Chief of Community Services - City of Savannah, GA

JOB

Seeking aChief of Community ServicesPosition Closing Date August 31, 2025If you are a high-performing, service-oriented Senior Executive who: Is able to build collaborative relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders and partners,Is motivated by opportunities for creative problem-solving, especially regarding funding mechanisms,Are an analytical, data-driven, and strategic thinker who can explain complex information,Are passionate about delivering outstanding customer service,Wants to work and live in a historic and culturally vibrant city with a warm climate and abundant outdoor amenities……then becoming the City of Savannah’s next Chief of Community Services may be the career move for you.The City of Savannah, GA, is seeking an equity and service-focused Chief of Community Services. The next Chief will possess a broad, yet proficient skill set, comprising the ability to build meaningful relationships with stakeholders from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, engage in both short- and long-range planning for the office, make data-driven decisions, evaluate programs, and understand and communicate complex information.About the Community: Situated on the Georgia coast, Savannah boasts historic architecture, luxurious parks, and a rich tradition of hospitality and cultural offerings. The City is home to a vibrant arts and cultural scene that hosts over 200 festivals each year, focused on music, food, and film. The Savannah Music Festival has garnered international acclaim, as performers from Savannah and around the world showcase their talent across a range of genres. The City is committed to promoting numerous festivals and special events throughout the year and is particularly known for its annual St. Patrick's Day celebration.Savannah’s warm climate allows for year-round enjoyment of outdoor activities. It has more than 100 public recreational neighborhood parks, 13 swimming pools, over 70 athletic fields, more than 75 basketball courts, 50 tennis courts, and two public golf courses. Savannah offers abundant opportunities for boating, fishing, and swimming, including the Atlantic Ocean, 87,000 acres of tidal marshland, and the Intracoastal Waterway. Savannah’s public beach is located on Tybee Island, approximately 20 minutes east of downtown. The surrounding coastal region of North Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina includes plentiful opportunities for camping, including at dozens of lake or beach-adjacent county and state parks.Savannah continues to benefit from being one of America’s first planned cities and from having one of the nation’s largest historic districts. Its unique layout, based on the Oglethorpe Plan, and emphasis on preservation have given it unique, historic buildings, centralized neighborhood parks, and integrated, walkable neighborhoods. Its recent accolades include the following: Voted one of "The World's 30 Friendliest Cities" and the fifth "Best Small City in the United States" according to Condé Nast Traveler's Reader's Choice Awards."One of the best employers and top local government in the State of Georgia" - Forbes, 2019."Top 10 Most Beautiful Places in America" - USA Weekend Magazine."World's Top Ten Trendy Travel Hot Spots" - New York Times"Top 10 U.S City to Visit" - Conde Nast Traveler.Southern Living placed Savannah second on its "Best Southern City" list.Called the City one of the "Top 25 Places to Live and Work" - Outlook MagazineWith over 147,000 year-round residents, the population of Savannah also includes the students of four colleges and universities offering bachelor's, master's, and professional or doctoral degree programs: Georgia Southern University- Armstrong Campus, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Savannah State University, and South University. With six distinct historic districts, coastal beaches, and a globally recognized food and art scene, tourism is a significant economic driver, with nearly 12.9 million visitors in 2024. Home to the Port of Savannah, nearby Fort Stewart-Hunter Air Base, International Paper, Gulfstream Aerospace, Titlemax, and others, Savannah's economy is diverse and robust.About the Organization: The City of Savannah is guided by a recently updated strategic plan to operationalize its mission to be a safe, environmentally healthy, and economically thriving community for all of its citizens. The City aims to achieve its mission while adhering to its core values of equity, communication, community engagement, innovation, execution, transparency, accountability, and partnerships (including regional partnerships). The City has a strong commitment to data and transparency, as evidenced by its best-practice good government initiatives. More information about the City can be found here, and the Mayor can be viewed here, kicking off the 2025 Strategic Plan updates, as well as the importance of using data to yield results.Under the City Charter, the City Manager is the City's chief executive officer and is responsible for implementing the policies of the City Council, directing business and administrative procedures, and appointing departmental officers. The City Council comprises the Mayor and eight aldermen who all serve concurrent four-year terms. This full-service municipality employs 2600 employees across 26 departments and has a FY 2025 budget of $601M and AA+ bond ratings.About the Department: The Community Services Service Center contains the Departments of Housing Services, Human Services, Recreation and Leisure Services, Cultural Resources, and Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. The Chief of Community Services reports to the City Manager and manages a Service Center with a budget of approximately $28,591,497 (the City’s current FY budget can be found here) and 242 full and part-time employees. The Department’s mission is to work “to improve the quality of life in Savannah through activities that involve planning and development, neighborhood revitalization, parks and recreation, arts and cultural enrichment programs and activities, youth and family services, housing development and financing, and community safety.â€

EXAMPLE OF DUTIES

About the Position: The Chief of Community Services supervises, directs, and evaluates assigned staff, processing employee concerns, directing work, coaching, and completing employee performance appraisals. They will coordinate, assign, and review work, establish service center priorities, and maintain standards, working with staff to implement strategies to improve performance outcomes when needed. The successful candidate will identify community needs and develop programs and strategies to provide citizens with safe neighborhoods and access to housing, recreational and cultural activities, and human services. The Chief will also be responsible for providing executive assistance to the City Manager and City Council by developing reports, presentations, and ordinances, and attending Council and other public meetings as needed.Key Priorities of the next Chief of Community Services include: Developing short and long-term plans to meet the needs of the Service Center, such as a Master Plan for the Recreation and Leisure Services Department and a Succession Plan for Housing Services.Responding strategically and creatively to evolving federal funding sources, such as by seeking or advocating successfully for new funding mechanisms, enhancing the efficiency of Departmental operations, or evaluating current programs to determine prioritization.Building coalitions and maintaining relationships with a range of stakeholders, including nonprofits involved in service delivery, community groups, and members of diverse backgrounds and socioeconomic status.Understanding and evaluating community needs and developing and managing programs and partnerships to effectively respond to those needs.Maintaining an exemplary standard of customer service delivery for community members who depend on the Service Center’s programs.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Salary and Benefits: The hiring range for this position is $153,582-$188,134. Starting salary will depend on qualifications. Savannah offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement options, and relocation expenses, which can be found here (https://www.savannahga.gov/benefits). Residency is encouraged but not required. To apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/developmentalassociates and click on the Chief of Community Services - City of Savannah, GA title.All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal (link above) - NOT the city’s employment application portal or any other external website.Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application.Applicants should apply by August 31, 2025, to be considered during the first round of reviews.The hiring team will invite successful semi-finalists to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluations on September 30-October 1, 2025. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate.Direct allinquiries tohiring@developmentalassociates.com.The City of Savannah, GA, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Developmental Associates, LLC, manages the recruitment and selection process for this position. To learn more about our selection process, visit https://developmentalassociates.com/client-openings/and scroll down to “Important Information for Applicants.â€