Organization:
City of Hillsboro, OR
Location:
Hillsboro, OR
Recruiter:
Heather Gantz
The City Manager is restructuring the City Manager’s Office to include three Assistant City Managers and is seeking two new strategic leaders to join the organization. Under the direction of the City Manager and in partnership with the current Assistant City Manager, the new Assistant City Managers will collaborate to continue building a culture of strategic management that aligns the City’s key initiatives and advances a purposeful, efficient, and transparent approach to understanding and responding to community needs.
The Assistant City Managers exercise strategic and visionary thinking for long-term organization-wide application and impact and have delegated authority to make decisions on behalf of the City Manager. Hillsboro is a full-service city and provides services through the City Manager’s Office, Economic & Community Development, Finance, Fire & Rescue, Human Resources, Information Services, Library, Parks & Recreation, Police, Public Works, and Water. Each position provides cross-functional leadership for outcomes across assigned departments and will oversee a designated portfolio of services that reflects the strengths of the successful candidates and supports cohesive service delivery. Portfolios may evolve and adjust over time in response to Council priorities, organizational initiatives, and changing business and community needs.
The Assistant City Managers are executive leaders who shape the City's future by driving enterprise-wide visioning, strategic planning, clear direction, and policy development. Serving as key advisors and the acting City Manager, these roles empower department directors to deliver core municipal services while overseeing major projects and ensuring strict adherence to legal, contractual, and records management obligations and City values. To integrate daily operations with long-term objectives, the Assistant City Managers ensure that goals and initiatives in the strategic plan are directly connected to the biennium budget process, strategically aligning financial and staffing resources to advance the work.
Rather than just managing daily tasks, these positions focus on cultivating a high-performing, positive, safe, and accountable organizational culture. By establishing strong performance standards, providing clear direction, guiding professional development, and making well-informed and thoughtful personnel decisions that align with City values, the Assistant City Managers build the workforce capacity necessary to support Hillsboro's broader mission. As primary ambassadors, these leaders actively represent the City on regional boards and external agencies, while skillfully translating complex policy and operational issues into clear, actionable communications for the City Council, the media, and the public.
Guided by the City’s overarching commitment to equity, the Assistant City Managers will collaborate with their peers to lead initiatives in the following priority areas through a purposeful strategic management approach, ensuring goals are backed by aligned resources and clear accountability to the community.
The Assistant City Managers are strategic, forward-thinking leaders who connect Hillsboro's big-picture vision to meaningful action. Partnering seamlessly with the City Manager and their peer Assistant City Manager, they lead the organization as one team with a unified voice. By bringing diverse perspectives to the Executive Leadership Team, they help shape the City's future and empower staff to deliver outstanding services. These leaders effectively balance strategic planning with operational and workforce awareness, positioning the organization for long-term success.
Successful candidates are collaborative, emotionally intelligent professionals who foster strong relationships across departments, with elected officials, and throughout the community. They lead with integrity, transparency, self-awareness, and sound judgment to cultivate a positive, accountable workplace. Approaching their work with humility and authenticity, the Assistant City Managers drive employee engagement through proactive communication, collaborative problem-solving, and innovative service delivery. Their people-centered approach inspires confidence and builds a unified culture focused on public service excellence.
With strong political acumen, the Assistant City Managers navigate complex issues and diverse viewpoints with respect, curiosity, and empathy. They actively champion Hillsboro’s commitment to equity by removing barriers and centering those who have been historically excluded from the decision-making process. As confident decision-makers, they carefully weigh organizational priorities and clearly communicate necessary trade-offs to ensure fiscal and operational sustainability. By inspiring trust and leading with purpose, they build alignment around a shared vision for a responsive, equitable, and forward-looking City.
The following leadership competencies were prioritized in collaboration with City and Department Leadership.
At least ten years of progressively responsible administrative experience in government management, including at least three years of experience supervising professional-level staff, is required. Prior leadership experience overseeing complex services, programs and projects is essential. Demonstrating a deep understanding of a city’s day-to-day operations is ideal, as is prior experience in a growing community. A sound financial background with a strong understanding of budgets is required. A strong background of managing labor relations by balancing employee well-being, stewardship of resources, fiscal sustainability, and fostering positive management-union relationships is ideal. Knowledge and experience in a full-service City are beneficial but not required.
A bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, or a closely related field is required. An equivalent combination of experience and education that enables success as an Assistant City Manager will be considered.
Mission
To provide City services that support a safe, sustainable, and inclusive growing community, while cultivating Hillsboro’s hometown livability.
Vision
Growing great things in a place where you are supported, connected, and belong.
Values
The City of Hillsboro is a full-service City known for its forward-thinking, visionary approach and a reputation for excellence in long-term strategic and fiscal planning. The City operates under a Council-Manager form of government, in which the City Manager has broad executive authority to implement policies set by the City Council and oversees the local government’s day-to-day operations. The organization continues to enhance its support for its community by embracing a continuous improvement mindset in its work.
Hillsboro has approximately 956 full-time employees and 420 part-time/seasonal/flexibly staffed employees with a Biennial-Year 2025-27 Budget of $1.94 billion. The City has five collective bargaining agreements representing Police, Fire & Rescue, and Library employees. Services are provided through 11 City departments, including the City Manager’s Office, Economic & Community Development, Finance, Fire & Rescue, Human Resources, Information Services, Library, Parks & Recreation, Police, Public Works, and Water.
City employees are passionate about fostering a culturally inclusive community like the residents they serve. Building inclusive systems and developing policies that place equity at the forefront takes leadership, time, resources, a commitment to learn, and a dedication to creating a culture where individual identities do not predict outcomes. To reflect this ongoing commitment, the Hillsboro City Council adopted the following guiding principle in 2025:
We Build Inclusive Systems: Build inclusive systems by exemplifying diversity, equity, and inclusion in policymaking and service delivery. We seek to engage the broader Hillsboro community, removing barriers and creating accessible opportunities for all. By fostering accessibility and honoring our community’s unique identity, we create a welcoming, innovative, and thriving environment for all.
The City adopted its Equity Statement in 2019 and continues to advance equity through its development of policies, programs, and services, and through its allocation of time and resources to create a culture where race does not predict outcomes.
The City of Hillsboro plans to continue delivering responsive, high-quality services in a future full of opportunities, challenges, and change. The Strategic Plan guides operations for the next 10 years in order to cultivate Hillsboro’s hometown livability and advance services that support our safe, sustainable, inclusive, and growing community. The City Council sets priorities aligned with the Strategic Plan.
Hillsboro is one of Oregon’s most diverse and dynamic cities, with a steadily growing population of approximately 112,000. More than 45% of Hillsboro residents are from communities of color, and approximately 30% speak a language other than English at home.
More than 50,000 employees commute to Hillsboro by car, bicycle, bus, or MAX Light Rail train to work at companies such as Intel, Nike, and Genentech. Hillsboro is the largest City in Washington County and serves as the county seat.
The City of Hillsboro is ideally located in the Pacific Northwest—10 miles West of Portland, just an hour’s drive from the beautiful Cascade Mountains and Columbia River Gorge to the east, and the sandy beaches of the Pacific Ocean to the West.
Frequently ranked on national lists as one of the “Best Places to Live in the United States,” Hillsboro has earned praise for having:
Known as the “high-tech hub of Oregon” or the “tallest tree in the Silicon Forest,” Hillsboro has some of the best land, power, and water resources in the country. With its thriving economy, Hillsboro is the home of Oregon’s fourth-largest school district, two higher-education campuses, more than 30 parks, and approximately 1,500 acres of designated green spaces, including Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve, the Rock Creek Trail, and the Orenco Woods Nature Park.
The Hillsboro community proudly supports creative expression and the arts through its Downtown Cultural Arts District, and is the home of the Walters Cultural Arts Center and the highly regarded Bag&Baggage Productions professional theatre company. The Hillsboro Hops, the only professional baseball team in the Portland metro area, entertain fans during home games at the City’s baseball stadium, Hillsboro Ballpark, and recently opened a new, state-of-the-art ballpark at the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex.
Throughout the summer, Hillsboro residents can shop for fresh berries and cherries, along with other seasonal produce, at weekly farmers’ markets. Annual community events include the Oregon International Air Show, the Hillsboro Latino Cultural Festival, the La Strada dei Pastelli Chalk Art Festival, Juneteenth Celebration, Pride Party, Lightopia holiday lights, and one of the largest Fourth of July parades in the Northwest.
The salary range for the Assistant City Manager positions is $182,515 – $240,177 and will depend on the qualifications of the successful candidates. The City of Hillsboro offers a comprehensive and competitive total compensation package, including high-quality benefits, and prioritizes employee well-being. For a complete breakdown of the City’s extensive Benefits Package, please review the Employee Benefits Guide.
Applications will be accepted electronically by Raftelis. Applicants complete a brief online form and are prompted to provide a cover letter and resume. The position will be open until filled, with a first review of applications beginning July 6, 2026.
For more information or questions regarding the Assistant City Manager positions, please contact Heather Gantz at hgantz@raftelis.com or Robert Colichio at rcolichio@raftelis.com.