Public Safety Director (Assistant City Manager)

Sumter Local Government Consulting is pleased to assist the City of Mableton, GA, in recruiting its first-ever Public Safety Director (Assistant City Manager). The Public Safety Director reports to the City Manager and is a critical member of the city’s executive leadership team.

Incorporated in November 2022, the City of Mableton is proud to be the largest city in Cobb County, Georgia, serving a dynamic and growing population of nearly 80,000 residents. Led by Mayor Michael Owens and six dedicated City Council members, Mableton is shaping a bold future rooted in community, culture, innovation, and opportunity.

Strategically located just west of downtown Atlanta, Mableton enjoys the advantages of a major metropolitan region while maintaining the character, diversity, and sense of community that residents cherish. The City is ideally situated near Interstates 20 and 285, providing convenient access to Atlanta’s business centers, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and numerous regional destinations. This prime location has made Mableton an increasingly attractive destination for families, businesses, and developers seeking the perfect balance between suburban quality of life and urban accessibility.

Mableton is a community rich in history, diversity, and civic pride. The City is one of the most culturally diverse municipalities in Georgia, bringing together residents from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. This diversity contributes to a vibrant community atmosphere and creates opportunities for meaningful engagement between residents, businesses, schools, faith-based organizations, and local government.

The City of Mableton is seeking an accomplished, innovative, and visionary public safety executive to serve as its first Public Safety Director (Assistant City Manager). This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of public safety in one of Georgia's newest and most dynamic cities.

Reporting directly to the City Manager and serving as a key member of the City's executive leadership team, the Public Safety Director (Assistant City Manager) will provide strategic leadership and executive oversight for all public safety initiatives within the City. The Director provides executive leadership, policy direction, organizational development, budget oversight, and operational coordination for the City's public safety functions while assisting the City Manager with broader organizational goals and municipal initiatives.
As the City's senior public safety executive, the Director will directly supervise the Police Chief and provide executive-level oversight of police operations while simultaneously serving as the City's lead official for emergency management, disaster preparedness, homeland security initiatives, public safety planning, and municipal facility security. 

One of the most exciting aspects of this position is the opportunity to help create the City of Mableton Police Department from the ground up.

Working closely with the City Manager and Police Chief, the Public Safety Director will provide executive leadership and strategic guidance throughout the development and implementation of the new department. The Director will help establish the vision, organizational structure, staffing model, budget, operational framework, and long-term strategic direction for the agency.

The Public Safety Director will provide executive oversight of the Police Chief and the City's law enforcement mission. While the Police Chief will be responsible for the day-to-day management and operation of the Police Department, the Public Safety Director will focus on strategic leadership, policy direction, organizational effectiveness, intergovernmental coordination, and alignment with the City's broader goals and objectives.

The Public Safety Director will serve as the City's lead executive for emergency management and disaster preparedness.

A critical responsibility of the Public Safety Director will be serving as the City's primary liaison with local, state, and federal public safety partners.

The Director will cultivate and maintain strong working relationships with:

• Cobb County Police Department
  
• Cobb County Sheriff's Office
  
• Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services
  
• Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency
  
• Georgia Bureau of Investigation
  
• Georgia Department of Public Safety
  
• Metro Atlanta law enforcement agencies
  
• Federal law enforcement partners
  
• Regional public safety organizations and task forces
  

The Public Safety Director will oversee the security and protection of all City facilities and assets, including City Hall, municipal courts, administrative offices, and other City-owned properties.

Few public safety executives are ever presented with the opportunity to help build a new municipal police department while simultaneously serving as the senior public safety advisor to a growing city. The City of Mableton offers exactly that opportunity.

The successful candidate will help shape the future of public safety for nearly 80,000 residents, establish the strategic direction of a new organization, strengthen regional partnerships, oversee emergency preparedness efforts, and create a lasting legacy of service and leadership.

For the right candidate, this position offers far more than a traditional public safety role—it provides the opportunity to influence the future of an entire city and build a public safety organization that serves as a model for communities throughout Georgia and beyond.

The City of Mableton seeks an exceptional public safety executive with the vision, leadership, and experience to help shape the future of public safety in one of Georgia's newest cities. The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following qualities:

• Visionary Leader – Possesses the ability to develop and communicate a compelling vision for public safety while helping build systems, programs, and organizations that will serve the City for generations. 
  
• Strategic Thinker – Demonstrates the ability to anticipate future challenges, evaluate complex issues, and develop long-term solutions that align with the City's goals and priorities. 
  
• Collaborative Relationship Builder – Builds strong partnerships with elected officials, City leadership, residents, businesses, schools, community organizations, and public safety partners. 
  
• Proven Public Safety Executive – Has extensive leadership experience in law enforcement, emergency management, public safety administration, or a related field, with a demonstrated record of success managing complex organizations and initiatives. 
  
• Emergency Management Professional – Possesses a strong understanding of emergency preparedness, disaster response, homeland security, continuity of operations, and crisis management principles. 
  
• Builder of High-Performing Organizations – Has experience creating positive organizational cultures, developing future leaders, empowering employees, and building teams committed to excellence and accountability. 
  
• Exceptional Communicator – Communicates clearly, professionally, and transparently with diverse audiences while maintaining credibility during both routine operations and critical incidents. 
  
• Innovative Problem Solver – Embraces innovation, technology, and modern public safety practices while continuously seeking opportunities to improve services, efficiency, and organizational performance.
  
• Ethical and Principled Leader – Demonstrates the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, accountability, and public service while earning the trust and confidence of employees, elected officials, and the community. 
  
• Change Agent and Legacy Builder – Thrives in dynamic environments and is energized by the opportunity to help create a model public safety organization that will shape the future of the City of Mableton for decades to come
  

The position requires the successful candidate to meet the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Criminal Justice, Emergency Management, Political Science, or related field. 
  
• Ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in law enforcement, emergency management, or public safety administration, including at least three (3) years in a senior management or executive role.
  
• Experience working within a municipal or governmental environment.
  
• Requires a valid Georgia driver’s license or must be obtained by the time of hire.
  
• Requires certification through the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council (POST) as a Basic Law Enforcement Officer (or the ability to obtain basic law enforcement training certification through Georgia POST within 12 months of hire date).
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Public Administration, Criminal Justice, Emergency Management, Political Science, or related field.
  
• Advanced executive training (e.g. FBI National Academy, Senior Command, or equivalent. 
  
• FEMA Incident Command certifications (IS-100, 200, 700, & 800)
  

Salary

Application Process

For more information on this position, including supplementary documents and resources, visit the recruitment webpage at:

https://sumterlocalgovconsulting.com/recruitments/public-safety-director-mableton-ga/

The first review of resumes will take place on July 6, 2026.

Please refrain from communicating with the staff or elected officials with the City of Mableton.

Please contact the Executive Recruiter with any questions or concerns:

Billy Grogan 

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 770-403-8086 

Website: www.sumterlocalgovconsulting.com