Executive Search

The City of Tucson is seeking to establish a contract for professional executive search services to be utilized on an as-needed basis. The successful contractor(s) will conduct nationwide executive searches for positions such as City Manager, Deputy City Manager, Assistant City Manager, Department Directors, Assistant/Deputy Department Directors, and other executive-level roles as deemed necessary by the City.

The City of Tucson operates under a Council-Manager form of government, as established by the City Charter. The governing body consists of six council members and a Mayor. According to the City Charter, the City Manager is appointed by the Mayor and Council and may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the Council. The City Manager oversees the general supervision and direction of the City’s administrative operations.

For the fiscal year 2024/2025, the City of Tucson’s operating budget is $2.4 billion, supporting a workforce of approximately 5,000 employees. The City provides a full range of municipal services, including Police, Fire, court services, environmental services, emergency communications, street maintenance, and parks and recreation programs. Additionally, the City operates a metropolitan water utility and housing authority. Tucson also owns a metropolitan bus system offering both fixed-route and paratransit services, with operations and maintenance contracted to private sector firms.

The City intends to award contracts to multiple offerors through this solicitation. Work under the resulting contracts may be competed among the awarded contractors. Alternatively, the City reserves the right to assign work directly to an awarded contractor without competition, as it deems in its best interest. Services will be provided on an as-needed basis, and no specific volume of work is guaranteed.

Positions for which the awarded recruiting firm(s) may conduct executive searches include, at a minimum, two employment-related statuses: Appointed and Classified. Appointed positions, such as those of Department Directors, serve at the discretion of the City Manager and may be appointed or removed as the Manager sees fit. Classified positions, such as Department Assistant/Deputy Directors, are governed by the City’s Civil Service Rules and require adherence to recruitment processes grounded in merit and fitness. Firms conducting recruitments for classified positions must collaborate with City Human Resources and departmental staff to ensure compliance with these rules. Additional information about the Civil Service Rules is available at: Civil-Service-Rules.

Several high-level management positions such as, but not limited to, Director level and/or Executive level positions are anticipated to become vacant or remain vacant by early 2025.

The specific recruitments for which consulting services will be utilized have not yet been finalized. However, selected consultants must be prepared to begin work immediately upon selection for any of the positions listed above or other executive-level roles as identified by the City.