Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)

City of Stratford

Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)

Join the City of Stratford, a thriving cultural epicentre in southwestern Ontario, as our Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)! We are seeking a dynamic, principled leader to drive our City’s strategic initiatives and core service delivery, in a community renowned for its manufacturing and tourism sectors.

As the senior advisor to Council, you will ensure that directives and decisions of Council are effectively implemented and managed. You will be the senior liaison with provincial offices and other municipalities. You will also lead the strategic planning process and manage the senior leadership team.

Why should you consider Stratford as your next opportunity for growth?

1. Small City Charm with Big City Amenities – Stratford offers a small city feel combined with award-winning dining, cultural opportunities such as the Stratford Festival Theatre and access to high-quality healthcare, ensuring an excellent quality of life.
2. Once in a Generation Impact – provide strategic direction on the Grand Trunk Renewal Project, a transformative initiative to preserve and revitalize Stratford’s historic site.
3. Flexibility – a hybrid work from home policy allows for work-life balance.
4. Competitive Compensation – (currently under review) with comprehensive benefits and OMERS pension.

Review the CAO Profile below to learn more about this exciting opportunity. Applications are due by Friday, April 25, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. to the attention of Authentika Consulting, info@authentikaconsulting.com

City of Stratford CAO Profile

The Corporation of the City of Stratford is a growing community and recognized as a cultural, commercial, industrial and agricultural centre in southwestern Ontario. Stratford’s leading economic sectors of manufacturing and tourism complement each other and offer an environment where small and medium sized businesses thrive along with large corporations.

Stratford is a single tier municipality providing a wide range of services. The Chief Administrative Officer oversees both the strategic and day to day operations of the City. Key activities include acting as the senior advisor to Council, ensuring that directives and decisions of Council are effectively implemented and managed, acting as the senior liaison with provincial offices and other municipalities, leading the strategic planning process and managing the senior leadership team.

As the ideal Chief Administrative Officer, you are an inspiring, principled, and collaborative leader with a proven track record of results and accomplishments with related experience from either a public sector or private sector organization. You have exceptional communication skills and the political acumen to interact with an engaged council, diverse stakeholders, foster the development of partnerships, develop our workforce and inspire our employees, while ensuring customer service excellence.

You will have an exceptional understanding of forward-thinking strategies as it relates to managing responsible growth, ensuring effective municipal operations in a fiscally accountable fashion and guiding our organization into the future, while retaining our small-town community charm.

You will focus on the implementation of Council strategic and long-range directions and develop opportunities to achieve Council’s vision and priorities. The successful candidate should also be a respected coach, mentor, leader and encourage new ideas while being accountable.

Council has identified a number of strategic issues and opportunities for continuing to move the City forward:

1. Continued advancement of the Grand Trunk Railway project to the next stages as guided by the Grand Trunk Master Plan and Visioning Statement
2. Creating effective systems and advancing technology for municipal administration
3. Building teamwork across the municipal corporation
4. Advancement of City’s plans including official plan review, asset management, housing and homelessness, transportation, cultural, climate change, service delivery review, corporate energy and emissions and other initiatives
5. Ensuring the financial sustainability of the City in the face of infrastructure needs.

Consideration will be given to the following qualifications:

1. Post Secondary Degree in a discipline related to municipal service delivery.
2. 10 years of progressively responsible senior level experience in a municipal government setting or similar environment.
3. Post-graduate Masters in Public Administration or relevant program is considered an asset.
4. Exceptional leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to support collaborative teams, as well as foster strong working relationships with Council, Staff and a diverse group of stakeholders within the community.
5. Must have thorough knowledge of municipal operations, as well as the ability to interpret and administer a variety of regulations, legislation, contractual agreements, policies and guidelines pertaining to municipal government.
6. Strategic and innovative thinker with a proven ability to champion and implement change.
7. Must be able to effectively manage multiple tasks/projects/initiatives concurrently.
8. Ability to manage staff at all levels, including unionized staff, and ensure staff are accountable for performance and results.
9. Strong analytical, problem solving, critical thinking and negotiation skills with the demonstrated ability to strategically organize and identify work priorities and to adjust seamlessly to changing demands.
10. Demonstrated short and long-term vision and success developing and implementing strategic and operational business plans.
11. Thorough knowledge of the Municipal Act, 2001, and other related legislation and regulations.
12. High degree of political and business acumen required.

The City of Stratford is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection processes and will accommodate the needs of applicants under the Ontario Human Rights Code and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Accommodation may be provided in all parts of the hiring process. Personal information collected from applicants and resumes is collected under the authority of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and will be used to determine the eligibility for employment with the City.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

To explore this opportunity in confidence, please send a detailed application outlining your qualifications and experience, as well as a detailed resume, by no later than April 25, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. to the attention of Authentika Consulting, info@authentikaconsulting.com