Management Consultant - Municipal Tech Adv Service (Nashville, TN)

at  University of Tennessee Knoxville

:
The University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) seeks applications for a Municipal Management Consultant in its Middle Tennessee office- Nashville. MTAS is an agency of the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service and provides consulting, technical assistance, training, and research services to Tennessee cities.

EDUCATION:

The position requires a master’s degree in public administration or in a related field.
Experience:
This position requires at least five years of employment in local government and including three years as a city manager or six years as an assistant city manager. Preference is given to experience as a city manager or assistant city manager in a city with a minimum of 10,000 in population. Extra consideration will be given for additional experience in city management.
Prefer experience as a city manager or assistant city manager in a city with a minimum of 10,000 in population. Extra consideration will be given for additional city management experience.

SKILLS:

Requires knowledge and understanding of the problems faced by city officials. Front-line city manager experience is necessary to establish credibility and effective working relationships with city officials. Requires independent planning and processing of projects, questions, training, etc. The work is both in the field as well as time spent in the office and as such, requires constant scheduling and updating of work activities. The consultant must provide advice and assistance to city officials in the operation of their respective offices. In doing so, the consultant must also possess the following skills: 1) managerial, 2) analytical, 3) conceptual, and 4) interpersonal. These skills are used on a daily basis in identifying a specific city’s problem and providing the advice and assistance to solve the problem. A high level of cognitive or intuitive skills are necessary to fully understand, design, and implement successful solutions to municipal problems.

Provides professional advice and assistance primarily to elected and appointed municipal officials. Also, provides advice and assistance to non-city clients such as elected and staff members of the Tennessee General Assembly, employees of state agencies, staff of the Tennessee Municipal League, and officers of professional associations of municipal officials. Professional advice covers a broad range of issues and problems. A project may be as complex as strategic planning, comprehensive reorganization of a city, a council retreat, or providing the answer to a question. Develops and maintains close working relationships with both elected and appointed city officials for the assigned cities. Instructs training courses for city officials. Maintains an area (or areas) of specialization and serves as the in-house expert to MTAS staff in that area - such as zoning, risk management, economic development, or parks and recreation. Researches, drafts, and maintains information on critical issues that are geared to various reader levels of legal sophistication and managerial experience, including articles for the Tennessee Municipal League’s newspaper, Tennessee Town and City, technical reports, and on-line information for municipal officials, and employees. Administration and Professional Development - Includes team meetings, agency meetings and retreats, IPS meetings and retreats, maintaining records on all relevant activities, including the agency databases for work products from projects and questions for use of other consultants and for reference by cities. Includes activities related to keeping current in the fields of expertise. This involves time at professional meetings and conferences, seminars and training classes, professional reading, and computer training.