TOWN CLERK - Chapel Hill : Job Details

Summary

The Town of Chapel Hill seeks a motivated, inspirational leader with impeccable organizational skills to serve as its next Town Clerk.Chapel Hill's Town Clerkserves asthe official secretary for the Town Council,custodian of the official seal and all legal documents for the Town and acts as records manager. The Town Clerk's portfolio will include essential responsibilities related to Chapel Hill's Town Council, Board and Commission meetings organization and operations, maintenance of public records, and supporting the Town Manager and leadership team; therefore, leadership and collaborative aptitude are critical for this position.

This position is for the municipal professional with a customer service mindset and outstanding supervisory skills. The next Town Clerk has successful experience maintaining responsibility for employee performance, accountability, development, and annual evaluation. The ideal Town Clerkseamlessly works with employees, various community members and stakeholders, bridges gaps, and cultivates a collaborative, unified work environment. The Town Clerk is a member of the Town'sleadership team, and works closely with the Town Council, and board and committee members across the Town's multiple Boards and Commissions.

The Town Clerkeffectively balances the position's daily responsibilities, including compliance, management, and accountability, along with short- and long-term strategic planning to update and simplify processes and technology and implement creative and proactive solutions to workload challenges.Chapel Hill's next Town Clerk enjoys interacting with others and has a proven track record of developing and cultivating relationships with staff and stakeholders, including Council, and vendors.

About the Organization and Position:

The Town operates under a Council-Manager form of government,with the Town Manager reporting to the mayor and eight at-large council members.The Town has an approved$150 million budgetfor FY 23 - 24 with 715 benefitted full-time positions and 200 non-benefited positions.

The Town's mission is Learning, Serving, and Working Together to Build a Community Where People Thrive.The Town's RESPECTvalues(Responsibility, Equity, Safety, Professionalism, Ethics, Communication, and Teamwork) are a compass for accomplishing that mission.

The Town's strategic focus areas include Environmental Stewardship, Economic and Financial Stewardship, Affordable Housing, Connected Community, Healthy and Inclusive Community, Safe Community, and Employee Recruitment and Retention. Find more information about the Townhere.

Chapel Hill's Town Clerk,reporting to the Town Manager,supports the management of the Office's $900K budget and is responsible forapproving expenditures, budget transfers, reimbursements, and revenue receipts for the Mayor and Town Council.The Office of the Clerk has 4 FTEs, including one direct report to the Town Clerk.

Primary responsibilities for the Town Clerkinclude but are not limited topublishing legal notices of all Council and other town government meetings, researching, and providing requested information to Council members, staff, and the public, and coordinating and overseeing the release of information to the media and the public. The Town Clerkdevelops and maintains a citizen database to notify issues before the Council and advisory boards and empathetically, promptly, and diplomatically responds tocommunity inquiries. Additionally, the Town Clerkadministers the Americans with Disabilities Act for the Town and conducts an annual survey of Town facilities, services, activities, and programs to ensure compliance.

Essential Functions

Key Position Priorities:

* Improve morale and mentorship within the Office of the Clerk through intentional efforts that foster team and relationship building within and outside the daily working environment.

* Participate collaboratively with the Town Manager, the Town's Senior Leadership Team, and, when appropriate, the Town Council on the strategic planning and visioning process to ensure consistent performance and strategic direction of the Office of the Town Clerk.

* Develop goals and priorities and cast a vision for the department while educating staff (both within the Office and across the organization) on the value and significance of the department's roles and create a working environment that curiously explores opportunities for improvements and embraces change.

* Streamline roles, responsibilities, and processes and improve/enhance training within the department to ensure quality, consistency, compliance, and accountability in the town's records management system.

* Assess what technology, equipment, and software upgrades are essential to the department's functions and advocate for funding current and future improvements.

Minimum Qualifications

Qualifications:

The successful Town Clerk candidate will have an education equivalent to a minimum of a bachelor's degree (public administration or political science preferred), appropriate professional certifications, and experience as a Town Clerk in North Carolina. Certification as a North Carolina Municipal Clerk is strongly preferred.

The Successful Candidate:

* Has a thorough knowledge of:

* North Carolina General Statutes and local ordinances governing the responsibilities of Town Clerks;

* the organization and functions of town government;

* standard modern office administrative practices and procedures employed in the processing, safekeeping, and utilization of official town records and documents;and,

* the principles of grammar, spelling, and composition;

* exercises sound judgment in making decisions in conformance with laws, regulations, and policies and performs the oath for Town employees and volunteer board and commission committee members as required by law;

* serves as custodian of public records, including preparing and maintaining ordinances, resolutions, and electronic files and records; facilitates all public records requests; provides training concerning public records law; archives records and provides town-wide record management, including records retention and disposition, and disaster recovery;

* executes legal documents by affixing the proper signatures of Town officials and attesting to their compliance with general statutes and local ordinances;

* attends Town Council meetings, work sessions, retreats, staff meetings, and necessary committee meetings of the Council; records proceedings of meetings and prepares meeting minutes for timely review;

* serves as a liaison between Town staff, Town Council, and the public concerning such matters as complaints, requests, and suggestions; adequately handles issues unless direct involvement of a higher-level official is required;

* is knowledgeable of Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher; Adobe Acrobat and related features; agenda management software; MUNIS and GRANICUS experience desirable; time-keeping and other associated records management software;

* skillfully manages confidential information and sensitive public contact matters;

* effectively communicates ideas, both orally and in writing;

* demonstrates a commitment to excellent customer service and holds self and staff accountable for prompt delivery of same;

* has outstanding organizational skills with an eye for detail and emphasis on follow-through;

* has the ability to work autonomously; has a track record of assuming responsibility, dealing effectively with problems, and exercising proper judgment when making decisions;

* effectively balances multiple tasks and be flexible in a dynamic, demanding environment with frequent interruptions; and,

* projects a strong sense of professionalism with the ability to remain impartial and objective.

Supplemental Information

Salary and Benefits:

The hiring range for this position is $89,735 - $116,000. Compensation is negotiable based on experience and qualifications. View the Town's excellent benefits packagehere.

About the Community:

The Town of Chapel Hill, founded in 1819 and chartered in 1851, was named for the Church of England New Hope Chapel, which once stood atop the hill's crossroads. This thriving, multicultural university community has a population of over 60,000 and frequently appears in national best place to live listings. As home to the nation's first public institution of higher learning and a lively and successful Tar Heel sports program, Chapel Hill is a picturesque community of 21 square miles filled with trees, historic and mid-century architecture, and a thriving downtown.

Chapel Hill is a recognized pioneer in education, research, and innovation - a place where ideas are born. Home to brilliant minds, award-winning restaurants, innovative businesses, highly rated public schools, museums, galleries, festivals, and athletic events, and a vibrant music and performing arts scene, community members and visitors have abundant opportunities in this creative town. The Town's fare-free transit system provides community members with accessible transportation.

Town community members are passionate about supporting the Tar Heels and showcasing their Carolina Blue, and they are equally passionate about equity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, and community character. Our community enjoys pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, greenways, trails, and over 700 acres of parks and open space. Lovely in springtime with woodland wildflowers, greenways, trails, and dazzling gardens with azaleas blooming in multicolor, Chapel Hill has a thing for nature.

Located in the beautiful Piedmont region of central North Carolina, Chapel Hill sits within a few hours of the coast and the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and is less than a 30-minute drive from Research Triangle Park and the RDU International Airport. Our major employers are the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, UNC Health Care, and Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools. These thriving institutions help sustain a stable employment base consistently above state and national benchmarks. Our emerging entrepreneurial community is led by LaUNCh, an internationally recognized business accelerator program and collaborative venture of the Town, Orange County, and the University. Demographically, the racial composition of Chapel Hill in the 2020 census was 71% white, 14% Asian, and 10% black. About 7% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

How to apply:

To apply,please visit

click on thetitle of Town Clerk- Town of Chapel Hill, NC. Please note the following:

* All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal (link above) - NOT the town's employment application portal or any other external website.

* Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application.

* Applicants should apply by November 15, 2024.

* The hiring team will invite successful semi-finalists to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluation onDecember 12-13, 2024. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate.

* Direct [email protected]

The Town of Chapel Hill is an Equal Opportunity Employer.Developmental Associates, LLC manages this position's recruitment and selection process. To learn more about our selection process, visit select Client Openings, and scroll down to Important Information for Applicants.