City Manager Recruitment

As Washington’s third-largest city, Tacoma is searching for an experienced and visionary leader who will partner with our community and City Council as the next City Manager. Appointed by and reporting directly to the Mayor and eight City Council Members, the City Manager serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the City and is the sole employee of the Council. This is a rare opportunity to lead a dynamic, full-service city that serves more than 220,000 residents and manages a biennial budget of $4.7 billion, including a $635 million General Fund.

The City Manager provides executive leadership and direction for all City departments and operations, including administrative functions that support Tacoma Public Utilities (Finance, Purchasing, Information Technology, Legal, and Human Resources).

The successful candidate will be a trusted partner to the Mayor and Council, guiding the implementation of policy priorities while ensuring equitable, efficient, and effective service delivery for the community. With oversight of more than 4,000 employees, the City Manager is responsible for strategic planning, fiscal stewardship, operational excellence, and community engagement.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative and forward-thinking leader who can bridge general government and utility operations, strengthen civic trust, and build effective teams that deliver results for the people of Tacoma.

City Council has formed a committee to oversee the development of the recruitment plan for the next City Manager. Tune in to watch the Operational Strategy and Administrative Committee (OSAC) meetings. These meetings take place the second and fourth Friday of the month at 10:30 a.m.

The City of Tacoma operates under a Council–Manager form of government. The City Council includes the Mayor, five district representatives, and three at-large representatives, all serving staggered four-year terms.

Appointed by the Council, the City Manager oversees the City’s day-to-day operations. With a population of approximately 222,000 residents, Tacoma is the second-largest city in the Puget Sound region and the third-largest municipality in Washington State. Tacoma is also the South Sound’s center of business activity, serving a regional population of nearly one million people.

The City provides a full range of municipal services through departments including: Community and Economic Development, Environmental Services, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Fire, Hearing Examiner, Neighborhood and Community Services, Planning and Development, Police, Public Works, Venues and Events, and Public Utilities.

Tacoma is a vibrant, growing community with a rich history and a strong commitment to civic engagement. The City offers a collaborative work environment, competitive compensation, and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of residents.

Watch this video to find out what makes Tacoma a vibrant and welcoming place to live, work, and play.

Annual Salary Range: $309,566 – $376,500 (Depending on Qualifications)

Benefits include:

• • Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and eligible dependents
  • Deferred compensation (IRS Section 457)
  • Personal Time Off, starting at 18 days per year (based on years of service)
  • Long-term disability insurance
  • Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
  • Life insurance
  • Membership in the Tacoma Employees’ Retirement System (TERS)
  • 13 paid holidays per year, including two floating holidays

The City of Tacoma is partnering with the Prothman Company for this hiring process. Apply online or visit www.prothman.com and click on ‘Open Recruitments’ and select ‘City of Tacoma – City Manager’. The application includes an online form, a resume, a cover letter and two supplemental questions.

Please plan to include a list of six work-related references. No reference checks will be conducted without receiving candidate permission.

The job announcement went live on November 14, 2025 and initial application review is December 14, 2025; however, screening and preliminary interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.

• Why are we hiring a new City Manager?
  • The former City Manager, Elizabeth Pauli, retired in July 2025. At that time, City Council appointed an interim City Manager, Hyun Kim, to serve while the search for a permanent City Manager is underway.
• What does the City Manager do?
  • The City Manager provides executive leadership and direction for all City departments and operations, including administrative functions that support Tacoma Public Utilities (Finance, Purchasing, IT, Legal, and Human Resources). They are a trusted partner to the Mayor and Council, guiding the implementation of policy priorities while ensuring equitable, efficient, and effective service delivery for the community. With oversight of more than 4,000 employees, the City Manager is responsible for strategic planning, fiscal stewardship, operational excellence, and community engagement.
• Who does the City Manager report to?
  • The City Manager reports directly to the City Council, which sets the City’s policies and priorities. While the Council decides what the City wants to achieve, the City Manager is responsible for how those goals are carried out through City operations.
• How is the City Manager selected?
  • The City Manager is appointed by the City Council through a competitive recruitment process designed to identify candidates with the education, experience and leadership skills necessary to effectively manage city operations and implement council policy.

• How can residents share input about what they want in a new City Manager?
  • Residents were able to share their input by completing a stakeholder survey launched on October 17, 2025, and open through November 30, 2025. The survey will help the City Council understand, from the perspective of the community and City staff, the knowledge, skills, and abilities that matter most in the next City Manager. Residents also had the opportunity to submit questions for City Manager candidates through the survey. Questions from the community will be selected for use during the final steps of the interview process, giving the community a direct voice in the selection process.
• Will there be opportunities to meet the finalists?
  • A candidate forum is planned for early 2026 where residents will have the opportunity to review finalist biographies, hear presentations and responses to community-generated questions, and engage directly with the finalists. They will also be able to share feedback on each candidate. More information will be shared as details are finalized.
• How can I stay informed about the progress of the recruitment?
  • The community can stay informed by checking this page regularly for updates on the process.
• Can I request to be on an interview panel?
  • Yes. To be considered, please contact your council member by December 1, 2025 and request to be considered.

• Who is responsible for leading the recruitment and selection process?
  • City Council has tasked the Operational Strategy and Administrative Committee (OSAC) with partnering with the City’s Human Resources Department to plan and oversee the City Manager recruitment process. OSAC is working in partnership with a national executive recruitment firm specializing in public sector searches.
• What is the OSAC?
  • The Operational Strategy and Administrative Committee (OSAC) is a standing committee of the Tacoma City Council. It meets regularly on the second and fourth Friday of each month. The committee focuses on strategic priorities and provides feedback on various initiatives, including city manager recruitment and community input surveys. Meetings can be attended in-person at the Tacoma Municipal Building or virtually via Zoom.
• Is the recruitment being handled by an external consultant or by City staff?
  • The City of Tacoma has contracted with the Prothman Company, a local executive recruitment firm that specializes in national searches for the public sector. Prothman is partnering with the Operational Strategy and Administrative Committee (OSAC) and the City’s Human Resources Department on the recruitment.
• What is the cost for these recruitment services?
  • The City of Tacoma is partnering with Prothman to conduct the City Manager recruitment. The cost for their recruitment services is $19,500.
• How long will the recruitment process take?
  • The City Manager recruitment is expected to conclude in the March/April 2026 timeframe.

• What qualifications or experience will the City be looking for in the next City Manager?
  • The minimum qualifications for the City Manager role include a bachelor’s degree in public or business administration, or a directly related field, and at least twelve (12) years of increasingly responsible experience directly related to the planning, coordination, and/or management of a public-sector organization. Relevant education and experience may substitute for one another on a year-for-year basis.
• Will internal candidates be considered?
  • All interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.
• What leadership qualities are most important for this role?
  • City Council has identified a set of key competencies for the City Manager role including: Drives vision and purpose; strategic mindset; builds effective teams; drives results; courage; manages complexity; communicates effectively; and ensures accountability. They will also use input from the stakeholder survey to help refine the competencies.

• Why are some parts of the recruitment process confidential?
  • Some parts of the recruitment process are kept confidential to protect the privacy of applicants, encourage a broad and diverse pool of candidates, and ensure a fair and unbiased selection process. Public disclosure of certain information—such as application materials or personal details—could discourage qualified candidates from applying and could compromise the integrity of the process.
• When will finalists’ names be made public?
  • Finalist names will be made public once the City Council and recruitment team have completed the initial screening and interview process. At that point, the community will have the opportunity to meet the finalists, hear their presentations, and provide feedback.
• How will the City balance transparency with the need to protect candidate privacy?
  • The City is committed to being as transparent as possible while also respecting the privacy of candidates. Personal information and certain details about applicants will remain confidential to protect their privacy and ensure a fair recruitment process. Key updates—such as the announcement of finalists, opportunities for community engagement, and the selection of the new City Manager—will be shared publicly.

• How will the final hiring decision be made?
  • City Council holds the final authority to hire the City Manager. While committees, staff, and recruitment partners may provide recommendations and conduct screenings, the City Council reviews the finalists, considers community input, and makes the final decision on who will serve as the City Manager.
• Will the public be able to attend City Council’s vote to select the new City Manager?
  • Yes. The City Council will vote in a public meeting to appoint a new City Manager. The appointment requires an affirmative vote of five members of City Council.

• When will the recruitment officially begin?
  • The job was posted on November 14, 2025.
• When can the community know who the finalists are?
  • We are working to refine the timeline but at this point we are expecting finalist’s names to become public in late February 2026.
• When is the new City Manager expected to start?
  • The new City Manager is expected to start in the March/April 2026 timeframe.