Senior Advisor to the City Clerk - Training a

City of Pontiac•Pontiac, MI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

A Senior Advisor provides high-level strategic advice, and expertise that drives organizational goals, solves complex problems, and refine operations. They act as a sounding board, lead specialized projects, and ensure strategic alignment with the Office of the City Clerk and City’s objectives. This role requires advanced government knowledge, strong communication, seasoned decision-making capabilities, being relationship-driven, politically astute and capable of managing complex, fast-moving workstreams. Responsible for identifying training needs, designing, delivering and evaluating training programs effectiveness. The ideal candidate is a strategic leader with extensive training and organizational development experience as well as a seasoned communications professional.

Requirements

A bachelor's degree or higher in Business Administration, Public Administration, Management, Law, Urban Affairs, Political Science, Public Policy, Communications, Education, Training or related field from an accredited college or university
Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience is required
Demonstrated ability in developing and implementing training programs
At least five (5) years of experience in policy development, government operations, project management, or strategic planning
Experience working with or within government, elected officials
Demonstrated understanding of the political and public policy processes
High level of judgment, discretion and political awareness
Demonstrated ability to establish, develop, and maintain positive working relationships
Strong planning and project management skills
Demonstrated ability to shape opinions and win acceptance for proposed changes and new initiatives of key political, community and internal stakeholders
Ability to think strategically and creatively
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and staff to create results driven and team-oriented work environment
Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects across multiple departments including monitoring project budgets and timelines
Excellent strategic planning and analysis skills
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including memo writing and briefing preparation
Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality content in fast-paced, real-time environments
Proven self-management and team-management skills
Proficiency in MS Office and in database software
Excellent facilitation and presentation skills
Self-motivated with a willingness to take initiative and solve complex problems
Technologically savvy and experienced with web-related technologies (specifically zoom)
Ability to understand, speak, and write in the English language.
Ability to read and interpret documents and write routine reports and correspondence.
Ability to speak effectively before a group of people.
Ability to exercise professional judgment and maintain confidentiality when necessary.
Ability to maintain composure during stressful situations.
Ability to efficiently handle multiple tasks requiring a high degree of attention to detail.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and use good judgement, initiative and resourcefulness with the public, elected officials and other employees.
Ability to produce grammatically correct and factual written reports, records and correspondence and to quickly and accurately translate spoken discussion into clear, concise meeting minutes.
Strategic Thinking: As a senior advisor, you’re expected to be able to think strategically. This includes the ability to analyze current strategies, identify potential improvements and devise tactics capable of bringing about positive changes.
Leadership Skills: This role requires robust leadership skills. As a senior advisor, you’re expected to lead teams, effectively handle conflicts and inspire confidence. The ability to influence others and guide them towards achieving their goals is crucial.
Communication Skills: As a senior advisor, you need to articulate complex ideas and strategies clearly and convincingly. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential in providing advice, resolving conflicts and mentoring staff members.
Problem-solving Skills: This entails identifying challenges, diagnosing their causes, developing possible solutions and implementing the most effective ones.
Excellent training, facilitation and presentation skills
Candidate demonstrates a deep understanding of change management principles, along with strong analytical abilities to interpret behavioral data and metrics
Combined exceptional communication and interpersonal skills
Computer skills that encompass effective use of word processing, spreadsheet, email, and Internet browser software.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree in public administration, business administration or a closely related field
Proven experience in conducting assessments and surveys to identify organizational needs
Proficiency in coaching and consulting leaders and teams
Experience with web analytics tools and turning numbers into insights
Experience generating content, proofing and implementation of large email campaigns
A track record for driving more engagement with content
Experience managing official public-sector or executive social media accounts
Experience with virtual event platforms, online collaboration tools and technologies (survey tools, data entry/database management, and project management tools) and learning management systems (LMS) preferred

Responsibilities

Strategy & Project Management: Support strategic planning processes and internal performance-management structures, managing a portfolio of special projects on behalf of the City Clerk, including the development of project plans, and coordination of projects
Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines
Develop and maintain project timelines, workflows and deliverable tracking
Balancing short- and long-term initiatives
Monitor progress and adjust priorities as needed to ensure timely, high-quality outcomes
Training and Organizational Development: Design and implement effective training programs for the Elections and Cannabis Regulations Divisions
Conduct assessments to identify organizational development needs
Facilitate and lead workshops, training sessions, and team-building activities
Provide coaching and support to trainers and facilitators to enhance their skills and effectiveness
Track and report on training metrics and KPIs to measure the impact and ROI of training programs
Online Training: Develop online training programs for Cannabis Pontiac initiatives
Virtual and On-demand delivery: manage the administration and delivery of virtual events and the development of on-demand courses, including event planning, speaker coordination, logistics, and content assistance.
Program Planning: develop a robust annual virtual training schedule by establishing consistent rotation for core offerings and identifying new topics, formats, and improvement opportunities.
Learning design and engagements: create instructional design documents and engagement strategies that strengthen interactivity, enhance learning outcomes, and foster networking opportunities.
Explore new technology integrations and collaboration tools to improve virtual and on-demand training, as well as other events as needed.
Course materials: develop and manage key program materials including timed agendas, learning outcomes, speaker bios, presentation templates/slides, handouts and workbooks; draft web and participant-facing copy as needed
Instructor & Participant Communication: oversee instructor communications and planning (speaker agreements, planning calls, tech run-throughs) and coordinate related administrative tasks, including participant support and logistics
Execution, Production & Post-Program Wrap-Up: lead all operational aspects of virtual events from start to finish, including moderating live virtual training, troubleshooting issues and editing recordings
On-Demand Training: support the creation and maintenance of on-demand offerings and assisting with the development of new courses
Monitor feedback and usage trends and recommend improvements
Technology, Systems & Data: create and maintain project management boards and workflows; build events with relevant platforms; develop online evaluations; organize and distribute course materials; perform database management tasks to support efficient, repeatable processes
Support transition to a new learning management system (LMS) by managing content setup, testing workflows, and assisting staff and instructors with adoption
Reporting & Analysis: track and analyze program metrics (attendance, engagement, feedback) to evaluate success, identify improvements, and support accreditation and reporting needs
In-person Training: Develop in-person training for election workers
Build annual training program and prepare teaching plans
Develop or oversee the production of classroom handouts, instructional materials, aids and manuals
Identify training needs by evaluating strengths and weaknesses
Develop evaluations for training sessions
Data Analysis: Conduct research and in-depth analysis to support evidence-based decision-making
Communication Strategy: Assist in the development and implementation of communication strategies to support organizational goals
Collaborate with the City’s Communications Department to ensure cohesive and effective communication efforts
Support rapid response messaging during primary and general elections
Write, edit, and produce various materials; press releases, website copy, social media posts, newsletters, speeches and reports
Monitor analytics and engagement to refine content performance and improve reach
Maintain awareness of organizational developments, community dynamics and external factors that may require proactive or responsive communications – advising the City Clerk on when a communication strategy is warranted and ensuring the right parties are engaged early enough to respond effectively
Support crisis communications and urgent response messaging to protect the Office of the City Clerk reputation
Coordinate content needs with videographers, photographers, and designers
Digital Media: Manage social media channels, create engaging content, and analyzed performance
Keep abreast of the latest trends in communication to implement innovative solutions that can improve the effectiveness of the Office of the City Clerk
Implement new digital communication tools and platforms to improve engagement and reach
Engage with the audience on social media platforms and respond to comments and inquiries
Analyze social media to measure the effectiveness of campaigns
Ensure all content is accurate, engaging, and aligned with the Office of the City Clerk’s brand voice and messaging
Build and deploy digital communications, including email campaigns and web updates
Relationship Management: Serve as a key liaison and engage with internal and external stakeholders on behalf of the Office of the City Clerk
Advance the City Clerk’s initiatives through relationships, trust-building, and influence rather than formal authority
Event Management: Plan and support events, including product launches, conferences, and public appearances
Mentorship & Guidance: Provide coaching to staff and fostering professional development
Other Responsibilities
Providing day-to-day support to the Office of the City Clerk
Performing other duties as assigned