Senior Director of Population and Revenue Growth
ABOUT THE SHEFFIELD ADMINISTRATION
Detroit is entering a historic new chapter under Mayor-Elect Mary Sheffield, the city’s first woman to serve as Mayor. Elected with a decisive mandate, Mayor-Elect Sheffield brings a steady, community-rooted approach to governing—one focused on listening to residents, healing long-standing divides, and delivering meaningful improvements in daily life across every neighborhood. She will take office on January 1, 2026, with a commitment to building a city that lifts every family and expands opportunity for all.
As she forms her administration, Mayor-Elect Sheffield is assembling a talented, diverse team of leaders who bring deep expertise, lived experience, and the courage to put forward bold, innovative ideas that move Detroit forward. Her team will drive a City government grounded in collaboration, equity, transparency, and results. The Sheffield Administration seeks mission-driven individuals who are ready to serve, ready to build, and ready to help shape Detroit’s future.
ABOUT THE OFFICE
The Office of the Mayor leads Detroit’s strategy for neighborhood revitalization, economic mobility, equitable growth, and long-term financial stability. The Senior Director of Population & Revenue Growth supports this mission by identifying and executing strategies to attract new residents, retain longtime Detroiters, strengthen the city’s fiscal base, and expand revenue sources that ensure sustainable and equitable investment across all neighborhoods.
The office works across departments—including housing, planning, economic development, workforce, transportation, and budget—while partnering with state agencies, philanthropy, higher education, business leaders, and community organizations. This role is instrumental in shaping Detroit’s next chapter of inclusive growth, supporting the Mayor’s commitment to building a city where families want to stay, newcomers want to live, and every neighborhood can thrive.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Senior Director of Population & Revenue Growth serves as the City’s chief strategist for expanding Detroit’s population and diversifying municipal revenues. This role combines economic analysis, policy design, financial innovation, intergovernmental partnership, and narrative strategy. The Senior Director evaluates demographic trends, revenue models, migration patterns, tax structures, and barriers to growth, and then develops actionable strategies to strengthen Detroit’s long-term prosperity.
This role mirrors state-level population-growth positions while tailoring its focus to Detroit’s unique context—its strong cultural identity, historic housing stock, deep community networks, industrial legacy, and emerging economic sectors. The ideal candidate brings expertise in municipal finance, tax policy, economic development, and population strategy, along with a proven record of turning analysis into measurable outcomes.
The Senior Director works closely with the Mayor, Chief Financial Officer, policy teams, state and regional partners, and Detroit’s anchor institutions to align growth and revenue strategies with neighborhood needs, racial equity goals, and Detroit’s ongoing revitalization.
This role will drive the administration’s priorities, including:
Develop citywide strategies to attract new residents, retain existing families, and reverse population decline.
Identify, design, and champion policy solutions—especially tax and revenue reforms—that make Detroit more affordable, competitive, and appealing to current and future residents.
Evaluate innovative revenue tools, incentives, partnerships, and municipal finance approaches that reduce long-term structural deficits and expand stable revenue sources.
Collaborate with the Housing and Revitalization Department, Planning, and the Land Bank to expand homeownership, streamline infill development, support small landlords, and increase quality housing options.
Partner with DPSCD, early-childhood providers, and youth-serving institutions to promote family-friendly amenities, strengthen school-community partnerships, and position Detroit as a place where families want to grow.
Develop strategies to attract immigrants, returning Detroiters, remote workers, and talent from the region’s universities and employers.
Collaborate with local businesses, anchor institutions, and workforce partners to align job growth with residential growth.
Lead research and narrative development to reintroduce Detroit to potential residents and investors by highlighting the city’s assets, opportunities, culture, affordability, and momentum.
Advance equitable policy reforms that strengthen Detroit’s fiscal health while preventing resident displacement and ensuring longtime Detroiters benefit from rising prosperity.
This description outlines the general nature and key responsibilities of the role and is not intended to be exhaustive; duties, responsibilities, and activities may be modified at the discretion of the Mayor.
Core responsibilities include:
Analyze demographic trends, migration patterns, taxation structures, and economic indicators to inform population-growth and revenue strategies.
Develop and implement a comprehensive Population Growth Strategy for the City of Detroit, aligned with state, regional, and mayoral priorities.
Design policy proposals related to taxation, revenue diversification, incentives, housing, economic development, workforce, and neighborhood amenities.
Evaluate potential reforms such as earned-income tax improvements, housing incentives, workforce-mobility initiatives, childcare affordability strategies, and creative mixed-use development tools.
Work closely with the Chief Financial Officer and Budget Office to assess fiscal impacts, revenue projections, and long-term sustainability considerations.
Partner with state agencies, county officials, philanthropic organizations, and private-sector stakeholders to align Detroit’s growth agenda with regional strategies.
Collaborate with the new Office of Homeownership & Housing Rights, HRD, and the Detroit Land Bank Authority to link population growth with infill housing, home repair, ownership supports, and family-retention strategies.
Coordinate cross-departmental initiatives that improve quality of life for existing residents, including transportation, parks, recreation, childcare, mobility, small-business support, and neighborhood safety.
Lead public-facing narrative initiatives that promote Detroit’s strengths—cultural vibrancy, affordability, historic neighborhoods, entrepreneurial spirit, and community leadership—as magnets for population growth.
Create dashboards, metrics, and reporting tools to track population trends, revenue performance, retention outcomes, and strategy effectiveness.
Prepare briefings, reports, and recommendations for the Mayor, Chief Operating Officer, City Council, and external partners.
Represent the City in statewide, regional, and national conversations on population growth, municipal innovation, and revenue policy.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in economics, public policy, municipal finance, urban planning, business, or a related field; master’s degree strongly preferred.
Extensive experience in municipal finance, tax policy, economic development, or demographic strategy in a government or large public-sector context.
Demonstrated track record of developing and implementing large-scale policy initiatives that produce measurable outcomes.
Expertise in analyzing municipal tax structures, revenue diversification tools, and long-term fiscal modeling.
Experience designing or implementing population-growth strategies, housing strategies, or economic-mobility initiatives in a major city or state.
Strong analytical, strategic planning, and economic modeling skills with the ability to translate complex data into clear recommendations.
Deep understanding of Detroit’s policy environment, neighborhoods, revenue structure, housing dynamics, and demographic trends (or experience in a comparable Rust-Belt or legacy city).
Exceptional communication skills with the ability to work closely with senior leaders, elected officials, community stakeholders, academic partners, and business leaders.
Commitment to equity, resident inclusion, and ensuring that population growth strategies benefit longtime Detroiters.
Ability to innovate, problem-solve, and think creatively about revenue and growth challenges.
Experience working across agencies or sectors to implement complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
Rate of Pay: $158,000-$179,000 annually, commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Benefits: Our goal is to attract and retain a highly skilled workforce by providing generous healthcare and other benefits to eligible employees. Learn more about benefits for City of Detroit employees.
Equal Opportunity in Employment: The Sheffield Administration is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. Even if you do not meet all of the requirements listed above, we encourage you to apply if you believe you have the skills, experience, and expertise necessary to thrive in this role. The City of Detroit is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage candidates of all backgrounds—including those historically underrepresented in municipal government—to apply.