ICYMI

·         The February meeting of the Goochland planning commission was moved to the 27^th at 6 p.m. in the board room of the county administration building at 1800 Sandy Hook Road in Courthouse Village. Go to  for the agenda.

·         An outdoor burn ban before 4p.m. is in effect from February 15 to April 30. Go to  https://www.goochlandva.us/242/Planning-Zoning for agenda  details.

 

Goochland County is recruiting for a new county administrator. The following was recently posted under the careers tab on the county website:

 

County Administrator

Salary

$190,000.00 - $250,000.00 Annually

Location 

Goochland, VA

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

202400198

Department

County Administration

Opening Date

02/18/2025

Closing Date

3/18/2025 11:00 PM Eastern

FLSA

Exempt

·         Description

·         Benefits

Goochland County is located in the heart of Central Virginia. Just over 289 square miles of rural countryside, our County is home to just over 26,000 residents and is ideally located within a short drive to beaches or mountain tops.  We have great proximity to major cities including Charlottesville and Richmond.  Our quality of life is unsurpassed, and our active community welcomes one and all. A community rich in history, the Goochland County Courthouse is widely considered to be the most well-maintained Jeffersonian courthouse in Virginia.  Goochland County is the smallest county in the United States to have earned the highest rating from all three credit rating agencies which reflects the County’s exceptional financial resilience and is home to an award-winning public-school system.  

Description

To our candidates for the role of County Administrator of Goochland County, thank you for your interest in working with our amazing team here in Goochland County.  We appreciate your taking the time to apply for the role.

As the County Board of Supervisors starts the process of selecting our next County Administrator, they are in agreement that there are several attributes that have surfaced that describe our best candidate:

1.      Strong leadership: demonstrated leadership in public administration.

2.      Excellence in public speaking and communication: a background of speaking to the public in small to large groups and answering questions in an informed manner.

3.      Community involvement: demonstrated participation with community groups and organizations.

4.      Regional cooperation: a track record of working with other entities such as authorities, jurisdictions and other political subdivisions.

5.      Team and operations builder: Shows a progressive improvement in the operations that the candidate has led, and an ability to grow the team.

6.      Strong background in succession planning: has instituted programs to ensure institutional knowledge is transferred and strong team members are moved forward.

As a part of the application process, we are asking all candidates to submit a cover letter that details these attributes and experience.  The County Administrator is the CEO of the County and will lead the County into the future as it continues to grow.

The County Administrator (CA), is the chief executive officer and directs the operations of Goochland County's government, balancing the day-to-day needs of the County’s citizens while guiding the development of services and facilities that support a growing community. The CA serves in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors. The CA is responsible for effectively and efficiently implementing policy and directives as deemed by the Board, ensuring smooth delivery of services to County citizens, identifying challenges facing the County and providing the Board with accurate, timely information on which to base their decisions and supports countywide strategic goals while providing direction to the County. The Administrator serves at the pleasure of the Board of Supervisors, implements its policies, appoints department heads, and directs business and administrative procedures. The Board of Supervisors provides governance while the CA is in charge of administration. The CA is the “Face of the County in the Community”.

Essential Functions

·         Effectively and efficiently implements policy and directives as deemed by the Board, ensuring smooth delivery of services to County Citizens, our customers.

·         Serves as a mentor to staff and empowers them in the decision-making process while monitoring their growth and progress. Ensures a high degree of morale in the workplace.

·         Appoints Department heads and directs business and administrative procedures.

·         Supports countywide strategic goals while providing direction to the County.

·         Must possess strong leadership ability and skillset. He or she sets the example for the rest to follow.

·         Identifies challenges facing the County and provides the Board with accurate and timely information on which to base their decisions.

·         Develops and maintains positive relationships with members of the Board of Supervisors, Constitutional Officers, the School Board, citizens, public safety providers, community groups, department heads, and other governmental entities.  

·         Analyzes large amounts of complex information and develops reasonable, practical, and innovative solutions to identify internal and external problems and management issues.  

·         Adequately communicates and defends the County’s position in all matters.

·         Identifies and communicates opportunities for continued organizational improvement.  

·         Provides alternative solutions and options, makes recommendations with confidence and the courage to do what’s right, even in the face of adversity.

·         Performs other duties as assigned by the Board of Supervisors.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

·         Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively with a variety of departments, Constitutional Officers, Independent Boards and Authorities in a growing and transitional community.

·         Ability to analyze administrative systems and provide recommendations with an eye to the future in order to develop efficient and highly responsive operations for all agencies when called upon.

·         Must possess superior written and oral communications and negotiating skills, with the ability to make difficult recommendations and decisions in a timely fashion.  

·         Ability to keep the Board, Constitutional Officers, citizens, and various advisory body members well informed and ensure their understanding of technical processes.  

·         Ability to adequately inform the Board on a regular basis, with an acceptable level of detail, so that there are no surprises.

·         Must possess the ability to challenge the Board and staff with new ideas and be able to accept constructive criticism and implement needed changes.

·         Must have the ability to understand and present all sides of an issue that affects the County to all parties in a clear, concise, and unbiased manner.

·         Ability to participate in the development of sound County policies and directives, to interpret the County’s policies, and carry out the intentions and directions of the Board of Supervisors.

·         Must possess significant knowledge and experience in successfully managing a county or city budget of comparable size and complexity.

·         Must have an understanding of and experience with the various methods of maximizing resources, financing options, and ensuring wise use of limited public resources.

·         Must understand the need for and the value of long-range financial planning.

·         Demonstrated ability to communicate the governing bodies goals, needs, and directives to employees and other external customers.

·         Ability to lead and motivate County employees under his/her direction to a continuing level of high performance. The CA is a “Servant Leader”.

·         Ability to deal fairly with all staff.  

·         Demonstrated commitment to challenging employees and improving governmental processes and employee accountability while expanding training opportunities to maintain and improve employee and organizational efficiency and performance.

·         Ability to understand the diverse and changing needs of various community and private sector groups in the Goochland community.

·         Must be able to present a confident image of the local government to the community at large.

·         Must possess the ability to relate to and maintain and expand existing relationships with other local governments, regional organizations, the school division, and state and federal agencies.

·         Ability to adjust to changing leadership.

·         Must work well with and cooperate and collaborate with other jurisdictions and their leaders.

·         Must be willing to join other boards and professional organizations.

Education, Experience and Training

·         A bachelor’s degree in business or public administration, business administration or related field required, master’s degree in public or business administration preferred.

·         At least eight (8) years of public management experience as a Chief Executive/Administrator or Deputy Chief Executive/Administrator, or equivalent in a high performing, comparably sized, growing community with a wide range of duties in operation and management.

·         Experience of the individual must show high levels of performance in areas that include leadership, finance and budget, growth management, long range and strategic planning, staff development and maintaining positive lines of communication at all levels. Additional experience in team building and outreach and development of high-performance functions of governmental departments will be a significant consideration. 

·         ICMA Credentialed status for candidates is desired.

·         Valid State of Virginia Driver’s License with a driving record that meets HR Policy requirements.

·         Pre-employment background check and drug screen are required

·         County residency is preferred within a reasonable time of appointment to the position.

Other Requirements

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Work is sedentary work, which requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Tasks may require the ability to walk or stand for prolonged periods of time. Additionally, the following physical abilities may be required: climbing, balancing, stooping, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping, and repetitive motions.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Work is performed in a relatively safe, and secure work environment.

As part of employment with Goochland County, all employees are required to complete Emergency preparedness and incident management training courses as directed or requested.

Goochland County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, color, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental disability, family medical history or genetic information, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic or status that is protected by federal, state or local laws.