Over 1,500 applications received for jobs with Pittsburgh’s new Mayoral administration
Talent City selection process underway
PITTSBURGH, Pa., Dec. 18, 2013 -- Over 1,500 applications have been received for senior management positions in Pittsburgh Mayor-elect Bill Peduto’s administration on The Pittsburgh Foundation’s specially-created website, Talent-City.com.
A total of 32 job descriptions were posted in November on the site, covering up to 43 positions in the areas of the Mayor’s Office, Finance and Administration, Public Safety and Urban Affairs, and Planning and Innovation, each offering annual salaries of between $60,000 and $106,000.
The deadline for applications was 5 p.m. yesterday (Dec. 17, 2013).
National and regional searches were conducted to find the most qualified candidates for key positions in the administration. Approximately 44 percent of the applicants were local with 56 percent of the resumes coming from regions across the U.S. including California, Oregon, New York, Georgia and Florida.
Human resource consultants have been evaluating all applications as they were received and initial interviews began two weeks ago. This will continue through the end of the year and all final candidates will also complete a background check.
Under the Talent City program, launched by the Foundation in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute of Politics, all finalists for the posted positions will be screened by one of three specialized bi-partisan selection committees and further interviews will be conducted.
A final slate of between three and five recommended candidates for 12 high priority positions as determined by Mayor-elect Peduto and his team will be delivered by or before January 6, 2014. Candidates for the remaining 20 positions will be forwarded by or before January 30, 2014. The Mayor-elect may choose from these short-lists or request additional candidates for his consideration.
“We are surprised and delighted by this response,” said Grant Oliphant, the Foundation’s President and CEO. “Our priority is to help fill positions for Mayor-elect Peduto’s administration with the best possible candidates we can find, but we did not expect such a large number of applications from outside the Pittsburgh region.
“There is a sense of a big shift in our city just now. Talent City shines a positive spotlight on Pittsburgh conveying a message that we aspire to excellence and people inside and outside our region want to be part of that.”
A second phase of recruitment will begin in early 2014 when additional positions for the Mayoral administration -- comprising new and existing jobs – will be posted on the Talent-City.com site. The recruitment process is scheduled to continue for approximately six months and the Oversight Committee will provide on-going advice and evaluations through the fall 2014.
The $275,000 Talent City initiative is designed to provide comprehensive support for the new Mayoral administration in assembling an experienced and qualified team who will help lead Pittsburgh into a new era of development. Prior to the election on November 5, the initiative was endorsed by both Mayoral candidates.
The Talent-City.com website has also received over 80 responses from the public on its ‘idea portal’ where suggestions and recommendations can be submitted designed to help the new Mayoral administration to shape policy and prioritize initiatives. The public has offered ideas on improving neighborhood development, public safety, and city services.