Economic Mobility Officer (Grant Funded) chez City of Charlottesville, VA

About the Department

The Economic Mobility Officer is a strategic, visionary professional who is a senior-level leader coordinating citywide efforts to advance economic mobility and opportunity through innovative, data-informed, and community-engaged strategies. The position will advance economic mobility by addressing systemic barriers, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and promoting economic opportunity and accessibility.  Working with City staff, municipal leaders, community members, and nonprofit partners, the position will co-design and implement strategies to expand access to housing, workforce development, financial security, and other pathways to economic well-being, especially for community members who identify as ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income Constrained and Employed) and other underrepresented populations. The position must demonstrate transparency, trust-building, and accountability in convening partners and leading cross-sector efforts. 

This role will perform complex professional and administrative work requiring considerable initiative, judgment, and the ability to make independent decisions to develop, execute, and evaluate citywide initiatives as identified by the City Council and community. This work must be carried out with transparent decision-making and accountability, ensuring that priorities are set and communicated openly. This position works collaboratively with staff in the City Manager’s Office and key personnel performing critical functions in support of the City Manager’s vision for organizational excellence.

The Economic Mobility Officer will be an openly disciplined, empathetic, strategic advocate, and empowering leader who models the organizational excellence performance standard. This role reliably engages as a trusted advisor to and analyst for the City Manager. Reports directly to the City Manager.

This is a 30-month, grant-funded, position in partnership with the International City/County Manager’s Association (ICMA) – the leading professional association for local government leaders – offers national-level training, coaching, and strategic guidance in support of this position, creating lasting, equitable change. The position may transition into a permanent role after the grant period based on budget availability and program outcomes.

The hiring amount for the Economic Mobility Officer is not to exceed $100,006.40 annually. Starting offer is based on applicable education, experience, and internal equity. This is a grant-funded full-time (limited term appointment), exempt, position which provides excellent benefits including 13 paid holidays plus 1 floating holiday, paid vacation and sick leave, health insurance options with employer contribution, employer-paid life insurance, City's retirement options, gym membership reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, and continuing education/training opportunities. 

• For a general summary of benefits offered by the City, please click the 'benefits' tab on this posting, or visit https://www.charlottesville.gov/1047/Employee-Benefits.
• The City of Charlottesville manages its own retirement system which offers both a defined benefit and a defined contribution option.  While the City does not participate in VRS, the City has a Portability Agreement with VRS and there are certain provisions that must be met. For questions pertaining to the Portability Agreement, please contact the City's Benefits Administrator at 434-970-3462.

Position Duties

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations will be considered to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The essential functions of the job are not limited to those listed in the job description.  The City retains the discretion to add to or change the duties of the position at any time.

Community Engagement & Strategy Development

• Serves as a liaison between the City and community stakeholders to align efforts that improve the quality of life for Charlottesville residents through the practice of active listening, fostering psychological safety, and creating conditions where diverse voices feel valued and respected.
• Facilitate an inclusive community engagement and decision-making processes with municipal staff and departments, City Boards and Commissions, community organizations, and under-represented community members to identify priority issues and shape economic mobility strategies.  
• Ensure that the voices of historically marginalized, ALICE, and low-income residents inform local priorities and solutions. 
• Makes transparency and clarity central in cross-sector decisions.

Program and Policy Support

• Research, analyze, and recommend policy and programmatic interventions to support the elimination of systemic barriers and expand economic opportunities for all residents, particularly those historically excluded from economic success. 
• Create the City’s first Economic Mobility and Opportunity work plan, which will ensure that existing citywide initiatives guided by the Council’s vision, merging with feedback from staff, community members, and other key stakeholders, are translated into decisions and actions that the community can see and trust.
• Track and analyze data to monitor progress, evaluate impacts, and inform decision-making related to the performance of existing economic mobility and opportunity initiatives.

Partnership and Network Building

• Engage and collaborate with external partners (including local nonprofits and community action groups) and community members to align and strengthen economic mobility and opportunity initiatives.
• Launch/expand a local resource network of partners, community members, and other stakeholders with knowledge and expertise in priority economic mobility and opportunity topics
• Must participate in regular virtual and travel to annual in-person meetings with other ICMA Economic Mobility and Opportunity Special Assistant grantees
• May represent the City at regional, state, and national convenings, focused on economic mobility and opportunity.
• Frames advocacy around long-term systemic outcomes.
• Models' vulnerability & curiosity to strengthen trust.

Capacity Building and Reporting

• Identify and promote opportunities for upstream work focused on economic mobility and opportunity, including in the areas of workforce development, financial empowerment, housing stability, and educational access, while serving as a strategic advocate who links these opportunities to long-term systemic change.
• Prepare required reports and success stories in compliance with ICMA and grant requirements.
• Support the development of funding proposals and external partnerships, ensuring advocacy is intentional, clear in scope, and tied to sustainable outcomes.

Implementation and Evaluation

• Assist with the implementation of economic mobility initiatives, including through the tracking and analysis of data to monitor progress, evaluate impacts, and inform decision-making related to the performance of existing and new economic mobility and opportunity initiatives.
• Coordinate with City staff, City Boards/Commissions, community organizations, and other stakeholders on cross-cutting issues such as housing, land use, transportation, prosperity, and environmental justice.

Other Duties

• Responsible for appropriate use and maintenance of City equipment, tools and other resources, including work time.
• Regular and reliable attendance.
• Performs additional duties to support operational requirements as apparent or assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Candidates may qualify by demonstrating the required knowledge and skills outlined for the job through experience(s) other than formal education such as college.

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, public policy, urban planning, social sciences, economics, or a related field AND 3 years of relevant experience in local government, community engagement, workforce development, economic mobility, social equity, program analysis, or related fields.

• Associate degree in public administration, public policy, urban planning, social sciences, economics, or a related field AND 5 years of relevant experience in local government, community engagement, workforce development, economic mobility, social equity, program analysis, or related fields

• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of the specific requirements listed above.

Certifications/Licenses/Other Requirements:

• Required to successfully pass a pre-employment background check and pre-employment drug screen.

Preferred:

• Master's Degree in a relevant area.
• An understanding of the Charlottesville community and its history.
• Familiarity with local government functions and interagency collaboration.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-sector initiatives and working with diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge of grant programs and processes, including accounting and financial reporting.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Characteristics:
Job Knowledge

• Familiarity with the impacts and issues of households being on low incomes as well as being classified as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). 
• Familiarity with structural and institutional barriers to equity and economic advancement, as well as an understanding of evidence-based interventions.
• Knowledge of program development, strategic planning, and community-centered or human-centered design methodologies.
• Knowledge of, or interest in developing knowledge of, municipal policy and local government operations, and how municipalities can influence housing, land use, and economic opportunity.
• Knowledge of, or interest in developing knowledge of, economic mobility factors, including income, wealth building, education, employment, health, and housing.
• Knowledge and understanding to provide specialized consultation and advice needed to finalize organization-wide–wide strategy, polices, and regulations.

Reading

• Advanced: ability to read and understand complex written materials such as books, reviews, scientific or technical journals, abstracts, financial reports, and/or legal documents. Ability to effectively analyze facts and provide oversight and direction of information for assessments.

Writing

• Advanced: ability to develop materials such as researched editorials, journals, speeches, manuals, or critiques. Ability to prepare detailed recommendations or reports from analyzed data, information, and assessments. Ability to tailor writing to specific audiences and explain complex thoughts and ideas in writing. Independently prepare concise and clear procedural plans and documents.

Math

• Intermediate: ability to deal with number systems; simple formulas, practical application of fractions, percentages, ratios/proportions and measurement.

Communication Skills

• Advanced: Ability to foster and maintain good working relationships with City Officials, employees, and the general public. Excellent oral and written communication. Requires competent public speaking and presentation skills and ability to present facts and recommendations effectively. Makes recommendations regarding policy development and implementation. Contact may involve support of controversial positions or the negotiation of sensitive issues or important presentations.  Evaluates customer satisfaction, develops cooperative associations, and utilizes resources to continuously improve customer satisfaction.
• Promotes positive solution-oriented communication while encouraging feedback as a growth tool and cultivating curiosity-driven dialogue with partners.
• Collaborates with various internal and external decision makers to create strategic alliances and partnerships on an organization-wide level.

Independence and Decision-Making

• Requires Administrative Direction: normally completes work with substantial discretion and within broad parameters defined by general organizational requirements and accepted practices. Uses a wide variety of inter- and intra-departmental resources to address problems and to carry out decisions. Resolves issues using discretionary judgment in the absence of any explicit protocol. Overall results determine job performance.
• Identifies and/or addresses gaps in the organization's current performance. Oversees distribution of findings for assigned work processes. Makes decisions concerning conflicting priorities and resource needs. Resolves issues using discretionary judgment, where appropriate, while maintaining transparency so stakeholders understand the resolution and reasoning behind it.
• Heads or directs efforts to improve processes, procedures, methods, technologies, tools, equipment, terminology, standards, and performance measures.

Technical Skills

• Skilled: comprehensive, practical knowledge of a technical field with use of analytical judgment and decision-making abilities appropriate to the assigned and apparent job responsibilities.  Intermediate computer skills using Microsoft Office applications and organization systems/software.

Fiscal Responsibilities

• Integrates and translates the operational plans and objectives of various departments and functions into budgetary requirements. May assist in the preparation of the annual operations budget.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Does not have formal supervisory responsibilities.

Other Characteristics

• Displays organizational excellence at all times as a representative of the City Manager and city organization at all times.
• Skilled in facilitation, relationship-building, and community engagement with diverse internal and external stakeholders through an understanding to build trust among the community by modeling self-awareness and creating safe spaces for dialogue.
• Ability to engage in proactive discussions with all segments of an active citizenry and highly participative community. 
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing equity, inclusion, and economic opportunity, whether through professional work, community leadership, volunteer service, or lived experience.
• Tact, diplomacy, and resourcefulness in resolving problems and managing stressful situations.  
• Anticipates the needs of others, is proactive in reacting to them, and helps others to do the same.
• Balances and optimizes the skills and contributions of others; creates an environment that allows others to share expertise willingly.
• Effective time management and organizational skills, sometimes under strict time constraints.
• Strong project management skills and ability to independently manage multiple priorities and deadline simultaneously.
• Analytical and critical thinking skills to evaluate policy, program, and data. 
• Effectively works with sensitive and confidential issues and information.
• May require dealing with angry, frustrated and/or upset individuals.
• May require additional hours outside of normal schedule, which may include evenings, nights, holidays, and/or weekends.

Other Qualifications

Physical Demands:

• Light Work: exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
• Must constantly operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine and computer printer. Must be able to move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Must be able to communicate information and ideas so others will understand.  Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• Ability to observe details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Machines, Tools, Equipment, Software and Hardware:

• Typically requires use of standard office equipment and telephone, and related software and hardware; and any other equipment as appropriate or as assigned.  

Work Environment:

• Work is performed in an office environment where there may be exposure to computer screen for extended periods of time, monitor glare and dust.
• The noise level is usually moderate but may vary depending on work site or location.

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