Confidential
Executive Search
|
Progressive Municipality in British Columbia

destinationone
Consulting is pleased to partner with a progressive and growing municipality in
British Columbia to recruit an accomplished and strategic Assistant City
Manager.

This
confidential executive search presents a rare opportunity for a senior
municipal leader to play a pivotal role in supporting the City Manager and
executive leadership team in advancing the municipality’s strategic priorities,
operational excellence, and long-term community outcomes.

In this dynamic
and high-impact role, the Assistant City Manager will serve as the
City Manager
’s primary internal second-in-command, helping drive corporate strategy
execution, cross-departmental coordination, and enterprise-wide initiatives
that support Council priorities and the organization’s long-term vision.

Working closely
with the City Manager and senior leadership team, the successful candidate will
help ensure alignment across departments, strengthen organizational leadership
capacity, and support the effective delivery of municipal services to a growing
and diverse community.

This role forms
part of the municipality’s long-term leadership succession planning,
offering the opportunity for the successful candidate to progressively expand
responsibilities while contributing to the continuity of executive leadership
within the organization.

The
Opportunity

Reporting
directly to the City Manager, the Assistant City Manager is a senior
executive responsible for supporting enterprise-wide leadership and ensuring
that Council-approved priorities, corporate objectives, and organizational
initiatives are executed effectively.

The Assistant
City Manager works across the organization to coordinate strategic initiatives,
remove operational barriers, and ensure that departments are aligned with the
municipality’s strategic plan, corporate priorities, and service delivery
expectations.

The role also
supports the City Manager in maintaining strong relationships with Mayor and
Council through coordinated briefings, committee participation, and the
delivery of high-quality information to support effective decision-making.

This position
plays a critical role in strengthening organizational leadership, operational
execution, and strategic coordination across the municipality.

Key
Responsibilities

Executive
Leadership and Corporate Coordination

• 
  Support
  senior leadership across the municipality on behalf of the City Manager,
  supporting the coordination and advancement of corporate priorities and
  initiatives.
• 
  Identify
  and advance key initiatives that require cross-departmental coordination and
  strategic alignment.
• 
  Support
  the City Manager in providing leadership oversight, coaching, and direction to
  team members as assigned.
• 
  Strengthen
  organizational leadership capacity through mentorship, leadership development,
  and succession planning initiatives.

Strategic
Planning and Enterprise Performance

• 
  Support
  the development and execution of the municipality’s Strategic Plan and
  corporate business planning processes.
• 
  Support enterprise
  performance management and multi-year business planning, ensuring alignment
  between strategic priorities, departmental work plans, and measurable outcomes.
• 
  Lead
  or sponsor enterprise-wide initiatives such as service reviews, organizational
  transformation projects, and process improvement efforts.
• 
  Monitor
  progress of corporate initiatives and support corrective action where required
  to maintain alignment with Council priorities.

Council
Relations and Governance Support

• 
  Support
  the City Manager in maintaining effective communication with Mayor and Council
  on operational and strategic matters.
• 
  Provide
  delegated Council briefings and support Council committees or commissions as
  required.
• 
  Integrate
  information from multiple departments into clear briefing materials and
  recommendations to support informed Council decision-making.
• 
  Attend
  Council meetings and committees as delegated to present staff reports, respond
  to questions, and coordinate follow-up.
• 
  Coordinate
  corporate responses to Council direction by assigning actions across
  departments and monitoring progress.

Operational
Leadership and Risk Management

• 
  Through
  collaboration with senior leadership, ensure that municipal operations are
  implemented in accordance with Council policies and approved budgets.
• 
  Identify
  emerging operational risks, strategic issues, and cross-departmental challenges
  and escalate appropriately.
• 
  Lead/support corporate problem-solving on complex files with organization-wide impact,
  ensuring decisions reflect a corporate perspective.

Organizational
Communication and Alignment

• 
  Maintain
  a strong internal communication environment so leaders and staff clearly
  understand corporate priorities and organizational decisions.
• 
  Foster
  collaboration across departments to ensure coordinated service delivery and
  organizational alignment.

Executive
Leadership Continuity

• 
  Act
  for the City Manager when delegated to ensure continuity of executive
  leadership and organizational decision-making.

External
Representation

• 
  Represent
  the municipality externally as delegated by the City Manager in meetings with
  other levels of government, regional partners, agencies, and community
  stakeholders.
• 
  Maintain
  strong relationships with key stakeholders to support collaboration and
  alignment with municipal priorities.

Requirements

Ideal
Candidate Profile

The ideal
candidate is a collaborative and strategic municipal leader who
brings strong political acumen, business judgment, and the ability to navigate
complex organizational environments.

They are a
trusted advisor capable of balancing competing priorities while maintaining a
corporate perspective that aligns resources, risks, and strategic objectives
across the organization.

The
successful candidate will demonstrate:

• 
  strong municipal governance knowledge
• 
  the ability to build alignment across
  departments and stakeholders
• 
  experience advising senior elected officials and
  executive leaders
• 
  outstanding communication, briefing, and
  presentation skills
• 
  the ability to lead complex initiatives and
  drive organizational change

Core
Leadership Capabilities

Business and
Financial Acumen

The successful
candidate will demonstrate strong commercial thinking and operational
discipline, approaching municipal leadership with the strategic focus and
financial accountability of a well-run organization.

Experience
supporting executive-level decision-making related to budgeting, capital
planning, and fiscal oversight is essential.

Economic
Development and Growth Awareness

Experience
supporting initiatives related to:

• 
  economic
  growth
• 
  investment
  attraction
• 
  land
  development
• 
  commercial
  development initiatives

Land
Development and Infrastructure Awareness

Understanding
of:

• 
  development
  processes
• 
  land
  use planning
• 
  infrastructure
  planning
• 
  growth
  management strategies

Operational
Leadership

The
successful candidate must demonstrate the ability to:

• 
  drive
  execution across departments
• 
  ensure
  complex initiatives move forward
• 
  remove
  organizational barriers
• 
  mobilize
  teams to achieve results

People
Leadership

The role
requires exceptional leadership capability including:

• 
  supporting senior leaders
• 
  building
  strong internal relationships
• 
  motivating
  teams across departments
• 
  achieving
  results through collaboration

Governance
and Legislative Awareness

The successful
candidate must demonstrate a strong understanding of British Columbia’s
municipal legislative and governance framework, including legislation such as
the Community Charter, Local Government Act, and related public sector
governance practices.

Cultural Fit

The executive
leadership team operates within a collaborative and close-knit
environment that values trust, humility, and professionalism.

The
successful candidate must demonstrate:

• 
  humility
• 
  emotional intelligence
• 
  strong interpersonal awareness
• 
  professionalism and respect for others

Required
Qualifications

• 
  Master’s
  degree preferred in Public Administration, Business Administration, Urban
  Planning, or a related discipline
• 
  Minimum 10+
  years of progressively senior leadership experience in a complex
  public-sector environment, with municipal experience strongly preferred
• 
  Demonstrated
  success in corporate strategy execution, cross-departmental leadership, and
  executive-level advisory roles
• 
  Strong
  understanding of British Columbia municipal governance and legislative
  frameworks
• 
  Valid
  driver’s license

Compensation

The anticipated
compensation for this executive leadership role is up to approximately $208,000
- $275,000 annually, along with comprehensive municipal executive benefits (depending on the band).

About
destinationone Consulting

destinationone
Consulting is a North America based strategic recruitment, executive search,
and HR advisory firm serving purpose-led organizations across high-impact
industries. Our sector expertise spans CleanTech, Education and EdTech, Health
and Med Tech, Healthcare and Wellness, Government (Municipal, State, and
Federal), Non Profit, Sustainability and other public sector domains.

How to Apply

If this
opportunity aligns with your skills and career goals, please apply with an
updated resume in MS Word format.

While we may
not be able to contact everyone, we will connect with candidates whose profiles
most closely match the requirements of the role.

Rest assured,
your profile will remain in our network, and we will reach out when a suitable
opportunity arises.

To learn more
about us and stay updated on opportunities, follow destinationone
Consulting on LinkedIn.

Confidentiality
Notice

This
search is being conducted on a strictly confidential basis.

Due to
the sensitive nature of this executive role, detailed information regarding the
organization will be shared only with shortlisted candidates.

Shortlisted
candidates will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement
(NDA) prior to participating in detailed discussions and interviews.