County Administrator

Greenville County seeks a seasoned, principled local-government executive who can protect the County's financial and operational strengths while leading its next chapter with greater visibility, communication, collaboration, and strategic focus. The successful candidate will inherit an organization with respected employees, experienced department leadership, strong fiscal stewardship, and a stable service-delivery platform. The mandate is not change for its own sake. It is thoughtful leadership evolution: listening first, preserving what works, and advancing the organization's capacity to respond to growth, infrastructure demands, public expectations, and an increasingly complex governing environment. To view the full position profile, please visit: THE IDEAL CANDIDATEThe ideal candidate will be an accomplished public-sector executive with the breadth, judgment, and presence to lead a large, multifaceted county government. This individual will understand how policy, operations, finance, infrastructure, public safety, land use, technology, and community expectations intersect. Candidates should bring experience at a scale that meaningfully prepares them for a substantial workforce, a complex budget, multiple service portfolios, rapid growth, and relationships with a twelve-member Council and independently elected officials. This leader will be financially fluent, not merely financially aware. The County needs an administrator who can understand the underlying facts of a complicated governmental budget, test assumptions, weigh competing priorities, explain tradeoffs, oversee capital investments, and sustain the discipline that supports strong financial performance and favorable bond ratings. The successful candidate will be able to translate financial information into clear choices for Council, staff, and the public while balancing service expectations, deferred needs, revenue limitations, and sensitivity to tax increases. Equally important, the next administrator will be a visible and credible ambassador for Greenville County. The individual should be comfortable in Council chambers, employee meetings, civic gatherings, business settings, intergovernmental discussions, and public forums. Visibility should be purposeful rather than performative. The administrator will use accessibility, factual communication, and consistent follow-through to strengthen trust, explain County decisions and accomplishments, reduce misinformation, and help residents understand the realities behind complex financial, infrastructure, development, and operational issues. The ideal candidate will possess political acumen without political alignment. This leader will work for the governing body collectively, build an appropriate professional relationship with every Council member, understand district concerns while maintaining a countywide perspective, and remain neutral as Council dynamics and priorities change. The individual will give candid, fact-based advice, protect confidentiality, clarify the respective roles of Council and administration, and help manage potential areas of disagreement to help build consensus. Diplomacy, independence, discretion, calm judgment, and resilience will be essential. Internally, the successful candidate will lead through trust, clarity, accountability, and empowerment. Greenville County's experienced department heads and senior leaders are accustomed to meaningful autonomy. The next administrator should respect that expertise, ask informed questions, set clear expectations, delegate real authority, and avoid micromanagement. The strongest candidate will know when to support professional staff, when to challenge assumptions, and when to intervene. Changes should follow listening, evidence, and consultation. The next Administrator must also be prepared to guide the County through sustained growth and its consequences. Relevant experience should include some combination of land-use policy, development pressures, transportation, road capacity, capital facilities, public-safety needs, planning and permitting, economic development, community engagement, and intergovernmental coordination. The ideal candidate will connect growth decisions to infrastructure, service capacity, financial sustainability, and quality of life, while communicating those connections in language that is practical and understandable. Finally, Greenville County seeks a leader who views this position as a long-term professional and personal commitment. The desired candidate will bring humility and curiosity to the transition, invest time in learning the County's people and systems, and build durable relationships with Council, employees, constitutional officers, municipalities, state and federal partners, business and civic leaders, and residents. Success will be measured by decisions made and by the trust, stability, leadership capacity, and institutional strength created over time.

Serves as chief administrative officer of Greenville County government, implementing policy set by County Council, directing the Deputy and Assistant County Administrators, and ensuring effective, efficient delivery of county services in accordance with Council policy and applicable law. Statutory DutiesPer South Carolina Code of Laws, Section 4-9-630, the powers and duties of the administrator include, but are not limited to, the following:to serve as the chief administrative officer of the county government; to execute the policies, directives and legislative actions of the council; to direct and coordinate operational agencies and administrative activities of the county government; to prepare annual operating and capital improvement budgets for submission to the council and in the exercise of these responsibilities he shall be empowered to require such reports, estimates and statistics on an annual or periodic basis as he deems necessary from all county departments and agencies; to supervise the expenditure of appropriated funds; to prepare annual, monthly and other reports for council on finances and administrative activities of the county; to be responsible for the administration of county personnel policies including salary and classification plans approved by council; to be responsible for employment and discharge of personnel subject to the provisions of subsection (7) of Section 4-9-30 and subject to the appropriation of funds by the council for that purpose; andto perform such other duties as may be required by the council.

Communication: Conveys information clearly and listens effectively, adapting style and content to the audience. Problem Solving & Judgment: Identifies problems, gathers relevant information, and makes sound, timely decisions. Accountability & Ownership: Takes personal responsibility for commitments, decisions, and outcomes — including mistakes. Integrity & Ethics: Acts consistently with organizational values, is honest and transparent, and upholds ethical standards even when inconvenient. Initiative & Drive for Results: Takes proactive action and maintains focus on achieving quality outcomes, even without direct instruction.

Master's degree in Public Administration, Public Policy, Business Administration, or a related field. Ten (10) or more years of progressively responsible experience in local government management, including experience as a City/County Manager, Deputy/Assistant County Administrator, or equivalent senior executive role in a large (preferably population of 350,000 or more) and complex environment. An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may be considered. Experience working within a County with a population of 350,000 or more is ideal.