UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF
ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
The Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, GA seeks candidates for the position of
Assistant Manager. The Assistant Manager performs leadership, administrative, and
managerial functions associated with the overall day-to-day operations of the Unified
Government of Athens-Clarke County. This position is responsible for strategic planning,
forecasting and assisting with creating, reviewing, evaluating and clarifying policies and
procedures on a variety of organizational issues. The position is involved in assisting with
operating and capital budget preparation, monitoring and execution. In addition, the position
is assigned a variety of operating departments and will be involved in preparing reports,
coordinating projects with Department Directors, and responding to inquiries by Elected or
Appointed Officials on various issues.
Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
 planning, organizing, directing, coordinating;
 assisting with preparation of the proposed annual budget with the assistance of all
department heads for approval by the mayor;
 advising the Commission on issues;
 conducting studies and investigations and making reports to the Commission concerning
the operations of the departments, offices and agencies of the Unified Government;
 publishing and implementing standards of administrative, management, and operating
practices and procedures;
 working with community stakeholders to accomplish the goals and objectives of the
Mayor and Commission under the direction of the Manager; and
 attending meetings, making public presentations, representing the Manager’s Office on
various committees/task forces, resolving problems of routine nature and
emergency/unplanned events, as well as, providing oversight of government activities
and functions.
We hope you will take time to explore this opportunity to join a highly professional local government
organization and a progressive, vibrant community in the heart of sunny Northeast Georgia just 65
miles from Atlanta. Home of the University of Georgia, Athens is nationally-recognized for its high
quality of life, state-of-the-art educational opportunities, endless outdoor recreation, and cultural
amenities such as arts, entertainment, music, and food. If this opportunity is for you, we invite you to
apply, or to pass on this information to others who might find this position of interest.
Sincerely,
Lisa Ward, Human Resources Director
[email protected]
706.613.3090
2
UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY
Assistant Manager
Competitive Annual Salary up to $110,000 depending on qualifications
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business
Administration or a related field with a minimum of five years of experience managing
operations and projects similar to those typically associated with local government functions and
responsibilities or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which
provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.
Local government management experience and five years local government supervisory
experience in a medium sized jurisdiction required.
Valid driver’s license.
Master's Degree preferred.
Final candidates must successfully pass the pre-employment process that includes a thorough
background investigation of employment, educational history, driving history, criminal history, and
credit history.
This position is a professional level position (at-will) and serves at the discretion of the
Manager. This position is designated as an emergency position that requires attendance at
work under all types of emergency conditions. Some examples of emergencies include
inclement weather, utility failure, fire, forced evacuations, or other public safety situations.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Open from
April 8, 2016 – May 6, 2016. First review of applications begins on May 16, 2016.
APPLY: Do not send resumes in lieu of a completed application. The online application is at
www.athensclarkecounty.com/jobs or at the Human Resources Department, 375 Satula Avenue,
Satula Governmental Building, Athens, GA 30601, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Please direct questions to:
Lisa Ward, Human Resources Director, [email protected]
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
3
Athens-Clarke County is located in Northeast Georgia, approximately 65
miles northeast of Atlanta and 100 miles northwest of Augusta. AthensClarke County is the smallest of Georgia's 159 counties in area, 125
square miles, with a population of approximately 120,000 residents. It is
the home of the oldest state-chartered university in the United States, the
University of Georgia, which has a student enrollment of approximately
35,000.
4
Great reasons to live and work in Athens-Clarke County:
Accolades & Rankings
Newspapers and magazines from the New York Times to GQ to Georgia Trend have featured
nods to Athens’ diverse mix of cultural, educational, and economic opportunities.
What emerges is the picture of a remarkably well-rounded community, where achievement on
one end of the spectrum is never met with weakness on the other.
One of America’s “Most Vibrant Cities for Young Professionals” (“The Today Show”) happens to
be one of “Four Great Places to Retire” (Fortune), while the No. 1 College Music Scene (Rolling
Stone) is also a “Best Place to Raise Your Kids” (Business Week). Read on to learn how one of
the “Best Cities for Jobs” (CareerBuilder.com) can also be among “America’s Greenest Cities”
(Popular Science) and the school district of the 2015 National Superintendent of the Year, and
begin to fill in your own picture of the overachiever we call home.
Business Climate
"The Best Places in Georgia for Job Seekers" NerdWallet.com (2013)
"Certified Work Ready Community" Georgia Work Ready as an Economic Development Tool
(2012)
"The Top 10 Small-Sized Communities for 2012: #1 Clarke County, Georgia" The Fourth
Economy (2012)
"Best Small Places for Business and Careers” Forbes (June 2011 and April 2010)
“Georgia: There’s Nothing Old School About Athens” Small Market Meetings (July 2010)
“Today’s Best Cities for Jobs” CareerBuilder.com (Jan. 2010)
“Most Vibrant Cities for Young Professionals” The Today Show (March 2010)
Quality of Life
“10 Most Underrated American Cities” Conde Nest Traveler (2014)
#4 of the "10 Great College Towns to Retire to" Kiplinger (July 2014) “25 Best Places to
Retire in 2015” by Forbes (2015)
#8 of the "14 Underrated Places You’ll Really Want To Move To" BuzzFeed (May 2014)
“Best College Football Towns” Travel + Leisure (2015)
#3 of "The 10 Best Places To Live In Georgia" MOVOTO Blog (May 2014)
“Best Under-the-Radar Family Destinations in the U.S.” VacationIdea.com (2015)
"Hot Editor's Pick - South's Historic College Towns With Hip Group Appeal" ConventionSouth
Magazine (September 2013), featuring only one city per state.
"Top 10 College Towns - for Grownups" MSN Real Estate (August 28, 2013)
"America's Prettiest Towns" Forbes.com (August 2013)
5
"2013 Best Communities for Music Education" (Clarke County School District) National
Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) (March 2013)
One of "The 25 Best Places to Retire in 2013" Forbes (February 2013)
#19 of the "Top 25 Best Places to Retire" CNNMoney (October 2012)
#8 in "Top 10 College Towns" Livability.com (August 2012)
The Milliken Institute named Athens-Clarke County #61 in the "Small Metros Best Cities for
Successful Aging" (#45 for ages 65-79, #45 for ages 80+) in the United States. Athens was
the first small metro in Georgia (July 2012)
Top 5 cities where "millenials" (ages 18-29) should consider moving Moving.com (June 2012)
#1 "Small-Sized County in Fourth Economy Community Index" Fourth Economy (April 2012)
#3 "Best Choice for Retiring Boomers among 20 selected communities" The Washington
Economics Group (April 2012)
"The 10 Best Cities for Millennials" 24/7 Wall St. Wire (July 2012)
"Clarke Central High School Top 6 Percent" The Washington Post (May 2012)
Culture
“Best College Towns for Food & Drink” Thrillist (2015)
1st Place: "The South's Best Foodie Cities for Groups, South-East
Region" ConventionSouth Magazine (March 2014)
"The 7 Best Cities for Organic Food" Safe Organics (November 2013)
"7 Up and Coming Food Cities Around the U.S." Zagat (March 6, 2013)
"The Next Big Scene: Athens Where the Music's Hot and the Food Rocks" Gourmet Food
(June 2012)
Ranked #1 among “Top 10 Cities with the Best Music Scenes” Livability.com (March 2012)
Consistently ranked among the "Top 25 Arts Destinations" AmericanStyle Magazine (2002present)
“Best Local Music Scenes in the U.S.” Budget Travel (Oct. 2010)
6
ABOUT THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT
The City of Athens (the "City") was incorporated in 1806 by an act of the General Assembly of the
State of Georgia. The City was the county seat of Clarke County, Georgia, which was established
by an act of the General Assembly in 1801. The unification of the City of Athens and Clarke
County in 1991 resulted in the creation and establishment of the "Unified Government of AthensClarke County, Georgia" (the "Unified Government"), a single county-wide government with
powers and jurisdiction throughout the territorial limits of Clarke County, superseding and
replacing the governments of the City and the County. The Unified Government is a strong
Manager form of government, governed by the part-time Mayor and 10-member Commission.
The Athens-Clarke County Manager
The Manager is appointed by a majority vote of the entire Commission for a term of two (2) years
upon nomination by the Mayor, and may succeed himself or herself. During the term of
appointment, the Manager may be removed at any time by a majority vote of the entire
Commission. Some of the responsibilities of the Manager include:

management and coordination of the operations and activities of the more than 40 various
departments and agencies of the Unified Government, including the appointment and
removal of department heads;

preparation of the proposed annual budget (July 1 – June 30) with the assistance of all
department heads for the approval by the Mayor and Commission;

advising the Mayor and Commission on the financial condition and needs of the Unified
Government at all times;

conducting studies and investigations and making reports thereon to the Mayor and
Commission concerning the operations of the departments, offices, and agencies of the
Unified Government;

requiring departments, boards, commissions, or agencies under the Manager's jurisdiction
to submit written reports and to provide other information as deemed necessary; and

prescribing, and implementing standards of administrative, management, and operating
practices and procedures for all offices, departments, boards, commissions, authorities,
and other agencies of the Unified Government that are subject to the Manager's
supervision and jurisdiction to follow.
7
The Athens-Clarke County Mayor
The Mayor is a part-time position chosen through direct election for up to two four-year
consecutive terms and serves as the official representative of the Unified Government, including
serving as the Unified Government's representative to federal, state, and local governmental
bodies and officials. The Mayor:

initiates the process, with the involvement of Commission members and appropriate staff,
to search and screen candidates for the positions of manager, attorney, and auditor and to
recommend candidates for these positions to the Commission for appointment with the
concurrence of a majority of the Commission;

sets the agenda after receiving input from members of the Commission, the manager, and
the public, for meetings of the Commission and presides over these meetings;

makes committee appointments and non-binding recommendations to the Commission for
the position of Manager of the Unified Government;

presents a proposed annual budget and a proposed capital improvements budget
prepared by the manager with the assistance of department and agency heads for
approval by the Commission;

approves or vetoes ordinances or resolutions approved by the Commission;

calls special meetings of the Commission;

executes all deeds, contracts, and obligations of the Unified Government;

votes only in the case of tie-votes in any matters before the Commission;

performs any other duties and exercises any other powers required by state or federal law
or authorized by a duly adopted ordinance that is not in conflict with the Charter.
The Athens-Clarke County Commission
The Commission is made up of 10 part-time Commissioners elected from 10 geographicallyseparate districts. All legislative powers of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County,
including any such powers that may be conferred, are vested exclusively in and exercised by the
Commission. Members of the Commission serve four-year staggered terms.
8