The City of Pasadena is looking for a City Manager who is passionate about serving the people of Pasadena! They will have considerable executive leadership experience (public or private sector) to manage a dynamic and complex city. This City Manager will oversee a complex public sector agency, public/private partnerships, and a full-service City with robust services, including a water and power utility. The City Manager will oversee an annual operating and capital budget of $1.5 billion and a dedicated and talented staff of approximately 2,200. They will support an experienced and committed City Council and an engaged community of approximately 140,000. In addition to overseeing the municipal administration, the ideal candidate will also partner in the oversight and management of the City-owned Rose Bowl Stadium, Convention Center and Visitors Bureau, and Pasadena Media cable channel. We encourage you to find out more about what makes Pasadena such an amazing community to work, live, and play in at https://www.visitpasadena.com and https://www.cityofpasadena.net. If you have the above experience and an ability to think creatively about challenges, are passionate about serving a diverse community, possess great leadership strengths, and are driven by making a difference and improving the standard of living in Pasadena, then apply today!

THE COMMUNITY
The City of Pasadena has a long, rich history of cultural diversity and innovation. Pasadena values and celebrates our community’s differences and our lived experiences. The City is committed to transparency, accountability, and excellence in local government. We are leading efforts to provide affordable housing, serve as a model for environmental sustainability, and improve the quality of life for everyone.

The City is nestled in the west foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, just 15 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. This ethnically and economically diverse City is home to over 140,000 people. Its economy thrives on the educational and entrepreneurial features of the City, including the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Art Center College of Design, Pasadena City College, and more. Historical homes and landmarks line the streets of Pasadena, giving the community a sense of heritage, while looking to the future. Traveling from Pasadena to neighboring communities is a breeze thanks to the Metro L Line which includes six stations in Pasadena and provides easy connections to the San Gabriel Valley, downtown LA, and destinations across the region.

The City is known on a national and international stage for its Rose Bowl events, Tournament of Roses Parade, and annual Rose Bowl Game. Other notable attractions include the Pasadena Convention Center and Civic Auditorium, Norton Simon Museum, the USC Pacific Asia Museum, and the Gamble House. Pasadena residents also enjoy the City’s open space opportunities, such as Brookside Park, Eaton Canyon Nature Center, and three community centers. Pasadena has extraordinary potential to help shape the future of urban communities in America.

THE CITY
The City of Pasadena is a full-service municipality governed by a City Charter and City Council/Manager form of government. The governing body consists of an elected mayor and seven City Councilmembers elected by district, each serving four-year terms. The City has benefited from a consistently strong and stable elected leadership and is committed to the values of responsiveness; honesty and integrity; accountability; excellence; open, clear, and frequent communication; innovation; and equity, inclusiveness, and belonging.

The City is one of three cities in California that has its own Public Health Department. The City benefits from the economic stability and environmental stewardship of owning its own electricity and water utility, delivering electricity to over 65,000 customers and water to almost 38,000 houses and businesses in Pasadena and surrounding communities. Find additional information about the City’s departments that provide a full range of services at www.cityofpasadena.net Its operating companies include the Rose Bowl Stadium, the Convention Center, and Pasadena Media.

• See the City’s organizational chart here: https://www.cityofpasadena.net/city-organizational-chart/
• See the City’s 2024 Annual Report: https://www.cityofpasadena.net/city-manager/annual-reports/2024-annual-…

THE JOB
The City Manager will oversee a General Fund budget of $365 million and a total budget of approximately $1.5 billion, including $446 million in capital improvement program, and $110 million in appropriations for the City’s three operating companies—Rose Bowl Operating Company, Pasadena Center Operating Company, and Pasadena Community Access Corporation. They will also oversee 15 departments and approximately 2,200 staff. The City Manager serves as the Chief Administrative Officer and head of the administrative branch of the City Government and provides support to Councilmembers with policy development. The City Manager should have a strong understanding of local, state, and federal regulatory requirements. They will have a track record of managing other complex organizations (public or private sector), with experience across several departments. They will have strong fiscal and political acumen and be a calm, fair, inclusive, and equitable leader. The City Manager will develop creative revenue solutions to address changing revenue generation and the economic impacts on the community, primarily regarding tourism and the shifting landscape of commerce.

The selected candidate will become a part of the Pasadena community, champion what makes Pasadena great, and listen to and engage staff and constituents alike. They will become the business, civic and neighborhood life of the community, and demonstrate strong communication and exemplary conflict-resolution skills. They will know how to leverage what Pasadena has to offer - great people, community, nature, annual traditions, historical infrastructure, and more! They will serve the best interests of the community and achieve Council’s FY 2027 budget priorities/goals:
1. Upgrading and modernizing fire department facilities.
2. Improving roadways and implementing a multifaceted pedestrian and bicycle safety strategy.
3. Direct investment in a year-round shelter and/or transitional housing for unhoused residents.
4. Advancing our goal of 100% carbon-free energy through Pasadena Water and Power.
5. Implementing our Economic Development Strategic Plan, with emphasis on streetscapes and neighborhood placemaking .

IDEAL CANDIDATE
We are looking for an outstanding leader with a deep and successful track record of exercising these skills:
• Strategic, human-centered leadership: Leading with empathy, emotional intelligence, integrity, and accountability, while balancing decisiveness with collaboration and trust-building.
• Innovation and adaptability: Challenging conventional approaches, embracing and managing change to continuously improve how the City serves residents and businesses, and ensuring Pasadena remains a leader in meeting new challenges
• Operational excellence in a complex city: Managing a full-service organization that includes utilities, large venues, and regional assets, while delivering high-quality services citywide.
• Workforce excellence and labor relations: Building a strong organizational culture, maintaining labor peace, and recruiting, developing, and retaining top executive and staff talent.
• Effective Council–Manager partnership: Supporting policy development, implementing Council direction, and navigating political complexity with professionalism and transparency.

The next City Manager will be expected to partner with the Council, the Executive Leadership Team, City staff, labor, Commissions, local organizations, businesses, institutions, and the community to successfully tackle:
• Fiscal stewardship and long-term sustainability: Managing structural budget pressures, rising costs, and constrained revenues through disciplined financial management, creative revenue strategies, and innovative financing tools.
• Economic evolution and diversification: Advancing a modern economic development strategy that leverages Pasadena’s strengths in higher education, research, biomedical and life sciences, arts, culture, and design, while moving beyond traditional office and retail models.
• Land use, redevelopment, and placemaking: Leading redevelopment of the former 710 corridor and other key areas to support housing, mobility, economic vitality, and neighborhood identity.
• Housing stability and homelessness solutions: Advancing coordinated, compassionate strategies that address affordability, housing supply, and year-round shelter and transitional housing for unhoused residents.
• Infrastructure, facilities, and capital investment: Modernizing aging infrastructure and public facilities—including fire stations, utilities, roadways, and civic assets—through thoughtful capital planning and execution.
• Mobility, safety, and public realm improvements: Improving roadways, enhancing pedestrian and bicycle safety, and strengthening streetscapes and public spaces.
• Climate, sustainability, and energy leadership: Advancing environmental goals, including the transition to carbon-free energy through Pasadena Water and Power, while ensuring affordability, reliability, and long-term resilience.
• Regional and global engagement: Preparing Pasadena to successfully host major events and leveraging global visibility for lasting economic and community benefit.