Salary to be commensurate with experience

The hiring range for this position is: $121,500 - $151,875/annually

The deadline to submit applications is November 20, 2026. Please note, The City of Aurora will conduct ongoing screenings of applications on a first come, first-serve basis; as soon as we determine to have a qualified pool of applicants, this position may close quickly and without notice.

OVERVIEW OF POSITION / DEPARTMENT

The Special Projects Manager is one of two positions in the City Manager’s Office dedicated to advancing the City's strategic priorities through the coordination and management of complex, multi-departmental initiatives. This specific position will lead and support high-profile projects having significant city and community impact. Specifically, this position will focus work on initiatives related to capital planning and programming, development, external service delivery, and other strategic planning initiatives, working collaboratively across departments to ensure alignment, efficiency, and successful implementation of City objectives.

The Special Projects Manager will perform highly professional duties and is responsible for complex administrative and analytical work to support city operations. Specifically, the position will be responsible for planning, administering and completing assigned projects and initiatives, which may cross several functional areas and departments. Assignments may vary in length and complexity but are generally not permanent. This role will not supervise staff but will delegate to, and collaborate with, individuals supporting a project.

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Perform a wide range of duties to assist executive management in managing and coordinating city initiatives, policies, and projects.
Lead special projects which may include identifying, verifying, analyzing, and implementing process improvement opportunities to eliminate unnecessary complexity.
Support projects and strategic planning from inception to delivery, working cross-departmentally providing technical and analytical support.
Establishes and guides short, mid, and long-range financial plans and strategies including preparation and effective management of project budgets.
Partner with executive management to identify strategic opportunities and translate them into actionable project plans.
Coordinate cross-departmental projects and initiatives involving internal and external stakeholders to align on objectives, deliverables, and timelines.
Serve as a liaison between Executive Management and city departments, staff, public, and council by facilitating effective communication and ensuring timely follow-up on requests and inquiries.
Conduct research, data analysis, and feasibility assessments to support project decisions.
Participates in the city’s development and strategic planning initiatives.
Lead/support citywide multi-departmental capital planning and programming processes in collaboration with city departments.
Serve as a liaison between the City Manager's Office and departments to track progress on citywide strategic initiatives and capital programs/projects.
Serve as a catalyst for a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
Identify market trends, emerging technology, and process variations as part of establishing continuous improvement in collaboration with departments.
Help prepare presentations, council reports, white papers, and issue summaries

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & WORKING CONDITIONS

An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that demonstrates required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.

Education:

Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Political Science, or directly related field.
Experience:

5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in local government, public administration, urban planning, or within a preferred public sector environment.
7 years experience managing complex, cross-functional projects from initiation through completion

Licenses and Certifications:

Colorado Driver's License with a good driving record.

Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Business Administration or related field preferred.
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred.

Knowledge:

Understanding of public sector budgeting, financial management, regulatory requirements, and strategic planning principles including capital plans and operational plans.
Strong working knowledge in managing budgets, projects, and change management.
Principles and practices of public capital budgeting and multi-year capital improvement planning.
Applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations affecting the work of the municipal government

Abilities:

Strong working knowledge in managing budgets, projects, and change management.
Ability to set-up, facilitate and lead service improvement sessions with a range of business stakeholders
Strong interpersonal skills for establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with employees, department leadership, elected officials, other governmental agencies, and the public
Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, including Project, Visio, Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint
Effective public presentation and technical writing skills for Council, board, and community audiences
Leads teams with empathy, ensuring a positive, inclusive, and collaborative work environment
Ability to design and implement framework of continuous improvement Identifies and facilitates team-based solutions
Communicate effectively both orally and in writing including synthesizing complex information into useful format for decision-makers and tailoring messages to various audiences.
Gather, correlate and analyze facts and devise solutions to administrative and technical problems
Ability to work various shifts, nights, holidays, and weekends
Adapts quickly to a changing environment, demands, business needs, and shifting priorities
High level of integrity and ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.

Skills:

Strong analytical, project and people management skills, including a thorough understanding of the City of Aurora policies, procedures, and processes to interpret business needs and translate them into operational requirements.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to interact professionally with a diverse group of Consultants, Executives, City leaders, Directors, Managers, staff, and subject matter experts.
Strong emotional intelligence and active listening skills with proven ability to collaborate in cross-functional teams.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Essential Personnel:

When a local announcement of emergency or disaster is declared by the city, all City of Aurora employees may be required to work as essential personnel.

Physical Demands:

Sedentary physical work requiring ability to lift a maximum of 10 pounds.
Occasional walking and standing.
Vision to read and interpret reports and other written documents.
Speech communication and hearing to maintain communication with employees and citizens.

Work Environment:

Works primarily in a clean, comfortable environment.

Equipment Used:

This position may require the incumbent to use personal equipment (e.g. vehicle, cell phone, tools, etc.) in the course of their employment.