City Administrator

CLOSING DATE AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS. To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to Mayor Valdez jvaldez@kearns.utah.gov by 5:00 p.m. (Mountain) on May 11, 2026.

Position: The City of Kearns is seeking an agile, high-impact strategic City Administrator to serve as the primary architect of the City’s operational and administrative success and the lead voice for its community narrative. The City Administrator will be the City’s first official employee.

ABOUT KEARNS: Kearns is a new urban municipality that operates under a five-member form of municipal government, with a voting Mayor and four City Council members. Located in the heart of Salt Lake County, Kearns has a diverse, multi-cultural population of 38,000 people living in approximately 4.63 square miles, making it one of Utah’s most densely populated cities.

Kearns is also the home of the Utah Olympic Oval, which has the “Fastest Ice on Earth” and was the speed skating venue for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. As a result, Kearns is a training hub for local, national, and international athletes and hosts various World Cup and championship speed skating events each year. Kearns will again be an Olympic venue site during the 2034 Utah Olympic Winter Games, and the City is actively engaged in various related economic development, real estate acquisition, and other projects.

Kearns is unique because it does not have a traditional staff. Instead, it receives its municipal services through various special districts, interlocal entities, and other contracted service providers. These include the Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District (MSD), which provides administrative staff, planning and development, code enforcement, business licensing, engineering, accounting, and other services. Because Kearns does not have the typical human resources and other related administrative responsibilities inherent in most municipalities. The City Administrator will be the City’s first employee.

JOB DESCRIPTION: The City Administrator will serve as Kearns’ chief administrative officer. Operating under a "lean" administrative model, this is not a traditional "desk job" managing a large internal bureaucracy. As a result, this is a high-level strategic liaison role that will require you to act as the relentless "watchdog" for Kearns’ interests and to oversee the services it receives from its services’ providers to ensure that every tax dollar translates into high-quality infrastructure and services.

Key responsibilities include:

• Integrated Contract Advocacy: Serving as the "Single Point of Truth" for the Council by overseeing and auditing the services Kearns receives from its service providers. You will not only manage a contract; you will ensure the work (potholes, streetlights, code enforcement) is visible, verified, and valued by the taxpayers.
• Strategic Narrative & PIO: Managing the city’s brand and public presence. This role treats communication as a core utility—ensuring residents, media partners, and regional stakeholders are consistently engaged through a professional digital presence and transparent reporting.
• Grant & Olympic Architecture: Proactively identifying and securing the state and federal funding necessary to prepare Kearns for the 2034 Olympic Winter Games.
• Policy Velocity: Moving Council resolutions from "vote" to "action" with urgency. You are the high-level troubleshooter who clears the path for progress, coordinating between legal, regional partners, and the public.
• General Administration:
• Providing assistance and support to the Mayor and City Council.
• Preparing and posting agendas in coordination with the Mayor and Recorder.
• Working with the Mayor, City Council, and City Attorney to develop and implement City ordinances and resolutions.
• Serving as the liaison between the City and multiple service providers.
• Monitoring, analyzing, and evaluating legislation and other intergovernmental activities affecting the City; prepare and/or coordinate appropriate responses to legislation impacting City operations and the community.
• Serving as a project manager for a variety of special projects; facilitating project activities and resolving problems; developing and submitting project reports to the Mayor and City Council.
• Managing Kearns City’s social media campaign, including the City’s website.
• Conceptualizing, developing, and managing the City’s public relations programs.
• Attending key leader engagements; participating in and managing multiple councils’ meetings, e.g., Kearns City Council and MSD meetings.
• Establishing and maintaining the City’s staff and community performance management goals and programs.
• Assisting MSD departments in detailed research and analysis.
• Serving as a staff liaison for a variety of boards and commissions.
• Emergency Operations and Continuity Operations, development, planning, and liaising.
• Helping with the development and application of grants that support the City’s needs.
• Coordinating the preparation of reports to the Mayor and City Council, including recommendations concerning various municipal problems and their solutions through appropriate policy development. Assists in monitoring and development of the city-wide budget.
• Preparing for and giving oral presentations to the City Council, MSD staff, other service providers, and the public.
• Reviewing policies and procedures established by the departments of the MSD to ascertain their interface with the policy development of the Mayor. Recommending changes in City departmental policies where appropriate.
• Helping develop policies and procedures designed to facilitate the effective and efficient conduct of governmental business.
• Oversee City staff, if additional staff are hired.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, political science, business administration or related field required or four years of directly related experience.
• Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Science in Management and Leadership (MSML), Juris Doctor (JD), or related field preferred; additional work experience may be substituted for education.

Experience:

• 7–12+ years of progressive municipal, public sector, and leadership experience.
• We are seeking a professional with the "backbone" to hold regional partners accountable and the sophisticated communication skills to lead an Olympic venue host city. As a result, prior experience with large sporting events, economic redevelopment, and new municipalities is highly preferred.

General Knowledge and Skills:

• Knowledge of project management principles.
• Knowledge of municipal budgeting.
• Knowledge of City and departmental policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of general supervisory and managerial principles and practices.
• Knowledge of public relations, communications, marketing, and basic graphic design skills.
• Knowledge of the legislative process at the federal, state, and municipal level. Skills/Abilities:
• Skill in communicating effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Skill in computer programs, including Microsoft Office Suite.
• Basic skills with public relations, communications, and marketing platforms such as Constant Contact, Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google Workspace, Zoom, Teams, etc.
• Ability to problem solve and prioritize competing interests.
• Ability to manage multiple projects/tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to perform complex skills, including statistics, research data analysis, finance, and interpret charts and graphs.
• Contract auditing, grant writing, crisis communications, and inter-agency diplomacy.
• This position may require use of personal vehicles on City business. Individuals must be physically capable of operating the vehicles safely, possess a valid Utah driver’s license, and have a good driving record.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• 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.
• This position requires work in a wide variety of conditions, from a typical office setting to field work. Must be able to attend evening meetings and some weekend events.
• This position is subject to intermittent exposure to high-stress situations caused by human behavior.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, walk, move, talk, and hear/listen.
• The employee is required to use hands to finger, handle, feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus unless otherwise required by management.

Why Apply: As the city’s primary envoy to the 2034 Olympic Committee and its chief communicator, you will be the face of Kearns—translating complex policy into clear community updates, securing critical state and federal grants, and ensuring our neighborhoods are "Olympic-ready." We are looking for a "doer" with the diplomatic sophistication to navigate state-level politics and the technical grit to audit a maintenance portal. If you are a leader with a talent for strategic communication and a passion for building a lasting municipal legacy, Kearns City is your stage.

Work Environment & Flexibility: While Kearns will be your focus, the City prioritizes impact over presence. This role is designed for a modern professional who can manage high-level strategy from anywhere along the Wasatch Front, provided they are ready to engage when the "real world" calls.

• Remote-First Flexibility: You do not need to reside in Kearns. Many of the administrative, strategic, and communication tasks can be performed remotely, as part of a hybrid work model.
• The "Kearns & MSD" Touchpoints: While there is no daily "clock-in" at a desk, you will utilize the Kearns office, the MSD, and other service providersfor high-stakes face-to-face meetings, directing operational staff, or coordinating with regional partners and the Council when digital collaboration isn't enough.
• Field Work & Oversight: Physical presence is required for essential field work to audit City projects and ensure that MSD service levels (potholes, streetlights, code enforcement) meet the "Olympic-ready" standard.

The Kearns Opportunity: A Once-in-a-Career Legacy: Most municipal roles are about maintaining the status quo. In Kearns, you will be expected to set the stage. As a primary host community for the 2034 Winter Olympics, Kearns is entering a transformative decade. This position offers a unique "front-row seat" to international sports diplomacy and state-level infrastructure planning.

• The Olympic Legacy: You won't just be managing a city; you will be ensuring that the 2034 Games leave a permanent, positive fingerprint on our neighborhoods.
• The Hybrid Authority: Unlike traditional roles where you are siloed behind a desk, this position is designed for a high-visibility leader. You have the rare autonomy to craft the City’s brand from the ground up.
• Impact Without the Red Tape: Because we operate on a "lean" model, you aren't burdened by layers of internal bureaucracy. You have the direct line to the Council and the agility to see your strategies move from a memo to the "real world" in record time.

DISCLAIMER

The Kearns is an equal opportunity employer without regard to race, religion, sex, pregnancy, genetic information, age, national origin, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship, disability, veteran or military status, or any other factor protected by the law. Reasonable accommodations may be made for otherwise qualified individuals who require and request such accommodation.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major responsibilities and duties performed on the job. It is not an exhaustive list of all job-related duties and responsibilities that an employee may perform. An employee in this position will be required to perform any other job-related duties required by their supervisor. This job description is not intended to and does not infer or create any employment, compensation, or contract rights to any person or persons. This updated job description supersedes prior descriptions for the same position. The City reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Pay: $95,000.00 - $140,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Salt Lake City, UT 84118