Located in the heart of Central Iowa, Ankeny is a vibrant and fast growing community known for its strong sense of civic pride, excellent schools, and thriving local economy. Ankeny offers a perfect balance of hometown charm and big-city amenitities.

Ankeny is a rapidly growing community located five miles north of Des Moines, Iowa’s capital city. It is the fifth largest city in Iowa. With a growing population of more than 76,000, Ankeny covers approximately 33 square miles and offers an outstanding quality of life, with a variety of cultural and recreational opportunities. Being part of the greater Des Moines area, Ankeny offers big city amenities with the hometown feel of a smaller city.

Ankeny was recently names one of the Best Places to Live in the United States by U.S. News & World Report: #18 in the nation and #1 in Iowa. The City is ranked among the highest for desirability, affordability, safety, and public education. In a 2024 citizen survey, 93% of residents rated Ankeny as an excellent or good place to live. Additionally, residents ranked the City high for its overall quality of life and for being a good place to raise a family. Ranked one of the safest cities in Iowa with a population of 20,000+ by Safewise, it’s no surprise Ankeny is also rated highly by its residents for being a safe place to live.

The City Manager is responsible to the Ankeny City Council for maintaining and operating the City in a professional manner and administration of City affairs. This position manages and directs the day-to-day operations of the City based on the ordinances and policies established by the City Council. The City Manager oversees operation of the City’s departments, including Fire, Police, Parks & Recreation, Public Works, Municipal Utilities, Library, Economic Development, Community Development, Communications, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Finance. The City maintains a core of 380 full-time employees and permanent part-time and this number expands to more than 800 during the summer. The total annual budget is approximately $198M.

This position also works closely with community members, local school members, and is highly visible at community events.

For more information about this position, please reach out to Bret Bauer, GPS Partner at
bbauer@governmentpros.com or (316) 207-0688.