The City of Fayetteville is currently recruiting for a Economic Mobility Special Project Manager to leads the coordination and implementation of the City’s Economic Mobility & Opportunity (EMO) initiative, ensuring grant-funded activities align with stated goals of workforce development, income growth, housing stability, education pathways, and financial empowerment; serve as the central point for strategic framing, cross-department collaboration, and inclusive community engagement to advance EMO priorities in partnership with the Economic and Community Development Director and team; manage reporting and accountability for EMO grant requirements, participate in International City/County Management Association (ICMA) cohort activities, and track progress through data-informed measures and performance dashboards; provide responsible and complex staff support to the City Manager’s Office.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Lead role in coordinating City participation in the Economic Mobility & Opportunity (EMO) initiative, including management of related federal, state, and grant-funded projects; monitor project deadlines, deliverables, budgets, and compliance with grant requirements.
Assist in the definition of EMO project scope and objective, manage changes to EMO project scope, schedule and costs using appropriate verification techniques and reporting requirements; involve all relevant stakeholders and ensure eligibility and feasibility within grant and program guidelines; facilitate inclusive community engagement processes to co-design and implement solutions with residents, nonprofits, businesses, and institutions.
Participate in the development and preparation of plans, specifications and cost estimates for proposed projects. Compose and analyze grant proposals and required reports in support of EMO priorities.
Assist with the selection, negotiation and management of professional service contracts; monitor contract compliance and status.
Measure EMO project performance using appropriate tools and techniques; create and maintain comprehensive project documentation; analyze progress toward short and long-term goals; report and escalate to executive leadership as needed.
Coordinate internal resources, external partners, community stakeholders for efficient execution of projects; ensure resource availability and allocation.
Compose, evaluate and review technical reports, proposals, performance dashboards, and policy recommendations related to EMO initiatives. Report on EMO progress, grant requirements, and state/federal policy changes impacting economic mobility priorities.
Research and report on EMO and related special projects; participate in teams or serve as lead analyst for cross-departmental initiatives that advance economic mobility goals.
Participate in ICMA EMO cohort activities (virtual check-ins, in-person annual convenings) and complete required reporting and success stories.
Conduct ongoing research and analysis on economic mobility drivers (income, housing, workforce, education, financial empowerment).

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience:
Five years of increasingly responsible experience in public administration, community development, workforce development, housing, economic development, or related fields, including contract and grant management.

Preferred:
Experience leading cross-department projects, performance measurement, and community engagement. Applicants with bilingual proficiency in Spanish.

Training:
Equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in public administration, public policy, economics, social sciences, business administration, urban planning or a related field; a Master’s degree is preferred.

LICENSING & CERTIFICATIONS:
Required:
None.
Preferred:
Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), or American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
From the time of closing, the selection process is anticipated to last 4 - 6 weeks. The process will consist of a panel interview with the selected candidate being subject to a pre-employment drug screen, background check and driving history check.

An Equal Opportunity Employer