Position Announcement - Director of Administration
City of Franklin, WI (Pop. 36,816)
The City of Franklin is located in Milwaukee County, 10 miles south of downtown Milwaukee. Franklin is a growing, full-service city of vibrant neighborhoods, top performing schools, and nationally recognized businesses. Incorporated in 1956, the City is a residential community, as approximately 75 percent of its value is from residential property, with a commercial and industrial component of approximately 25 percent. Franklin consists of 35 square miles and has the most undeveloped open space in Milwaukee County. The city has easy access to interstate highway corridors (I-94, I-894, and I-43) and is only minutes away from Milwaukee County’s General Mitchell International Airport and within 85 miles of downtown Chicago. The City is the home of the ROCK entertainment complex, which includes a winter recreation facility and Rock League Baseball, a nationally recognized baseball organization, which includes the Milwaukee Milkmen, members of the American Association of Professional Baseball.
Starting salary range is $120,000-$140,000 DOQ plus excellent benefits.
The Franklin Director of Administration coordinates the day-to-day administrative activities of the City, leading, planning, organizing, and directing the City’s central administration toward the fulfillment of goals and policies as determined by the Mayor and Common Council. The Director of Administration also serves as the Human Resources Director. The Department of Administration includes the divisions of Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Inspection Services, Property Assessment, Facilities, and GIS. The Director of Administration is appointed and reports to the part-time Mayor and is confirmed by the six-member Common Council. All elected city officials serve three-year overlapping terms on a non-partisan basis.
Upcoming initiatives and projects include development of the 2024 citywide budget, biannual debt issuance, development initiatives, update/administration of city fees, facility improvements and plan for potential expansions, technology improvements including a fiber network and phone system, research and proposal for a citywide merit pay plan, recruitment and training of key municipal staff.
Franklin’s total annual 2023 budget is $65.4 million, including General Fund of $31.4 million, Capital Funds of $13.45 million, Debt Service Fund of $1.15 million, Special Revenue Funds of $3.0 million, Internal Service Funds of $3.5 million, Sanitary Sewer Utility of $6.7 million, and TID Funds of $6.2 million. The Library Budget, Water Utility Budget, and Tourism Budget are managed by those respective boards and not included in these budget numbers. The unassigned fund balance in the General Fund, as of December 31, 2021, is 35 percent of expenditures or $9.45 million.
The Director of Administration oversees 26 full-time equivalent positions. The total number of City employees is 234 of which 210 positions are full-time.
The position requires a bachelor’s degree in public or business administration or related field; Master’s degree preferred. A minimum of five years progressively responsible administrative and leadership experience in a municipal organization is also required. Consideration of candidates with private sector or military experience will be made if the candidate can demonstrate accomplishments that relate to required skills.
The successful candidate must demonstrate a verifiable record of past accomplishments in the following areas: financial and budget management, debt management, intergovernmental relations, and economic development including TID management. Exceptional communication skills are also imperative. The ideal candidate should be an innovator and team builder and will have above-average emotional intelligence and listening skills as well as a collaborative style in carrying out governing body policies, and the skilled ability to speak truth to power.
For more information, visit the City of Franklin.
For consideration, please submit resume to Dana Zahn, Human Resource Manager.