County Manager

Salary: Depends on Qualifications
Location : 304 South Morgan Street, Roxboro, NC
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 2026-37
Department: Administration - County Manager
Opening Date: 10/09/2026
Closing Date: 11/9/2026 10:00 PM Eastern
Salary Grade: 00

Summary Objective
Applicants should apply by November 9, 2026

Lead Person County through an important period of economic development, investment, and growth while preserving its rural character.

Person County is seeking a strategic, collaborative, and effective leader to serve as its next County Manager. This executive leadership opportunity offers an experienced local government professional the opportunity to lead a strong organization, work closely with an engaged and committed Board of Commissioners, strengthen partnerships throughout the community, and help shape the County's future. The County Manager will provide strategic organizational leadership, ensure the effective delivery of County Services, and translate the Board's goals into action while supporting sound, responsive and accountable county government.

Position Overview:

• Annual County Budget: $
• County Workforce: Oversees a workforce of 454 full-time employees and 193 part-time employees
• Direct Reports: Currently there are 14 positions: the Assistant County Manager, Clerk to the Board, Tax Administrator, Finance Director, IT Director, HR Director, General Services Director, Economic Development Director, Inspections Director, Planning/Zoning Director, GIS Director, Emergency Services Director, Public Information Officer, and Health Director. Person County has a total of 28 departments, and this direct report structure may change at the discretion of the County Manager.
• Governance & Oversight: Reports directly to the five-member Board of County Commissioners while working closely with County staff, community partners, and residents.

About the Community:

Located in North Carolina's northern Piedmont, Person County offers its nearly 41,000 residents a distinctive blend of rolling hills, farmland, forests, lakes, and rural character, while providing convenient access to the economic and cultural opportunities of the Triangle. Roxboro, the county seat, offers a charming uptown area with local shops, restaurants, historic sites, and year-round community events.

Outdoor recreation is a defining part of life in Person County. The County is home to Hyco and Mayo lakes, offering opportunities for boating, fishing, hiking, camping, and enjoying the outdoors. includes cabins, camping, hiking trails, paddle craft rentals, and an 18-hole disc golf course, features more than 3,750 acres of water, nature trails, bird watching, pickleball, and other recreational opportunities.

The community also offers a strong connection to its history, arts, and local culture, with attractions including the , , local wineries, community festivals, farmers markets, and a variety of parks and recreational facilities. Person County is home to North Carolina's oldest county recreation department, with programs dating to the 1940s and full County funding beginning in 1961. Today, provides a wide range of athletic, cultural, community, and outdoor programs throughout the County.
Duties/Responsibilities
About the Organization, Department and Position:

Person County is entering an important period of economic development and investment. The next County Manager will play a key role in guiding the organization through this period. The County is focused on strengthening its tax base, addressing long-term capital needs, and preserving the rural character and quality of life that define the community, while navigating potential development surrounding Microsoft's 1,385-acre data center site, continued development of the Person County Airport, and the proposed Person County Multimodal Rail Trail. Major investment proposed from Duke Energy (who has been here since 1965), Enbridge, and other advanced manufacturing investments and expansions are taking place that further demonstrate a priority to continue preservation of the County's history and community culture.

The County Manager will be a key partner to the Board of Commissioners, providing executive leadership and professional management of County operations. The Manager will work across the organization to support effective decision-making, strong communication, accountability, and alignment of staffing and resources with Board priorities. With Board elections taking place in November, the next County Manager will have the opportunity to build relationships with the incoming Board and help establish a strong, cohesive partnership between the Board and County staff.

The County Manager is responsible for:

• Providing executive leadership and professional management of County operations.
• Supporting department heads and employees and fostering effective communication, accountability, and collaboration throughout the organization.
• Working with the Board, County staff, community partners, and residents to advance County priorities and support the effective management of County resources.

Person County's vision is to be a "safe, thriving, and diverse community where people come to live, work, learn, play, serve, and grow." Guided by the values of Community, Professionalism, Transparency, Opportunity, and Stewardship, the next County Manager will provide the leadership needed to advance this vision while building on the County's strong organizational culture and planning for its future.

Key Position Priorities:

• Executive Leadership: Build a strong, collaborative relationship with the Board, foster a cohesive governing body, establish clear boundaries between elected officials and staff, and help commissioners understand their roles and responsibilities.
• Financial Management & Budget: Work with the Board to align staffing, resources, and the budget with Board priorities, realistic service levels, and tax objectives.
• Staff Leadership & Organizational Culture: Build on a culture of engagement, trust, transparency, and leadership empowerment by supporting and developing department heads and employees, respecting their expertise, and fostering accountability.
• Economic Development: Lead economic development efforts, build relationships with state and federal leaders and community partners, balance growth and development with Person County's rural character, and strengthen the County's economic development capacity, including filling the Economic Development Director position during the first year.
• Capital Planning & Investment: Conduct a comprehensive assessment of County facility needs and develop and implement a 5-, 10-, and 15-year capital needs and spending plan addressing facility upgrades, renovations, replacements, infrastructure, and other long-term capital needs.

Qualifications
Minimum and Preferred Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree in public administration, business administration, or a closely related field.
  o Note: A master's degree in public administration (MPA), business administration (MBA), or a related field is strongly preferred.
• Five to seven (5-7) years of progressively responsible experience in county or municipal government administration, including experience serving as an assistant county/municipal manager, manager, or in a comparable senior management role such as a department head of in an equally sized or larger organization.
• Demonstrated government financial management experience.
• Strongly prefer experience in economic development, with a demonstrated record of verifiable successes.
• Strongly prefer experience working in or with a rural community, including an understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with rural economic development.
• International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Certification preferred.

Please note: Residency within Person County is required for this position and the timeline will be negotiated at time of hire.
Additional Information
How to Apply:

Please visit , and click on the County Manager, Person County, NC title.

• If you have accessed this position from within the Government Jobs portal, simply hit the green "Apply" button in the upper-right corner to begin your application.
• Important: All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal (link above) - NOT the County's employment application portal or any other external website. Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application.
• Application Deadline: November 9, 2026
• Hiring Process Schedule: Successful semi-finalists will be invited to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluations on December 1-2, 2026. The board will conduct on-site interviews on December 4, 2026. Decisions about who to select will be made during a December 7th meeting. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings and in-person interviews should they be invited to participate.
• Questions? Direct all inquiries to

Person County Government offers a wide range of employee benefits for full-time employees.

Employee Benefits

NC STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM
Employee contributes 6% of pre-tax salary and county contributes 14.39% for county employees and 16.08% for law enforcement effective 7/1/2024.

EMPOWER 401K & 457
County contributes 5% of your salary into the 401k and you can contribute up to 80% of your compensation or up to $17,500.
No county contribution for part-time

PAID LEAVE
ANNUAL LEAVE
0-2 years - 12 days per year
3-4 years - 15 days per year
5-9 years - 17 days per year
10-14 years - 20 days per year
15-19 years - 22 days
20+ years - 25 days per year

SICK LEAVE
12 days per year

HOLIDAYS
12 paid holidays per year

PARENTAL LEAVE
30 paid days of new parent leave

VOLUNTEER LEAVE
Up to 24 hours of paid time off per fiscal year to volunteer with a public educational
institution or non-profit organization.

WELLNESS DAY
1 day per year

PAY PROGRAM
MERIT INCREASES - Annual increases based upon performance (up to 3%)

LONGEVITY PAY (Part-time & full-time)
Based on years of service
1 year, but less than 5 years - .50% of annual salary
5 years, but less than 10 years - 1% of annual salary
10 years, but less than 15 years - 2% of annual salary
15 years, but less than 20 years - 3.25% of annual salary
20 years, but less than 25 years - 4.5% of annual salary
25 years or more - 5.75% of annual salary

TUITION REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM
Employees may be reimbursed for eligible expenses up to a total of eight hundred dollars ($2,500) per fiscal year

CERTIFICATIONS
1.5% salary increase per advanced certification pertaining to the job

DIRECT DEPOSIT
Person County Government employees are paid bi-weekly with Direct Deposit

WELLNESS PROGRAMS

COUNTY EMPLOYEE GYM
$25 membership fee per year for full-time or $50 for part-time public safety employees at the Sheriff's Dept. or EMS whose position requires you to be "fit for duty".

WALK OR WORK OUT PROGRAM
The County allows employees to be physically active three times a week for 45 minutes

PERSON COUNTY SAFETY
Person County is committed to conducting all operations as safely and efficiently as possible. The safety of all employees and the general public, both inside and outside our facilities, is of great importance and one of our major goals.

INSURANCE
HEALTH INSURANCE - HSA - CIGNA - (County contributes $1,200 to HSA account - pro-rated by insurance effective date)
Employee - $0.00/month
Employee + 1 child - $217.80/month
Employee + children - $283.14/month
Employee + spouse - $806.95/month
Family - $1,062.86/month
HEALTH INSURANCE - TRADITIONAL PLAN - CIGNA
Employee - $54.45/month
Employee + 1 child - $435.60/month
Employee + children - $522.72/month
Employee + spouse - $1,324.87/month
Family - $1,721.48/month

DENTAL INSURANCE
Employee - $0.00/month (County pays 100% premium)
Employee + child(ren) - $54.91/month
Employee + spouse - $38.11/month
Family - $94.27/month

VISION
Employee - $7.28/month
Employee + child(ren) - $16.62/month
Employee + spouse - $14.54/month
Family - $25.62/month

LIFE INSURANCE
$10,000 Policy provided by the County
Supplemental Life Insurance available for $25,000 to $100,000 policies

SUPPLEMENTAL POLICIES
AFLAC
?MET LIFE CANCER
FSA