A Waterville native and current employee of the Town of Scarborough has been hired to become Waterville’s new city manager starting Jan. 5.

Nicholas Cloutier, 41, of Scarborough, was offered the job and has signed a three-year contract the City Council is expected to sign Tuesday, according to Mayor Mike Morris. His salary will be $165,000 plus benefits.

“I, along with the members of the council, are super excited,” Morris said Thursday. “I think he (Cloutier) brings a certain energy and attention to detail. He has a good vision on how he executes certain things.”

Cloutier is assessor and director of special projects in Scarborough and said Friday he is phasing out his work there in the coming weeks with the goal of moving to Waterville with his wife, Anna, a writer and artist, as soon as possible.

He said he is excited to be returning to his hometown and serving the community that he loves and which helped shape who he is today. He said he is dedicated to working on projects already in process, as well as any upcoming issues and challenges. He said he views his job transition not so much as a stepping stone or career move but a lifetime goal.

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” he said.

Cloutier will succeed former city manager Bryan Kaenrath who left Waterville in May to become city administrator in Lewiston. Cornell Knight has been serving as interim city manager since then.

Born at the former Seton Hospital in Waterville, Cloutier attended Mount Merici School and Waterville Junior High School, and in 2002, graduated from Waterville Senior High School. He received a degree in psychology from Middlebury College.

While in Waterville, he was active with the Waterville Opera House and performed in numerous productions, including musicals, there.

In Scarborough, his work has included helping guide major financial initiatives such as budget development, long-term capital and debt planning, and public communication efforts. His resume says his innovative approach to transparency and public engagement earned him national recognition, as he received the International Association of Assessing Officers’ 2025 Public Information Program Award. Before working in Scarborough, he served in assessment roles in both Brunswick and Wells.

Cloutier served on the executive board of the Maine Association of Assessing Officers, was a representative on Maine Municipal Association’s Legislative Police Committee and was a voting member of the state Legislature’s LD 1770 Real Estate Property Tax Relief Task Force, helping advance recommendations to reduce future property tax burden for Mainers.

Cloutier has met with Waterville city department heads and councilors, as well as Morris.

“I can say with certainty I’m very impressed,” Cloutier said of city officials. “It seems that they have an amazing staff and I’m excited to learn from them and listen to them and to integrate myself in the system. I look forward to earning people’s trust through doing the hard work and showing up and rolling up my sleeves.”

Morris sent out an email Thursday night to community partners including officials from area colleges, nonprofit organizations, economic development groups and others to notify them of Cloutier’s hiring and say that a meet-and-greet event for Cloutier is set for 6-8 p.m. Dec. 11.

Don Gerrish started leading a city manager search when he worked for Eaton Peabody Consulting Services of Augusta, a firm that notified the city a few months ago that it was going to cease operations. Gerrish formed his own firm, Municipal Consulting Services LLC, and continued the Waterville search.

The city hired Eaton Peabody in February for $8,000 and hired Knight in April to serve as interim city manager.

Morris said more than a dozen candidates applied for the position in the most recent search round, which was the third the city conducted, and five were interviewed. Two, including Cloutier, were called back for second interviews.

In June, following the city’s second search, the council decided none of the candidates was the right fit. Gerrish told the council there are many qualified candidates in Maine who would be interested in the job but at this stage in their careers, selling a home and relocating is not feasible for them.

The council conducted a first search several weeks before that and interviewed four candidates but councilors could not come to a consensus, so they decided to readvertise.

Meanwhile, city residents voted Nov. 4 in a special referendum, to allow city managers to live outside of Waterville.

Tuesday’s council meeting is set for 6 p.m. in the City Hall Annex at 46 Front St.