines is a City blessed with many cultural amenities, ease of commuting,Iowa State government, three higher education institutions, good schools,ample shopping, affordable housing, fine dining, great health care, and astable high-performing local government.

PROFILE OF GOVERNMENT The City of Des Moines, Iowa was incorporated as a townin 1851 and as a city in 1857 under the laws of the Stateof Iowa (later amended under the Home Rule Act).Extending over 80 square miles, Des Moines is home to206,688 people and the central city of a metropolitan areaof approximately 580,000. Des Moines is a river city,intersected by the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers.

Des Moines is the capital of Iowa, and operates under thecouncil-manager-ward form of government. The Mayor andtwo Council Members are elected at-large, while anotherfour Council Members each represent one of the four wardsinto which the City is divided. Terms of office for electedofficials are four years and are staggered.

The City of Des Moines is a full-service City providing a full-range of services, including police and fire protection;sanitation services; park and recreational programs andfacilities; construction and maintenance of infrastructure,including streets, roads, bridges, and sewer utilities;enforcement of building code regulations; traffic control andparking; public housing and other community improvementsand social services; economic development; and six publiclibraries. Water services are provided by Des Moines WaterWorks; bus service by Des Moines Area Regional Transit;wastewater services by the Wastewater Reclamation Authority(WRA); Aviation Services by the Des Moines InternationalAirport, and landfill services by the Metro Waste Authority, allof which are separate from the City. However, the City is theoperating agent for the WRA and some administrativeservices are provided by the City to the Airport.

The City of Des Moines benefits from strong and diverseneighborhoods and a citizenry deeply involved in itsgovernment. The development of 57 recognizedneighborhood associations and the participation of morethan 300 residents who voluntarily serve on boards andcommissions strengthen the basic framework of the City’sgovernmental structure.

The City Council is required by Chapter 384 of the Code ofIowa to adopt an annual budget on or before March 15 ofeach year. The FY 2014-2015 operating budget for the Cityis approximately $451 million and the capital improvementprogram budget is approximately $89 million, for acombined total budget of $540 million for the upcomingfiscal year. The City currently has 1650 full-time employeeswith over 300 additional seasonal employees. Employeesare organized into eight (8) collective bargaining units.

Current Goals of the City:

• Maintain two-year balanced budget strategy. Developnew sources to diversify funding long-term municipalrevenues in the general fund.

• Identify and provide informed input on major legislativeissues facing the City.

• Explore options to fund phase II of municipal servicescenter.

• Develop and implement cost-effective environmentallyresponsible and sustainable policies.

• Maintain aggressive stance on economic developmentefforts that result in a stronger tax base and increasedemployment.

• Improve flood protection improvements in advance ofFEMA re-mapping proposals.

• Staff investment through employee development, healthand wellness, and succession planning.

• Evaluate long term space and facility needs for municipaloperations and administration.

• Improve civic access of local government throughinformation technology strategies.

• Evaluate and enhance safety and security in publicbuildings and parks.

• Create a “City Development Office” to coordinate andexpand fund raising efforts for City projects.

A critical overarching theme of these goals concerns the needto strengthen the ability of the City organization to meet futurechallenges in an increasingly demanding and complexenvironment.

For additional information on the City government of the Cityof Des Moines go to:

www.dmgov.org.

COMPENSATIONThe starting salary for the new City Manager for the City of Des Moines will be marketcompetitive, depending on the experience and qualifications of the selected individual. Inaddition, the City expects to provide an excellent fringe benefit package to the successfulcandidate. Reasonable relocation expenses will also be provided to the successful candidate.

HOW TO APPLYFor additional information on this outstanding opportunity, please contact James L. Mercer,President/CEO, The Mercer Group, Inc. at 770-551-0403; jmercer@mercergroupinc.com

Cover letters, resumes and salary history should be sent to the search consultant shown below:

James L. Mercer, President/CEOThe Mercer Group, Inc.5579B Chamblee Dunwoody Road, #511Atlanta, GA 30338

Voice: 770-551-0403Fax: 770-399-9749E-Mail: jmercer@mercergroupinc.comWebsite: www.mercergroupinc.com

The City of Des Moines is an Equal Opportunity Employer and it Values Diversity at allLevels of the City Governmental Structure