SUMMARY The Director of Administration performs a variety of professional-level duties to coordinate the day-to-day operations of Mayor’s office and staff. Direct responsibility/supervision for municipal airport, communication, community relations departments/initiatives. Works directly, and on behalf of Mayor, with all levels of government, including Federal, State, Regional, County and City.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Reporting relationships, work assignments, and work schedules may be subject to change to meet City needs or operational requirements. Attendance at work and the ability to work well and collaborate with the public, supervisors, and co-workers are essential elements of this position.

Facilitates problem solving at all levels in the organization works with department heads and senior management to ensure effective coordination and cooperation among departments; coordinates the continuous review of interdepartmental processes for quality control and improvement; responds to inquiries from the public regarding issues unresolved at the departmental level.

Responsible for ensuring the policy directives from the Mayor and Council are implemented. Advises and assists the Mayor on delivery of City services and coordinates on behalf of the Mayor, the implementation of services that involve several departments and leadership team.

Coordinates special projects for the City, including the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of projects, management studies, introduction of new programs, and various professional services defines the scope of the project; identifies and ensures proper allocation of financial, material, and human resources committed to the project; formulates solutions and resolves problems; and facilitates implementation of the special project.

BOARDS AND COMMITTEES Oversee the Airport Advisory Board. Acts on the Mayor’s behalf to serve as a representative for the City of Bentonville on various committees and boards as specified by the Mayor to give input from the City’s perspective. Serves on regional and state economic development boards.

MUNICIPAL AIRPORT Responsible for building and maintaining good working relationships with fixed-base operators, airline personnel, government agencies, airport organizations, legislators, and community/airport participants. Using excellent customer service skills establishes and maintains effective working relationships with other employees, officials, and all members of the public.
This job role enforces the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules, manages security, negotiates airport contact and leases. Oversees for the airport advisory board meetings, implementing operating procedures, coordination of renovation projects, monitoring airport expenditures and others. Collaborate and supported by City engineers, Director of Transportation, Public Safety and City legal staff.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT This position works in conjunction with the Planning Director for marketing, business development, and recruitment efforts associated with economic development for the City of Bentonville by performing or coordinating the following:

• Serves as the City liaison with engineers, contractors, City officials and industrial executives in the economic development of the City and represents the City’s interest on various economic development boards, commissions and authorities.
• Helps develop and administer a program of providing information and materials to the Chamber of Commerce, business firms and companies seeking to locate in the City.
• Prepares marketing material for distribution; promotes community assets through a planned marketing effort and provides feedback to the Mayor and City Council on the needs and concerns of the business community.
• Prepares grant proposals, applications, contracts and other necessary documents as may be related to economic development for the City.
• Ability to make formal presentations to the Mayor and City Council regarding activities concerning economic development and community relations projects. Makes oral presentations before business groups, as appropriate on topics pertaining to the activities of both corporations and economic development.
• Conduct surveys and research economic trends, demographic trends, and infrastructure issues relative to Bentonville.
• Must be able to effectively promote economic development analysis, such as employment trends, commercial building vacancy rates, and availability of industrial land sites.
• Initiates develops and maintains programs to encourage the retention and expansion of existing businesses and industries within the City.
• Serves as liaison with new businesses and City departments to assist them with required permits, including building permits, arrangements for water and sewer services, fire codes, zoning issues, and certificates of occupancy
• Helps prepare and distributes brochures, and news releases explaining activities and/or accomplishments of the corporations.
• Helps prepare various statistical and narrative economic reports for presentation to the City Council.

COMMUNICATION/COMMUNITY RELATIONS

• News Releases & Media Interviews Serves as the “City Spokesperson” to the media, issues news releases pertaining to City activities and events. Research issues, writes & edits releases. Alerts the media to events in the community. Controls the nature and flow of information about events and communicates on regular basis with members of the media. Alerts members of the media to potential stories of interest. Develops a relationship of mutual trust with media contacts. Manages communications between news media and other City staff. Guides media to the appropriate staff member when seeking information and interviews. Prepares the staff member for questions/answers and often oversees the interview process.

• Information and Education Acts as the Mayor’s liaison to providing information and coordinating answers about Bentonville, including information requests ranging from Boy Scout troops service projects to businesses wanting information to help them make the decisions to locate their business in Bentonville.

• Public Private Partnerships Administers and Oversees public private partnerships by building and maintaining strategic relationships among those who partner with the City. Assists in communicating to the community how these public & private partnership projects help the overall success of the City. Maintains relationships with AR Economic development Commission and state economic development leaders.

• Citizen Interaction and Outreach Oversees the handling of citizen and business complaints by channeling them to the appropriate departments for action. As required, establishes and organizes public input sessions to channel feedback to relevant officials to determine which issues are of interest and concern to the public; assists City officials in developing appropriate responses to questions, comments and suggestions; develops articles of information for the City newsletter.

• Public Events As directed, becomes responsible for activities and events that serve the public in supporting and celebrating our common goals, interests and accomplishments. Assists in the dissemination of information and media awareness of those events.

• Student mentoring and Interships Assists in the establishment of a vibrant student mentoring and internship program. Works with City Staff to establish internship opportunities for high school and college-level students. Helps facilitate interaction between interns and staff for in person meetings and initial interview and validation of paperwork and credentials. As needed, assists with written internship evaluation and grade assignment needed for the completion of the internship.
  
  
• Social Media Oversee city social media accounts for the City and be responsible for the following social media areas:
  - Implementation of the City’s social media strategy and developing awareness of city services and city
  initiatives though that strategy;
  - Creating, managing, and publishing social media content.
  - Collaborating with City departments to support their respective missions, ensuring consistency in voice
  and cultivating an informed social media community.
• Technical Skills
  Maintains the City website with communication updates.
  Builds websites and web pages from ground up as needed, such as economic development sites, bond sites, and animal services sites.
  Must have ability to read HTML code and possess computer skills to build and maintain web pages and websites.
  Ability to evaluate software for communications needs.
  Must be proficient in ADOBE for communications and forms management, to conduct City business department wide.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES This position will provide direct supervision of municipal airport, and communication staff members. Direct working partnership with Director of Transportation, Planning Department, City Engineers and Legal Staff Attorney and City Attorney.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE Master's degree (M. A.) or equivalent and ten years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read and comprehend codes, specifications, legal descriptions, and maps. Ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints. Ability to write speeches and articles using original or innovative techniques or style. Ability to make effective and persuasive speeches and presentations on controversial or complex topics to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS Ability to apply advanced mathematical concepts such as quadratic equations. Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, and sampling theory.

REASONING ABILITY Able to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS, None.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and sit. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

HEALTH BENEFITS
The City of Bentonville is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to eligible, full-time employees who work 30 hours per week. This year's benefits package can be viewed here:

https://www.bentonvillear.com/DocumentCenter/View/15032/City-of-Bentonville-2024-Benefits-Guide

WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This job description should not be interpreted as all-inclusive. It is intended to identify the major responsibilities and requirements of this job. The incumbents may be requested to perform job-related responsibilities and tasks other than those stated in this description, but which are commensurate with similar levels of responsibility.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.